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Date:         Wed, 21 Apr 1999 09:17:22 -0700
Reply-To:     Brent Christensen <bpchristensen@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Brent Christensen <bpchristensen@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Viscous Coupling survey
Comments: To: Syncro@onelist.com

I think it would be interesting to see how many of the Syncros out there will idle freely at 1,000 rpms with the rear wheels spinning in the air and not engage the front wheels. If you have a Syncro and a floor jack with wheels it is a relatively simple test. If you have time, please try it and report back to the list.

My Syncro will engage the fronts at the full 800-1,000 rpm idle speed, but if I slow the rear wheels down a bit using the hand brake, then the fronts will disengage. I wonder if my VC is toasted... ???. (The fronts grab while making sharp turns in parking lots, but don't seem to act up at "road" speeds.

Brent Christensen '89 GL Syncro Westy '91 Taurus SHO (For Sale) '95 Cherokee Sport

----- Original Message ----- From: Dr. Rainer Woitok <woitok@rrze.uni-erlangen.de> To: Joel David Shortlidge <shortlid@expert.cc.purdue.edu> Cc: Steve <Steve@Schwenk-Law.com>; <wt@iscnet.co.uk>; <Syncro@onelist.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 1999 3:55 AM Subject: [Syncro] Re: Viscous Coupling

> From: "Dr. Rainer Woitok" <woitok@rrze.uni-erlangen.de> > > Joel and all others, > > On Mon, 1999-04-19 15:55:41 -0500, Joel David Shortlidge wrote: > > > ... > > How can you tell your VC is frozen??? > > VW's original (German) repair manual doesn't say much about how to test > the viscous coupling. They only recommend placing the rear wheels in a > break testing stand. If you then switch to the G-gear (creeping gear), > the front wheels should move the van out of the test stand as soon as > the engine is revving slightly above idle. If the front wheels fail to > do so the viscous coupling is to be replaced, VW says. VW adds another > tiny sentence to this, saying that only when the engine is revving at > idle and with the G-gear switched in, the viscous coupling is able to > absorb all the torque to the front wheels and keep them from moving. > > To me this last and rather ill-formulated (in the German manual) > sentence is the key to testing the viscous coupling. For in most cases > we are not dealing with viscous couplings doing less than their share, > but rather with hard-going viscous couplings which don't have a problem > at all in moving the van out of the test stand with the engine just > idling. > > Thus the really important thing here is not the van successfully leaving > the test stand. On the contrary, the important thing here is the van > not moving and staying put in the test stand with the G-gear switched in > and the engine just idling. If your Syncro doesn't pass this test your > viscous coupling is probably worn out and ready for a replacement. Or > put the other way round: as long as your van's viscous coupling is > working properly you will not notice your van has got one. > > As soon as you are encountering problems with your Syncro when > cornering, in particular after a long and fast drive, or as soon as -- > despite of power steering -- steering becomes a bit difficult when > turning and the Syncro slows down considerably when going round a corner > ... as soon as one or more of these things are happening, your viscous > coupling is most probably due for replacement. When the tires start > whining while cornering it might well be too late already ... > > Hope this helps. > > Sincerely > Rainer > > '89 Caravelle GL Syncro 16" > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > | Rainer M Woitok | Phone: (+49-9131) 85-27811,-27031 | > | Regionales Rechenzentrum | | > | Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet | Fax : (+49-9131) 30 29 41 | > | Martens-Strasse 1 | Telex: d 629 755 tf erl | > | D-91058 Erlangen | | > | Germany | Mail: Woitok@RRZE.Uni-Erlangen.DE | > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > You can now easily share photos and documents with your fellow list members > http://www.ONElist.com > Check out our homepage for details on how to use our new shared files feature!


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