88 Jetta manual clutch issue

You might need to put in a new clutch :-(

later, dave Reminder........ Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. Frieda Norris

jetta. things worked fine when we started, after about 45 minutes of stalling/revving/typical new driver mistakes and the expected heavy clutch usage, i started to notice a strange burning sort of smell (like burning rubber perhaps? not too sure). about 10 minutes later she told me the clutch felt weird, so we switched spots and sure enough, the clutch was different, it engaged immediately when the pedal is depressed, no extra give at all in the pedal. i adjusted the clutch point manually, and let it rest overnight, but this morning after about a half hour of driving to work, it felt like it was right back to what it was before i adjusted it. i also noticed the clutch seemed to be slipping, definitely did once in 5th around 100km/hr...

me being guided step by step over the phone with a mechanic), but from what i've read and heard, it seems like the clutch may just be shot? any ideas as to what i need to do, or should i just find a mechanic who will put in a new clutch for me?

I found that once you need to adjust the clutch cable (near the end of the clutch life) it goes *very* fast. I had the one in my '81 start to slip, I adjusted the cable once, was fine for a few days then went out after trying to adjust one more time. I ran out of thread on the adjuster and ended up using a rubber exhaust hanger donut to pull the cable a bit tighter until I managed to get it home.

jerami_vice wrote: : Hi folks... the other day I was teaching a new driver to drive manual on my 88 jetta. things worked fine when we started, after about 45 minutes of stalling/revving/typical new driver mistakes and the expected heavy clutch usage, i started to notice a strange burning sort of smell (like burning rubber perhaps? not too sure). about 10 minutes later she told me the clutch felt weird, so we switched spots and sure enough, the clutch was different, it engaged immediately when the pedal is depressed, no extra give at all in the pedal. i adjusted the clutch point manually, and let it rest overnight, but this morning after about a half hour of driving to work, it felt like it was right back to what it was before i adjusted it. i also noticed the clutch seemed to be slipping, definitely did once in 5th around 100km/hr...

: i'm not much of a car repair type (the work i did on the jetta last night was me being guided step by step over the phone with a mechanic), but from what i've read and heard, it seems like the clutch may just be shot? any ideas as to what i need to do, or should i just find a mechanic who will put in a new clutch for me?

My brother-in-law had to take a test to be a UPS delivery guy... At the time, I owned a 87 Ford Aerostar with 5speed (had to special order that), which just happened to be the perfect UPS truck simulator (long throw stick).

Anyway, we went to a Zayre parkinglot and practiced 1st and 2nd for about

15 to 20 minutes. Started to notice a burning smell. When I looked under the car, it was literally smoking where the clutch was.

It was never the same and I traded that car a few months later for a new car (Ford had lots of recalls on that car and I just got tired of it, only new car that I dropped after 2 years).

You might need a new clutch.

|Hi folks... the other day I was teaching a new driver to drive manual on my 88 jetta. things worked fine when we started, after about 45 minutes of stalling/revving/typical new driver mistakes and the expected heavy clutch usage, i started to notice a strange burning sort of smell (like burning rubber perhaps? not too sure). about 10 minutes later she told me the clutch felt weird, so we switched spots and sure enough, the clutch was different, it engaged immediately when the pedal is depressed, no extra give at all in the pedal. i adjusted the clutch point manually, and let it rest overnight, but this morning after about a half hour of driving to work, it felt like it was right back to what it was before i adjusted it. i also noticed the clutch seemed to be slipping, definitely did once in 5th around 100km/hr... | |i'm not much of a car repair type (the work i did on the jetta last night was me being guided step by step over the phone with a mechanic), but from what i've read and heard, it seems like the clutch may just be shot? any ideas as to what i need to do, or should i just find a mechanic who will put in a new clutch for me? | |thanks in advance.........jeremy.

I think you already know what you need to do - change the clutch! Do you have the location, tools, and will to do it yourself? It's no small undertaking for a novice, but it's not impossible. It is hard work and dirty. Once done, you will be sore, filthy, fresh out of bandaids, and - if all goes well - very satisfied at having saved several hunder $ and learned something of worth in the process

OTOH, it will cost you around $700 (guessing here) to have a shop do it, so your personal economics situation may determine your path.

good luck

Rex in Fort Worth

The clutch is most likely "glazed" and not burned up, but the result is that it's slipping. Try loostening the clutch cable (thus making sure that it's properly adjusted for the wear and tear) and driving it for a few days and see if that works.

You can replace that clutch in 4 hours, give or take (if I have the parts and a little luck I can do one in 3 hours). As front-wheel drive vehicles go it's simple to do a clutch job. I'd take out the clutch and take it to the parts store and match it up before you leave.

You could probably just rough up the friction plate, put it back in, and re-adjust the clutch cable, but the friction plate is not that expensive and you don't wanna do this again in a few months. If you decide to simply replace the friction plate then make sure to "rough up" the metal plate (on the inside of the round dish-thingy). You'll need to buy that $12 clutch tool. And, you'll need a 12-point (12?) Allen hex wrench and the appropriate socket (32 mm?) to removed the half-shafts. A milk crate, a bottle jack and a floor jack as well as normal tools (and definitely would want mechanic's gloves).

Tim Wohlford '89 Golf