Ron, Great post!
Specialy after "very exiting" veggy thread...
So, Ken, what is your clutch kit? Now that confusion is cleared...
Leon
85 Subwagen Westy

1/31/02 4:45:57 AM, The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM> wrote:

>> I have just started carrying the LUK brand clutch kits for the
>> Vanagon.  These are the kits that are more heavy duty for the
>> syncro Vanagon.  They come with disc, pressure plate, throwout
>> bearing, pilot bearing, and alignment tool.  I would like to
>> offer these at a list special for the next couple of weeks for
>> $180.  Please email me or call if you are interested.
>
>
>Actually, if they're coming from LuK of North America, they are the LuK
>competitor to the stock Sachs kit.  Very good kit, and perhaps heavier duty
>than the Sachs kit.  But not the fabled "syncro" kit.  While there is a
>"heavy duty" version of the LuK kit, it is not sold in North America (I have
>to import it right from Germany myself) - and is not actually a "syncro" kit
>either, for that matter.
>
>To clear up the first point of confusion, there never was a special clutch
>kit for the Syncro.  Late '89 and newer Vanagons used a slightly different
>(and slightly heavier duty) clutch kit, mainly designed to reduce clutch
>pedal travel. This has been erroneously referred to here on the Vanagon list
>as a Syncro kit, whereas in fact it was used on all Vanagons from a certain
>VIN number on, Syncro or not.
>
>But that kit is not sold in the U.S. by LuK or by Sachs, and hasn't been for
>years.  In the U.S., both manufactuers have superceded this heavier duty kit
>to the standard '80-89 kit.  They now ship it for all applications '80-91.
>
>However, in Europe, LuK DOES still make that heavy duty '89-91 kit, and
>that's where I have to get it. (In fat, even there I have to special order
>it.)  It can be identified because it does not come with the alignment tool
>and pilot bearing like the ones distributed in North America do. In fact
>it's a totally different kit from the one sold by LuK in the U.S.; even the
>throwout bearing is slightly different (although they are interchangeable).
>While this kit is a direct replacement for '89-91, it could be considered an
>upgrade for all Vanagons, and we sell it as such. The price is $189 with
>listmember discount.
>
>We also sell the standard LuK kit. This is the one that comes with alignment
>tool etc. and can be obtained through normal channels.  It is LuK's version
>of the standard Vanagon clutch kit - their direct competitor to the Sachs
>kit- which they sell as fitting '80-91 (and it does, but like the Sachs is
>technically actually correct only for '80-89).  While it might be considered
>"heavy duty" compared to the Sachs kit, it is not the same as the heavy duty
>LuK kit mentioned above.  It runs $143 with listmember discount.
>
>Finally, we sell the stock Sachs kit (again, sold as fitting '80-91, but
>technically correct for '80-89).  This is $114 with listmember discount.
>
>Personally I would rate the desirability of the kits in the order that I
>listed them.  The $189 kit is the best, followed by the stock LuK kit, and
>then the Sachs one.  Right now I have the Sachs kit in my Vanagon, and so do
>most of my customers. But I am going to replace my clutch soon on my own
>Westy, and the $189 kit is the one I'm going to use. For as much of a hassle
>as a clutch job is, in my opinion it's just plain silly not to use the best
>clutch parts available.
>
>- Ron Salmon
>  The Bus Depot, Inc.
>  (215) 234-VWVW
>  www.busdepot.com
>
>_____________________________________________
>Toll-Free for Orders by Part #    1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>
>