There atre lots of Graphite impregnated washer used in plumbing fittings.
Any one that is dimentially aqcceptable will work.
Be sure you polish the dickens out of that main shaft if you don't replace
it.

Stan Wilder

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Collum" <collum@VERIZON.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 12:22 PM
Subject: Felt washer in flywheel, make your own? ... and more

> I developed a problem over the winter with the rear of the westy being
> covered with oil with what appeared to be a corresponding drop in engine
oil
> level.  I kept the engine oil topped up, but, at highway speeds
especially,
> the oil mist to the rear must've been nasty for tailgaters.  I had a
> shuddering clutch when I bought the van but the clutch didn't slip any
until
> after the oil leak showed up.  Then it only slipped when under greater
than
> normal load.
>
> Anyway, I found an oily mess in the clutch housing ... but not on the
engine
> side of the flywheel where I expected to see it.  The transmission's
> mainshaft is badly scored where it rides in the pilot bearing and I'll be
> replacing the shaft and seal.
>
> All but one of the flywheel bolts came out without a problem, but one was
> really buggered up to start with (looks like someone tried to remove it
and
> gave up).  No way was an Allen driver going to grab in this one.  Well, a
> Craftsman "Bolt Out" #12 did the trick.  By the way, instead of a flywheel
> lock, I just inserted a Phillips head screwdriver through one of the
> pressure plate holes ... through the hole in the engine case and it did
the
> job nicely.
>
> I found the pilot bearing to be intact.  All the rollers were in place but
> not well lubricated.  The felt washer and its retainer were missing which
> brings me to a question.
>
> Can a felt washer be fabricated to do the job of the original?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
> Houlton, Maine
> '85 Westy 4 spd
> '84 7 pass auto