Date:         Mon, 1 Apr 1996 21:43:58 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         brigstoc@astral.magic.ca (John & Dianne Brigstocke)
Subject:      Re: What's a Pilot Bearing? ('88)

Just finished replacing clutch, T/O bearing, pilot bearing while in there
doing trans repair.  Tim gave some sorely needed advice and encouragement.
The pilot bearing from VW was only $6.50 CDN !! - that was a surprise.  The
clutch disk was less than 50% worn measuring against replacement lining
depth to top of rivet heads.  Km was at 240,000. So predicted possible
mileage could have been as high as 500,000 km - but T/O bearing was dry and
noisy, pilot bearing still ok so replacement would have happened before
lining worn out.  As for use, I tow a sailboat occasionally, canoe on top
often and bikes on back and sometimes all together! but clutch life probably
more depends on how much slip is used on take up.

So first clutch replacement at 205,000 km sounds reasonable but 50 Kkm is
definitely not. Mainshaft damage may have been due to failed pilot bearing -
cause who knows? (Pilot bearing is small needle bearing pressed into center
of end of crankshaft that carries tip of mainshaft - it is lubed with grease
on assembly and only turns when clutch is not fully engaged)

>I found that the clutch disc, throwout 
>bearing, and pilot bearing were replaced at some shop in Fla. at 
>205,000km. Then at 250,000, the clutch disc & pilot bearing were 
>*again* replaced by the VW dealer in Toronto, with a note on the w/o 
>saying the trans mainshaft was damaged, but still usuable. This 
>sounds to me like the shop in Fla may have screwed up something to 
>cause the damage, since the trans was *new* at 165K (along with a new 
>clutch also).
>
>This also seems odd - only 40-50K kms on a clutch disc?? Indications 
>are that the PO carried a boat on top and probably lots of other 
>junk, but it still sounds strange to me. What's 'normal' for a 
>Vanagon clutch?
>
>Shawn
>'88 Westy 322k (Kyra)
>'85 Jetta TD 341k (Jenni)
>
John & Dianne Brigstocke      
Unionville, Ontario (Canada)
93 SE Black/Tan, Sebring SC.    MCA, Trillium Chapter
86 Westy
brigstoc@astral.magic.ca