Author Topic: Clutch slipping-- HELP! (Read 5378 times)

Patrick · « **on:** February 20, 2005, 01:48:42 pm »

92 Jetta, 1.6 TD installed in december. New (reman) clutch and pressure plate, flywheel turned enough to take off glaze and hot spots. New rear main seal on engine, not because it was leaking, but because the engine was apart. Within a week or so, the self adjusting cable adjusted up too tight and the clutch slipped once or twice. I backed it off and the same thing happened again, this time it woud not back off, so I replaced the cable. End of story right? WRONG!! Seems to have slippage that comes and goes, I'm wondering if the new cable is doing the same thing. Anyone have this problem? Is the cable junk? Or is it the pressure plate? Did I turn too much off the flywheel? Just can't see how that would affect it, But who knows. I did NOT touch the seals on the tranny, partly because I saw no evidence of leakage, and partly because I didn't know it was kind of a standard thing to do. Still think I'd see oil if I had a leak!

My other 92 with a 1.9 has a manual adjust cable like my old mk 1 Jetta. Should I try that before I pull the tranny?
BTW, this thing has a 200 mm clutch, and isn't being abused, just driven as a get to work car, not pounded on.

fatmobile · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2005, 02:39:27 am »

I'd bet it's the push rod tube seal on the trany.
Most of the bad clutches I've seen were because of this seal.
When it leaks, it dumps trany fluid right onto your clutch disc.

cheng · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2005, 03:02:14 pm »

when they turned the flywheel did they also turn down the mounting surfaces for the pressure plate?

if not that could cause a weak clutch

but the intermitant slipping sounds like push rod seal to me also

ken

Patrick · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2005, 05:27:44 pm »

Good call. I/we took quite a bit off the clutch surface, nothing off where the pressure plate mounts. Just had a look at another one that's sitting here (different size). My bet is that's what's wrong.

Two things:
1)Do the little roll pins that locate the flywheel on the pressure plate pull out easily? and
2) Now that I screwed this up, how do I figure out how much I need to take off the mounting surface to fix it? I don't know what we took off the friction surface, can anyone give me a measurement on the proper distance between the two? or maybe stock thickness of the friction surface to the outside of the flywheel so I can figure out what I took off?

Guess I'll get a pushrod seal while I have it all apart again! :lol:

Patrick · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2005, 04:33:33 pm »

Just an update. The local volks dealer tells me that he had this problem with the machine shop he used to use, they refused to cut both surfaces the same amount! I just didn't know any better. Apparently the measurement is supposed to be the same on all the flywheels, so I can just take a measurement off the 180 mm flywheel I have sitting here. He also tells me that unless the pushrod seal is obviously leaking, and/or there is side play on the rod, leave it alone. Otherwise replace both bushing and seal at the same time.

Should be apart and back together this weekend, barring major weather. (I drive a plow.)

cheng · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2005, 02:50:47 am »

I dont know what the measurement is suposed to be but my machine shop asked specifically whether I wanted it setup for 190 or 200 so I assume there must be a difference
the roll pins come out with a simple slide hammer puller but I bet you could do it with a pair of vice grips if you are careful
K

Patrick · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2005, 07:26:19 am »

Flyweel is out of the car. Disc has major wear after 3 months, partly due to improperly cut flywheel, partly due to leaking push rod seal. My 180mm flywheel has about 60 thou less clearance than the 200. Pretty sure we took more than that off the 200mm flywheel before we got rid of lathe chatter due to the hot spots. Going to try to figure out what we actually took off the 200 from the machining marks, but I think we cut it out a little farther than it was originally. Wish me luck!

chrissev · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2005, 12:50:36 am »

Quote from: "Patrick"

Flyweel is out of the car. Disc has major wear after 3 months, partly due to improperly cut flywheel, partly due to leaking push rod seal. My 180mm flywheel has about 60 thou less clearance than the 200. Pretty sure we took more than that off the 200mm flywheel before we got rid of lathe chatter due to the hot spots. Going to try to figure out what we actually took off the 200 from the machining marks, but I think we cut it out a little farther than it was originally. Wish me luck!

did you know: that you can't machine a VW 020 flywheel? It's true. They are garbage if they are burned or heat marked. Replacement only. You will destroy every clutch you put in there.

Patrick · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2005, 06:00:12 pm »

Can't see why! I know that Bently says replace, but the local dealer says he does it all the time. Guess I'm going to find out for myself. Car is working great at the moment.

By the way, in case anyone is interested, we set the pressure plate bosses at 850 thou from the friction surface, same as the 180 mm flyweel I had sitting here. Don't know if that's in spec for a 200, but it seems to be working OK.