Date:         Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:02:41 -0800
Reply-To:     DAVID MOST <most@UCLA.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         DAVID MOST <most@UCLA.EDU>
Subject:      clutch repair update
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

As those of you who helped me before know, I took in my vanagon with
intermittent screeching sound to have the clutch replaced.  I was told
that more was wrong than I had thought, and the cross shaft, cross shaft
bushing, slave cylinder, and main seal were replaced in addition to the
fly wheel being
resurfaced.

Though I had asked on multiple occasions to get the old parts back, they
did not have them ready in any way when I went to pick up the vanagon.
The service manager went back to talk to the mechanic, and they looked
around after chatting for a minute.  Parts were then brought up to the
counter, but of course, I have no way of knowing if they wre mine.  The
mechanic seemed on the level, and the throw out bearing looked very bad.

He said he had a theory as to why the slave cylinder was starting to leak.
It had something to do with the cross shaft being "off" in some way which
would lead to my having to press the clutch pedal much harder than normal.
Somehow, this would put extra pressure on the slave cylinder seals.

As you can tell, I don't quite understand it, and the bottom line is that
besides the screeching sound being gone, it doesn't feel much different.
The clutch parts they showed me looked bad, but as they (FASt German) work
on many vanagons, I have no way of knowing if they're mine.  If they
were mine, they definitely need to be replaced.  He even showed me
showed me the leaking slave cylinder.  They were
talking as if the clutch should have felt awful prior to this repair, but
this just wasn't the case.  They also said how good the clutch felt after
the repair, but as I say, there was NO difference.  I don't know that
they're being dishonest, but it just seems strange.

My other recently obtained vanagon has a clutch pedal that goes down
extremely easily, so much so that I wonder if anything is wrong with it.
The PO claims that she had it "adjusted" so it would be easy, but I didn't
think this was possible.  In any case, this is my only other reference
point.

By the way, all of you who said the problem was the throw out bearing
casuing the screeching when the pedal was up must have been correct.  The
pilot bearing was not touched or replaced (despite the fact that the
counter guy at FGA insisted on two occasions that this bearing was part of
the clutch kit).

I'm not sure what to think abou this, but thanks to all of you for your
help.

david
'87 camper