Clutch broke, found leak, now what?

[Pastelweis]

Hello fellow Sambans,

Please excuse my ignorance and if this has been answered elsewhere here. Hard to search the forum if you don’t really know what you are searching for, but I did try.

So, the other day, a very very cold day I can ad. I pressed the clutch on my parked 89 Vanagon, no resistance, first I thought clutch cable had snapped. I have since learned it is hydraulic. Can’t shift gears obviously. Found a leak in what seems to be the clutch pipe/cable entering transmission. Now what? Any guidance or clarification of the part that is leaking much appreciated.

[Igeo]

The hydraulic component that actuates the clutch lever is called a "slave cylinder". If you pull back the rubber boot that is on the push rod end, you will likely see fluid, indicating a leak.

That slave cylinder can be replaced, and the system flushed and the air bled out.
If you do this yourself, you will need a special 13mm flare wrench on the pipe that connects to it. Using a regular open end 13 mm wrench will likely strip the nut.
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1987 Westfalia 2.1 WBX Manual

[Pastelweis]

Wow, thank you for the super fast response here! Yes that seems to be the problem. Would you be able to point me to a more detailed description on the process? Or would it be covered in the Bentley manual for example? I’ll search for sure. What new parts do I need? Do I look for a Transmission Slave Cylinder perhaps?

Thank you very much for the info!

[Igeo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9dO5nkDMIY&t=704s

This gives an idea of how it's done. The clutch slave cylinder should be available over your way I would think.

Don't get me wrong, if you are fairly handy with tools, and have a way of getting the van safely lifted and secured, you could do this job if motivated.

It also might be easier to farm it out.....
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1987 Westfalia 2.1 WBX Manual

[Ahwahnee]

FYI - Typical flare wrenches...

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-pc-metric-double-end-flare-nut-wrench-set-61357.html

HF isn't top quality but will work and have affordable sets for a tool you may seldom use.

Whether you do this yourself or have it done... many (well, me anyway) feel it is best practice to replace the master at the same time you replace the slave.

[?Waldo?]

I'll cast a vote against replacing the master at the same time as the slave. I find that the service lives of the two are not at all related. The slave fails much more frequently than the master (I'd estimate at least 3 slaves typically fail before the master fails) and there is absolutely nothing about changing the slave that negatively affects the master. Swapping both might potentially save you a small amount of effort and brake fluid by the fact that IF the master fails before the slave, you will need to repeat the step of bleeding the system. Then again, probably it is more likely to cost you more effort in that it takes a little time to replace the master and certainly the cost of an unnecessary master cylinder is far more than the cost of the brake fluid when bleeding.

[Igeo]

Yeah...it's a much harsher environment back there for sure...much bigger temperature changes, moisture etc. Take a good look at the master though above the pedal.
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1987 Westfalia 2.1 WBX Manual

[Pastelweis]

Thanks all, much appreciated and helpful for a newbie. I’ll keep you posted on this great forum!

[Jeffrey Lee]

Pastelweis, check your PMs for some info I think you'll find helpful.

Good luck!

[SSWesty]

It's only two bolts and a hose to loosen however from your picture things look a little rusty. You may need to some extra patience because it looks like you may have a bit of a battle on your hands with the rust. Space is tight to get at the bolts so don't get bummed if you only get a 1/4 of turn from the wrench before you need to reposition it.

I've tried "German" quality slave cylinders and switched to cheap ones after the expensive German cylinder failed in about 2 years. Your experience may be different but it was enough for me to switch to the cheap route.

I'll second Waldo's vote of just replacing the slave and not doing the master. I would just replace the master when it starts to fail. Good luck!

[SyncroHead]

Here's a couple choices for slave cylinders from popular Vanagon vendors:

GoWesty:
https://www.gowesty.com/product/clutch-flywheel/3603/clutch-slave-cylinder-?v=

Van Cafe:
https://www.vancafe.com/251721263-p/251721263.htm

Same brand and same price at either provider.

You'll probably want to replace the slave cylinder hose while you're at it. Should be available from wherever you get the cylinder.

If you can wait until delivery of the part, start squirting a little PB Blaster on it twice/day from now until the repair. Even if you have a shop do it for you, they'll thank you. Better than WD40.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blaster-PB-TS-Aerosol-Can-Penetrant-4-oz/38473143
You should be able to find this at any local auto parts store or Walmart.

Jim Davis
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"

Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org

[Pastelweis]

So greatful for all the valuable response here. I’ll let you know how it goes once I find the time to get greasy!

[bobbyblack]

Well, I guess I should say "what happens when you fill your brake reservoir?" (dont spill tho) Does anything leak down onto your floor by your foot pedals?

You may have more problems than just the slave cylinder. I agree that you DO have slave problem, but wow, the slave can leak a while and just be where you stopped looking for a bigger problem, or at least another problem...

Soak all that rusty stuff in a 50/50 solution of ATF and Acetone, at least over night before trying to break loose the couplings and bolts. I use a off the shelf WD40 finger trigger spray bottle, the kind that sits next to the gallon can of WD40 on the store shelf..

I usually get a few bottles of finger nail polish remover (its Acetone) from the beauty section at the Mart, and ATF is easy to come by as most cars now days are automatics.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[shagginwagon83]

I had similar problem OP. In winter (cold) I would have no clutch and brake fluid on the ground.

I replaced my slave cylinder and all is good. I upgraded my line to stainless steel braided by Burley motorsports. If you don't do this upgrade then as mentioned earlier used a flare wrench when removing the brake line. OP- It looks like your brake line is very rusted. You may want to consider that upgrade

Also I used a "C"/"U" shaped wrench to help me get to one of the bolts. They're kinda hard to get to - but the whole job took me about 1-2 hours.

What's the order of bleeding the system again? is it slave, rear right, rear left, front right, front left?
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[Jake de Villiers]

[?Waldo?]

[Ahwahnee]

[bobbyblack]

Where is the portioning valve?
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Zeitgeist 13]

It's the thing curiously labeled boost
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[?Waldo?]