[T3] Clutch fork!

[Soren Jacobsen]

On Nov 30, 2013, at 10:24 PM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:

> Both units were diaphram style PPs. I don't think there's anything 
> wrong with that concept. They work perfectly well and provide very 
> even pressure. It's the Belleville washer concept, and it's a very 
> simple engineering solution. Over the years they've actually 
> simplified them a lot, and that's part of the beauty of the design.

Certainly the ones I've driven have worked nice and smoothly, but what I dislike is the smaller range of engagement that you get with them.  They go from disengaged to engaged quicker, which is fine for most driving, but sometimes it's nice to be able to slow the engagement and ride the clutch a little (shame shame shame, I know).  I drive my VWs year round, sun or snow, on all manner of roads (I often find myself on questionable dirt/gravel roads up in the mountains), and this is a region rife with hills.  That bit of extra control is handy when you're cruising around in the snow or starting up steep dirt roads.

Oddly enough, when VW switched to the diaphragm style pressure plates, they claimed that the new pressure plates were softer than the old spring type.  For this Variant, I'd probably settle for a soft diaphragm pressure plate that wouldn't eat my clutch cable so quickly, but sadly, the one I've got doesn't seem to fit that profile.  Of course, who knows what goes into the parts being made these days.

Soren