Date:         Thu, 19 Nov 1998 00:42:17 -0500
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is my clutch slave failing?
Comments: To: Joel Hembel <jhembel@EXECPC.COM>, vanagon@VANAGON.COM
In-Reply-To:  <36537F0C.2B12@execpc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

 As the weather
> has gotten cooler, my clutch seems to engauge closer and closer to the
> floor. Currently the clutch must be FULLY DEPRESSED to shift without
> grinding. It will start grabbing 1/2 inch off the floor, and be fully
> engaged at about 2 inches off the floor. If I pump the clutch, the
> engagement point seems to be temporarily raised from the floor-slightly.
> Is the hydraulic slave adjustable? I've checked my manual and hav'nt
> seen any procedures. If I need to replace the slave/s do i do both or is
> one more prone to decay/fail?


Although it could be the clutch, a bad clutch slave and/or master cylinder
is most likely the culprit, particularly if pumping the clutch makes a
difference.  You can visually inspect the cylinders for signs of seepage. If
the master cylinder is leaking, you may also  notice some fluid on the
carpet near the pedals. (I am assuming you have ruled out the obvious, like
a low fluid level.)  You may also want to bleed the system in case air in
the lines is your only problem, but of course the question of *why* there
may be air in the system is probably answered by the fact that you need a
clutch master and/or slave cylinder.

You can get away with replacing just the bad one of the two, but judging
from the number of customers who seem to order one and then the other about
a month apart, I'm not sure this is the best way to go. On the advice of a
seasoned Vanagon mechanic whom I trust very much, I've always replaced them
in pairs.  His theory, which makes sense to me based on the aforementioned
sales pattern, is that when one is replaced, the increased pressure created
by the new one often causes relatively quick failure of the other one.
Actually, I just had both of mine replaced last week; when I got home from
vacation, I discovered that all of the fluid had leaked out of my slave
cylinder while I was gone, and the pedal went right to the floor.  Not a
happy realization considering that when I discovered this, I was due a work
in 10 minutes. :-(

- Ron Salmon
 The Bus Depot
 http://www.busdepot.com