john.  If their not leaking replace both they are not too expensive and it
is pretty simple to do
-----Original Message-----
From: John P. Flaherty <jflaherty@PIVOT.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Monday, December 20, 1999 9:39 PM
Subject: Clutch problems (Hydraulics)

>
>Hi Volks:
>
>Drove the '84 Vanagon all over Portland (ME) this weekend Christmas
>shopping. Worked perfectly, no problems at all. This morning my wife used
it
>to bring one of her home made cheesecakes to her job, literally across the
>street. She left it there all day. This afternoon, she went to bring it
>home. She says that when she tried to start it, (1st gear, foot on clutch)
>it cranked very slowly, but did not move. (Battery is fine). It started.
>When she put it into 1st, it ground then lurched and stalled, while the
>clutch was still depressed. She shut it off, walked home, e-mailed me at
>work.
>
>From her description, I suspected clutch hydraulics. When I got there, I
>first looked underneath for fluid, but didn't see any. I stepped on the
>clutch. It felt mushy. I slid it into neutral and started it. (Cranked
fine)
>Let it warm for a minute, then shut it off, slid it into 1st, hit the key,
>started and lurched out of the parking lot, across the street and into my
>driveway (without ever stepping on the clutch). By then it was dark.
>
>So that's as far as I've gotten. Any diagnostic ideas? Master cylinder?
>Slave? Something else? How do I tell?
>
>All help appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>John Flaherty
>Standish ME
>'84 GL