Date:         Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:34:42 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject:      LUK Clutch Kits are In!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

In response to those list members concerned about the alleged "clutch
chatter" tendancy on Sachs clutch kits (opinions differ as to whether such a
condition even exists at all; see the archives), I have made a purchase of
original-equipment clutch kits from the other original supplier to
Volkswagen - LUK.

They arrived today and I had the opportunity to compare them directly to the
Sachs equivalent.  The Luk disk and pressure plate are German made, whereas
the Sachs disk is now made in Canada or Mexico.  The Luk disk does look just
_slightly_ heavier duty than the Sachs to my eye (specifically the collar is
a bit beefier), and the pressure plate actually has the VW logo on it,
confirming that it is the same one sold by Volkswagen themselves (at a much
higher price).  On the downside, while the Sachs kit comes with a German
throwout bearing, the one included with the Luk kit is Brazilian.  Upon
opening random samples, I saw that most were packed with an alignment tool
and pilot shaft bearing but a couple were not.  This is the way it has been
with the Sachs kits too, which is why I don't even advertise the kits as
including those items. (Until last year, none of them came with them.)  If
you want to play it safe, those two items can be purchased separately for
$1.99 each, although they do seem to come with most of the Luk kits.

The good news is, the price is not much higher than the Sachs kit.  $149.95
for the whole kit.  Part number 029 141 999; it will be on the website by
Thursday morning. If you really want to go "100% German" I can upgrade you
to a German Sachs throwout bearing for $14.95 extra (just specify in the
comments section of the order form if you order via the website). This way
everything will be German, since the disk and pressure plate are already
German (unlike the Sachs kits). However I have not heard of any problems
with the Brazilian throwout bearings, so I can't say that I think this extra
measure is absolutely neccessary.

Note that this is not the fabled "Syncro" clutch kit previously mentioned on
the list.  That kit is actually not a Syncro kit at all, but rather a
slightly different clutch kit that VW used on late-'89 thru '91 Vanagons,
whether 2 or 4 wheel drive.  According to my sources in Germany, the purpose
of this change was to slightly reduce the amount of clutch pedal travel
required to operate the clutch.  Luk does not distribute that 2-year-only
kit in the U.S.; rather they recommend the above kit for all Vanagons (and
Syncros) thru '91.  Nevertheless, I do plan to import the "late style" kits
directly from Germany starting sometime around January of next year for
those who are interested, but the price will definately be higher.

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