Date:         Mon, 20 Dec 1999 21:31:54 -0500
Reply-To:     "John P. Flaherty" <jflaherty@PIVOT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "John P. Flaherty" <jflaherty@PIVOT.NET>
Subject:      Clutch problems (Hydraulics)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Volks:

Drove the '84 Vanagon all over Portland (ME) this weekend Christmas
shopping. Worked perfectly, no problems at all. This morning my wife used it
to bring one of her home made cheesecakes to her job, literally across the
street. She left it there all day. This afternoon, she went to bring it
home. She says that when she tried to start it, (1st gear, foot on clutch)
it cranked very slowly, but did not move. (Battery is fine). It started.
When she put it into 1st, it ground then lurched and stalled, while the
clutch was still depressed. She shut it off, walked home, e-mailed me at
work.

From her description, I suspected clutch hydraulics. When I got there, I
first looked underneath for fluid, but didn't see any. I stepped on the
clutch. It felt mushy. I slid it into neutral and started it. (Cranked fine)
Let it warm for a minute, then shut it off, slid it into 1st, hit the key,
started and lurched out of the parking lot, across the street and into my
driveway (without ever stepping on the clutch). By then it was dark.

So that's as far as I've gotten. Any diagnostic ideas? Master cylinder?
Slave? Something else? How do I tell?

All help appreciated.

Thanks,

John Flaherty
Standish ME
'84 GL