Clutch adjustment question, can it really be that close?

[Disaster06]

So my clutch needed to be adjusted because I had no free play. I didn’t know what freeplay was, I thought it was 1” before I really had to push hard, not that it was almost easy enough to flop it back with one finger.

So I get the car up on the stands and adjust it to where it is super easy to push the pedal back about an inch. I go to shift with the car on and it won’t go into any gear when I push in the clutch. With the car off it goes into gears fine so it’s definitely an adjustment issue, not a shifter issue.

I tightened it back up and now it shifts but it makes a quiet whirring sound as I’m letting out the clutch. Clutch in it doesn’t make the sound. I’ve been reading and I think someone described it as kissing the pressure plate (it was either the TO bearing or the clutch disc, can’t remember).

I think I only turned the wingnut like 8-10?times to go from no shift, 1” of play to shifting but no play in the pedal with the sound. Is it really that close to where maybe 2-3 turns will be a sweet spot?

My shifting is better than before as it almost seems like the car lunged a little bit before when I would change gears while letting out the clutch, that’s a little better but I think it could still use a couple turns out to get some free play on the pedal 🤔

[VW_Jimbo]

Turn it out and see how the clutch responds. I have seen them vary between 1/2” to one inch and work fine, but I always shoot for the vw spec of between 3/8” to 3/4”. I personally set mine up for 7/8” to 1”, that works well for me.

The noise may be the throw out bearing or the pilot bearing. When the freeplay at the pedal is too tight, the TO bearing remains in contact with the pressure plate. Since that bearing is not meant for continuous use, it fails quickly. That may be the noise you are hearing.

The noise could also be at the pilot bearing. That is the needle bearing encased by the gland nut which supports the end of the tranny input shaft. That noise would be continuous when the clutch was engaged but would go away when released. Hard to determine from the outside of the bell housing!

Need to feel both and listen, up close.
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Disaster06]

Thanks Jimbo. It was just weird that I was at about an inch and it wouldn’t shift, so I had to tighten it back up and then it had no freeplay after about 10 turns. I guess I have to play with it

[VW_Jimbo]

[Disaster06]

Haha. Can’t work on the car tonight, that’s asking for trouble. Come in on valentines day covered in dirt and grime, I could see the look on the wife’s face now 😂

I’ll have to save it for another time. I’m not going to drive on it until I turn it out a couple turns though. Don’t want to ruin anything. I figure if I go too far out it can hurt anything, it just won’t shift, so the only place I have to go is up!

Thanks for the offer though, your a brave man haha

[Cusser]

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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[Disaster06]

😂😂😂😂

[BIGMIKEY]

Is your pedal stop adjusted correctly?

I am thinking that 8 -10 turns is a lot of adjustment.

Is your clutch tube broken loose from the welds in the tunnel? That will cause all kinds of strange issues with clutch adjustment.

Mike T
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BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[Disaster06]

[Disaster06]

Well I turned it 3 half turns out and the car wouldn’t shift into gear when On with the clutch depressed.

So I tightened it about 5 half turns and the car shifts and I feel like I’m back where I started.

One thing I noticed is it seems to push the car forward justa little bit, I want to say when I’m pushing in the clutch to shift to the next gear.

With it being that close to not shifting, I’m not sure if it’s only partially disengaging the clutch when I press down all the way? (I can’t remember if it’s engaging or disengaging, sorry)

Either way I seem to have a slight tension on the pedal at all times and it won’t be completely slack, does the brake pedal stop plate has anything to do with the clutch? I read the back of the pedal should be 7.5” to the firewall and I think when measuring my clutch pedal, it’s only like 6” to the firewall from the front of the pedal. Will moving the stop plate bring both pedals forward, possibly giving me a dead zone (pedal play)?

[Cusser]

[bluebus86]

make sure the hook at the pedal is not worn and bent. Happened to my Bug after 330K miles. replaced the hook and all is good for next 330K miles.
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[Disaster06]

New pedal assembly. Maybe 10 miles on it. Hook is new as well

[Disaster06]

So I adjusted the stop plate, as far forward as it will go. There is a weld on the floor that stops it from going any further (not sure if that’s standard or a mod by a previous owner). This allowed my pedals to move toward the rear of the car.

I ended up with about 8 7/8” to the top of the front of the brake pedal to the bulkhead, and about 7 1/8” for the same on the clutch pedal.

Made sure my brake pedal had the right free play, and here is some freeplay (finally!) on my clutch pedal. It definitely shifts smoother now.

Hopefully it’s no longer partially engaged when the clutch is out:

https://youtu.be/1LWB7UKXCZ4

[Cusser]