According to what I have read on the list (it MUST be true!), this method is
suggested in the VW Factory Service Manual.  This was confirmed for me by a
local Vanagon shop that has about 25 customers with Syncros.

Brent Christensen
'89 GL Syncro Westy
'91 Taurus SHO (For Sale)
'95 Cherokee Sport

----- Original Message -----
From: David Marshall <david@volkswagen.org>
To: Brent Christensen <bpchristensen@mindspring.com>; Joel David Shortlidge
<shortlid@expert.cc.purdue.edu>
Cc: <Syncro@onelist.com>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 1999 10:04 PM
Subject: [Syncro] Re: Viscous Coupling

> From: David Marshall <david@volkswagen.org>
>
> I think your VC is pooched in the wrong direction.  I have taken my Syncro
> at -20C and tried to drive up to my shed thru 1m of snow on a 30deg hill.
> My VC locked the front wheels in aprox .75 of a turn.  I had the
> transmission in low gear and the rear differential locked.  Only made it
> about 4 meters before all three wheels were spinning - no problem backing
> down.  though! Maybe my VC is locking too soon - but somehow I think
> everything is fine.  Why would you want to spin your rear wheels a few
> times before the front ones kick in?  You would be stuck if this happened
> due to a lack of forward momentum!
>
> At 14:11 19/04/1999 -0700, Brent Christensen wrote:
> >From: "Brent Christensen" <bpchristensen@mindspring.com>
> >
> >If it was frozen, your steering would be heavy all the time due to the
> >action of the front wheels being driven.
> >
> >A more definitive test I did before buying my Syncro:
> >
> >Using a floor jack with wheels, I jacked both back wheels off the ground
on
> >a smooth level parking lot, the jack's wheels parallel to the Syncro's.
> >Then I started up the car in Gelande gear (clutch in), applied the hand
> >brake, and then *gradually* let the clutch and hand brake out until the
rear
> >wheels *just* started to rotate.  I was able to get them to spin at about
> >10-20 rpms before the VC kicked in and began dragging the car forward.
When
> >the car began moving forward, we would apply the brake until the rear
wheels
> >were still spinning, but not fast enough to drag the car. (The PO
actually
> >helped me with this test - it takes two people).  The VC should be able
to
> >spin the rears at a very low speed before heating up.  This 10-20 RPM
> >differential was not much; the VC is VERY sensitive to speed
differentials
> >based on what I observed.
> >
> >Brent Christensen
> >'89 GL Syncro Westy
> >'91 Taurus SHO (For Sale)
> >'95 Cherokee Sport
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Joel David Shortlidge <shortlid@expert.cc.purdue.edu>
> >To: Steve <Steve@Schwenk-Law.com>
> >Cc: <wt@iscnet.co.uk>; <Syncro@onelist.com>
> >Sent: Monday, April 19, 1999 1:55 PM
> >Subject: [Syncro] Re: Viscous Coupling
> >
> >
> >> From: Joel David Shortlidge <shortlid@expert.cc.purdue.edu>
> >>
> >> How can you tell your VC is frozen???
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> >
>
> -- David Marshall        --
> -- 78 1.8L VW Rabbit, 80 2.0L VW Caddy, 87 Audi 5KSQ --
> -- 85 VW Cabriolet, 88 2.0L VW Syncro 16" Double Cab --
> -- Volkswagen Homepage   http://www.volkswagen.org   --
> -- Classic H2O VW Parts  http://www.fastforward.ca   --
> -- mailto:david@volkswagen.org - Quesnel, BC, Canada --
>
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