Ok, just checked my records-had new clutch MC & Slave cylinder installed 9/2008.  Had tranny gear oil & brake fluid replaced in 9/2010, (coolant flushed/changed at same time).

It was the leaking brake MC that I had changed 6-8 years ago.

I have not had the engine pulled in this vanagon in the 9 years/105k I have owned it. Runs like a sewing machine. So clutch might be going bad or poorly installed, but that would have been by the VW dealer, as no one else worked on it before I bought it.

Sooo, can a bad brake MC affect the fluid going thru the Clutch MC & make it not shift?  Is the brake MC above the Clutch MC  & directly below the resovoir?

YMMV,

Mr. BZ- have new FTE German Brake MC in my van stash.

On Jul 25, 2011, at 3:43 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:

> Kakua  4 U.
> 
> if it's the orignial clutch master cylinder , it was due to be replaced 5 or more years ago.
> Defenitly weak if original.
> 
> a clutch mas cyl can pump in air without leaking fluid exterenally ...easily. All hyd master cylinders can do that.
> 
> a manual pedal-stroking bleeding method will show if it's pumping in air.
> 
> not likely shift linkage.
> if not external to the clutch itself ..
> like a hydrulic problem .
> then it would be internal ..
> such as ...worn out/detroyed pilot bearing .
> not that uncommon since the little metal ring in the flywheel that holds the felt clutch dust seal is often missing ..
> leading to pilot bearing failure easily.
> that failure can show up as intermittant failing to get a clean release of the clutch.
> 
> how does the pedal feel.
> mushy ?
> I have seen a vangon with this going on ..
> the clutch pedal was mushy, as in shot hydraulics.
> yet at the same time..
> the effort to push down the pedal was higher than normal..
> which goes with very high miles on the pressure plate and disc..
> so that one was both
> soft and hard at the same time.  No kidding.
> and likely very not easily detected by many people.
> 
> that van needed the hydraulics straigtened out and a better  or new disc and pressure plate.
> 
> fwiw .
> it's very common to see bad workmanship in vanagon cluches..
> the pilot bearing dust seal thing..
> missing locating dowels on the flywheel for the pressure plate..
> completely poorly lube release meachism parts ..etc. etc. etc.
> 
> and ..that clevis and pin pivot point way up on the clutch pedal ..
> there's no provision for lubing that .
> it's bare metal-to-metal ..and that spot wears.
> You can blindly spray up in there with a good spray lube to help some.
> if the freeplay a the top of the clutch pedal is more than a half inch ( 1/8th inch is ideal ) ...
> it's probalby wearing there some.
> and it's not easy to deal with at all.
> so always ...try to get some spray lube up there somehow.
> 
> and actually ..
> vanagons suffer from lack of lubrication thoughout so badly...I can not say it enough.
> IF everything that moves was kept nicely lubed..
> they would never wear out.
> there are dozens and dozens, hundreds even ..of spots on vanagons that have never been lubed, that  move against each other...never lubed since the factory. A real, and very unnessary, shame.
> 
> someday I'll make that list of spots..
> it's well over a hundred,  easily.
> 
> clutch hyd fluid needs to be changed every two years..
> and is mandatory , as far as I'm concerned, any time there's a new clutch, trans is replaced , etc.
> 
> 
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Buese" <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 1:24 PM
> Subject: Clutch/Shifting issue?
> 
> 
> Hi Volks,
> 
> 84 vanagon w/ 4 speed tranny-has always shifted well (144k) except when clutch cylinders leaked & got low on brake fluid- have replaced master brake & clutch slave cylinders in the last year/ 4+- years. No problems recently until the other day, couldn't downshift into 1st w/o turning off engine & starting w/ clutch fully depressed. Thot it was low brake fluid so fudged my way home & topped off resevoir which was only down 1/2" +-.  Depressed clutch & brake several times & it seemed to work until today when I  had to do the ole turn off/start engine again trick when ever I needed to get it in gear.  Higher gears sometimes had same issue, but not always.  WTF?
> 
> It seems like a clutch issue?  Could that happen suddenly?  Or is it a shifting linkage issue?   Hmmm, come to think of it, I believe that the clutch master cylinder has not ever been replaced.  Can that puppy go w/o any signs of leaking, warning signs???
> 
> Your kokua(help) would be appreciated.
> 
> Mr. BZ-5 miles to home before I sleep=