notice how puny the welds that join the forks to the shaft are.

there's a re-welded version with full welds.
I haven't seen any of the stock welds fail, but they do look rather
'partial' the way VW built it.

don't know what a COL is ...
nothing fitting that pops to mind.
Talkin' about getting the lever off the end of the shaft ???

I have seen that lever absolutely WELDED ...as in solidly fused from
corrosion,  to the crossshaft.
Nothing short of cutting it off with a torch would get that throw-out lever
off the crossshaft.

scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "neil n" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 5:29 PM
Subject: Clutch Cross-shaft Question

> Hi all.
>
> Lucky me, got two different clutch cross shafts out. Will use best
> parts of each.
>
> One cross shaft measures and looks better at outer end. No marks on
> forks. It's better. But....
>
> I used an open end wrench and judicious hammer blows to knock the
> "better" cross shaft out. I didn't bend the fork but am curious if
> bangin on it might have weakened it.
>
> Risky to use? Welds still look ok. Just minor scratches from wrench.
>
> btw. I'm sure the pro's and hold hands have better ways, but on 2 old
> crusty COL's, found a good way to remove them, transmission OUT of
> Vanagon. The shaft has to be partway out to do this.
>
> Small Pittman arm puller with 22mm open end wrench as backing slipped
> over exposed part of shaft. (my Pittman arm too small). Drill a divot
> OC for Pittman arm point and off ya go. And entire installed clutch
> slave bracket made for a nice wrench brace.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Neil.
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines