Mark,
I had a circumstance once where clutch was only lasting 10K miles (1 for me, 1
for p.o.) where the end result each time was a catastrophic clutch failure in
very inopportune locations.

The problem turn out to be the sleeve that the throwout bearing rides on was
bent or damaged and the bearing was not fully disengaging and getting really
hot. The finger mechanism was also bent, I guess as a result of the heat, and
the clutch action was also reduced as you have described with yours. There was a
slight noise for the clutch area for a few hundred miles before failure.

I guess my point is that you are probably going to have to do some clutch work
soon and you should consider replacing all of the parts involved, including the
sleeve and the finger mechanism.

Hope that this is not your situation but hope it helps. There are good diagrams
of the mechanisms in Bentley.

Jim Henry
84 westy

"Mark A. Williamson, Ph.D." wrote:

> So, I have more to add to my earlier post, perhaps answering in part my
> question.  I had my son depress the clutch pedal in the Westy (works great)
> and then in the Wolfie (clutch problem) and compared the movement in the arm
> outside the clutch that is depressed by the extension of the slave cylinder.
> The length of movement was the same.
>
> >From this observation I am concluding that I have an internal clutch
> problem.  I suppose what I am wondering now is what within the clutch itself
> is producing the problem.  Ideas?  Suggestions?
>
> ==========
> Mark
> 88 Wolfsburg (160k)
> 88 Westy (63k)
> 95 Golf (75k)