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Date:         14 Dec 1995 11:10:00 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Harvey Chao" <Harvey_Chao@smtp.svl.trw.com>
Subject:      Clutchless in Ca. Update

Electronic Mail Correspondence Date: 12/14/95 Time: 9:46 AM Subject: Clutchless in Ca. Update Ref:

I just talked to the dealer.

I think I related that when they first told me that they thought the problem was internal and have to drop the tranny, that I pressed them if they had checked to be sure it wasn't the master/slave hydraulics, and was told that wasn't it. Well the just told me now that the mounting bracket for the slave cylinder is destroyed and that they will fabricate a replacement (stock replacement item not available- I find that a bit difficult to believe - isn't it probably the same one on all Vanagons, or did they do something special just because this one is a diesel?) and that may fix the problem, with the concurrent reduction in cost because they now longer believe that they have to pull the tranny and replace clutch parts. If you think I am getting somewhat "jaundiced" about this place, you are right!!

I can believe the problem with the slave cylinder bracket. The last time I replaced the slave cylinder, I discovered that the bracket mounting bolt into tranny's threaded hole was missing. I further discovered that the hole threads were stripped. I was able to use an adjacent threaded hole in the tranny and some large fender washers to anchor that end of the bracket. I mentioned the possibility of the missing bolt/stripped hole to the dealer and suggested (to head off a "you need a new tranny case" line) that the hole may need to be "helicoiled"

Fortunately, we have an old '68 LeMans that is currently a "spare" car, and so the wife has managed to still attend her daily appointed rounds of drop off and pick up kids, and attend all the various Dr. , Dentist, and specialist appoiintments necessary. I however, am a bit peeved because it appears that my initial appraisal of the problem was correct (external mechanical-master/slave hydraulics) and that it sat for 2 days and an incorrect "Professional" diagnosis to find this out. Add that were it not for the weather, and timing, this is something I probably would have fixed in the driveway, although I would need to learn how to insert a "helicoil".

This seems to be a good time to say that due to the volume of traffic from this group I am going to temporarily unscubscribe later today or perhaps tomorrow morning. In order to use some excessive accrued vacation hours I am taking off from work starting this evening and will be off the net until late Wed, 12/20 when I will re-subscribe. If I miss any of you in the interim, let me say Happy Holidays and hope to see you here again when we both get back on-line. "You All" are a pretty neat group of folk that have gathered into this "virtual" community, and that is how I think of it, as a community with all that a community entails, good, bad, unique, supportive, individual, etc, but people with some common thread and interests that bind us all together! Take Care and stay safe through the coming Holiday period.

Harvey


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