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Date:         Sat, 12 Apr 1997 21:03:38 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Collins <wb6otg@intrex.net>
Subject:      Re: Pilot Bearing

I just got through taking my clutch apart for something very similar. I was having problems with the clutch not releasing completely, even though the friction point seemed to be in the right place. When I got it apart, the insides of the pilot bearing fell out.

Here's how I got to the clutch on my '84, done pretty much by the book: (BTW: Bently describes this in great detail)

1) Remove the upper bolts connecting the engine to the transmission. I had to remove the air cleaner, air flow sensor, and the throttle body to get to these.

2) Disconnect the CV joints from the transmission and tie them out of the way.

3) Unbolt the clutch slave cylinder from its mounting on the transimssion (Don't unhook the hydraulic line!) and also disconnect the bracket holding the hydraulic line.

4) Disconnect the backup light wiring and starter wiring.

5) Disconnect the shift linkage from the transmission.

6) Unbolt the bracket holding the throttle cable to the transmission. (Bently didn't mention this, but after ripping a heater box out of my '72 many years ago, I look for this sort of thing!)

7) Unhook anything else that might not like having the transmission ripped away from it. (In my case, some cruise control stuff) There's a ground strap in there somewhere too.

8) Remove the bottom nuts holding the engine to the transmission.

9) support the engine with VW tool $$$$ ... forget this, its time to make a tool. VW supports the engine from underneath for this, but I put a section of angle iron across the engine compartment, near the engine/transmission junction. There is a hole near the center of the engine case, at the end nearest the transmission. Bend a section of threaded rod into an L shape, hook the bottom of the L through the hole in the case, and bolt the vertical part through a hole in the angle iron. I had to use the angle iron because of clearance problems with the camper closet, on a non-camper vanagon, you could use a 2x4 instead. This rig will support the back end of the engine while you remove the transmission.

10) Put a transmission jack under the transmission, remove the 4 bolts holding the transmission mount to the body, and lower the end of the transmission nearest the front of the van enough that you can bring the transmission forward. If you are going to actually remove the transmission, the van has to be jacked up quite high (at least with my transmission jack) I was able to roll the transmission out of the way enough to work on the clutch, even though I couldn't get it out from under the van.

11) Remove the clutch and pressure plate.

12) If the pilot bearing is bad, you have to remove the flywheel. Since I didn't have the VW tool to lock the flywheel to remove the bolts, I had a helper stick a metal rod through one of the holes in the crank pulley, locking it against the case, while I pulled with all my strength on the 3/4 inch drive ratchet (the 1/2 inch impact wrench couldn't get these loose)

13) Now, the pilot bearing needs to be removed with another VW tool. I modified a bolt head so that I could insert it into the pilot bearing at an angle, then straighten it out and hook it inside the lip of the bearing. I then slipped a socket over the bolt, put a washer and nut on it, and used it as a puller. My pilot bearing's guts were all over the floor, so I don't know if this tool would have had room to work with an intact bearing.

14) As they say, assembly is the reverse. I can't give you any details because I couldn't get a pilot bearing on a Saturday evening, so It will have to wait for Monday.

It really wasn't too hard, but without the help of my Father-in-law, who did most of the work pulling the bearing (and making the tool), I'm not sure what I would have done.

Bill


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