John

Just finished replacing both clutch master and slave cylinders.  I found my
master was leaking anbd left a mess under the front mat.  Decided to do both
while at it.

The front master was a bit tight but not impossible.   I was able to reach
up under the dash and remove it.  The slave is simple I did it from under
the Van simply jacked up the van's rear and had a helper hold a spanner on
one of the bolts while I loosened it.

Then pressure bleed the system, making sure to keep the fluid up to the
reserviour.  Do yourself a favour,  if you replace one then do the other,
otherwise sure as eggs you will be doing the other real soon.

Ray Hunnam
Penrith Australia.
-----Original Message-----
From: John P. Flaherty <jflaherty@PIVOT.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, 21 December 1999 1:32
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
>