Im very new to vw engines so please forgive me. I recently took my engine to a vw builder to have the heads gone through and new rings put on the pistons. While he had it there I had him install a lightened flywheel also. He said the thrust was within tolerance. got it installed and got it started and it runs great but when you press the clutch it puts a load on the motor and will sometimes kill it altogether. Anyone have an idea why its doing this or where to start looking? I plan to pull it back out this weekend.

New parts include...
empi lightened cast flywheel
cush lock clutch disc
1700# pressure plate (empi also)
Throwout bearing
heavy duty gland nut

ozark,
Welcome to the sight.
I am by no means an expert but there are so many variables to your Q?
-Did it do this before?
-Has the buggy been driven yet I.E. is it a project that sat in someones back yard uncovered for ten years and -u come along and try to resurrect it?
-Do you know how to drive a clutch?
-Are you trying to run 44" super swampers with a stock engine and trans?

Throw up some picts of ur buggy, I think that will help some.

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It didnt do this before, the I assumed it needed a clutch and bought all new stuff only to find it was leaking at the rear seal. But I had bought it alreadt and went ahead and used it.

it is kind of a resurrection project but it has been a farm toy so its been riden.

ive driven many standards over the years.

its a swing axle trans with 32x12.5x15 all terrain

Does it have a hydraulic clutch or a cable?

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Its a cable. All the housing seems to be fine and it has about 1\2 to 3\4" of travel before it engages.

Some before and after pics
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mAYBE YOU JUST AREN'T USED TO IT BEING NEW. From the factory a bug had that rubber tube that the clutch cable ran thru and it supposed to relieve some chatter as you drive off. It's supposed to have a slight dip in it. But I think if will break in and you will get used to it as you drive it.

Sounds like maybe you've mixed matched the pressure plate and throw out bearing with an old and new style. Chad

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I think most would agree stay away from empi parts as mutch as possible, if u ever have to get another pressure plate go with a Kennedy engineered products, and they don't cost mutch more and there worth the extra couple bucks, good luck

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Like Chad said maybe wrong combination. You got pics of pressure plate and throwout bearing? And inside of bell housing.

Like Passat mentioned, is the cable connected straight from the metal tubing to the clutch arm or does it go between the bowden rubber housing (about 12-15" long)? What you are describing is exactly what happens when you bypass the bowden tube.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=vw+bug+b ... =120&ty=69

I have an early style pressure plate and throwout bearing with the collars and my cable runs through a tube at the trans but I dont remember it running the whole length of the trans like that. I'll have to take a look at it when I get home.

I wont have time to pull it till the weekend but ill get some pics of my set up then.

Did you set your end play with the new flywheel. Did you put the correct amount of shims in. If you have no end play and it's to tight this may be your problem. Chad

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Also worth noting, that appears to be a swing axle trans. So if it is, it needs ALL early clutch parts.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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G
A

I did not set the end play with the new flywheel as I didnt install it. Thats what im thinking is going on though. I have a buddy who is pretty good with these engines also and im going to have him check the end play before I take it back to the builder and see if im getting screwed.

thats what i was going to say

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I dont honestly know what the right parts should look like but the vw parts store explained to me that I needed the "old" style parts and sold me what I needed so im hoping they got me the right setup.

did you pp have this ring on it?


if you put the buggy in gear when it is not running can you push the clutch in and move the buggy?

Yes it did. The outer edge where it bolts on is a little different though. I have not tried to push it like you descibed but if you clutch it it wont turn over fast enough to start. It has a week battery also so im not 100% sure where the issue is with that.

If it still has that ring in the center on and your trans has sleve that the throwout bearing rides on you need to remove the ring. Take pp off and there is a spiral clip that holds it on.

The throw out bearing clips on to the fork and there is no sleeve for it to ride on. It also has a collar about the size of the one on the pp. I haven't seen how the shim setup works between the crank and the flywheel but im guessing he just swapped the old one out with the new one and didn't check the end play afterwards.

Ok so it looks like my clutch setup is the problem. The collar on the pp has welded its self to whats left of the throw out bearing. So I guess I didnt have the right bearing.?.

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First I would like to thank everyone for their help on this. And second I want to remind everyone of my first post where I said im new to this.....aaand last I guess I should tell you that I had the $&#@ing throwout bearing on backwards.

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we've all done something like that at one time or another,lol. Welcome to the buggy world! Chad

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