Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:09:00 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Have you ever broken a clutch by push starting a vehicle?
In-Reply-To: <405448.98915.qm@web30814.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
What gear did you pop the clutch in ?
Should be 2nd or 3rd.
Gas or diesel ?
Diesel is rougher on things.
If you popped the clutch in first, and had good traction, that can be
rougher on things.
And never pop the clutch in reverse if you can help it, way too low a gear.
The first step is disassembly and inspection, not parts ordering.
Probably not a waste to order clutch parts, but the right thing to do is
identify the actual problem first.
Generally, noisy-with-clutch in is clutch related for sure, like inside the
bell housing.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Clint Kolda
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 6:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Have you ever broken a clutch by push starting a vehicle?
Our Thanksgiving campout started great. Thursday's traditional meal cooked
in dutch ovens turned out perfect. The weather was cool but sunny. We had
the entire campground to ourselves. It was awesome.
Friday morning it was about 15 degrees F. It's time like these when you
find out the status of your 5 year old battery. You guessed it. The van
would not start. I placed some charcoal in aluminum foil under the engine
to try to warm it up a bit. Then we decided to push start it. Like a dummy
I had parked on a slight hill so we had to go up before anything was going
to happen. We unloaded as much as we could and my wife and I pushed while
my 10 year old son maneuvered the steering wheel. He really enjoyed his
first time driving. We pushed a few hundred yards across flat land until we
reached a big downhill section. I got in, popped the clutch and we were off
and running.
The van made it the 20 miles home, but it would not go into gear. I
matched the revs and we were able to get by OK. First gear is impossible,
2-3-4 are tough to engage unless the revs are exact. With the clutch
depressed, it sounds like marbles are rolling around in a can. With the
engine off I can get it in any gear. I definitely broke something. I guess
I'll probably park it until spring and put in a clutch kit. Are there any
other things to replace at the same time that I should ask of Santa?
My sons have a good moral to the story. They really thought it was a fun
adventure but they suggest that next time we park downhill.
Clint
