Guy
I have a strange one. My clutch pedal has been making a clacking sound when I let it out, with or without the engine running. It sounds like it is coming from where the pedal hooks to the clutch line. I took the pedal assembly out to see if there was something wrong with it, but it all seemed fine. I put it back in and it is still making the noise at the hook and loop. Any thought on how to fix this issue?
Thanks
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I had a similar experience. Removing the pedal assembly and greasing the hook and loop solved it for me. Make sure you don't have any twists in the clutch cable, and that you're not running it too tight (3/4" to 1" of free play).
While you have your pedal assembly removed, check the condition of your hook. Over time, due to the constant friction of the loop on the hook, it can begin to wear out a groove. This results in a 'clacking' noise, when the hook locks into the groove, then pops out as the clutch continues to disengage. If you see visible wear on the hook, you can be pretty sure this is the culprit.
If you're luck is bad you may have a broken weld on the clutch tube. You can verify this by having someone gently press the clutch with their hand while you watch the tube from where it exits the tunnel in the rear of the pan. If, while pressing in the clutch, you notice movement in the tube itself, not the cable, you have a broken weld. It's very common and others who have gone through the process of repairing it have shared lots of info in this forum on how to go about fixing it. Search function should bring up plenty of help.
If you determine you don't have any broken welds, your hook doesn't have any visible wear, have greased your hook, loop and cable, reassembled your pedal assembly and still have issues, there is one last resort you could try. Classic Bug Parts makes a replacement clutch pedal shaft that takes a completely difference approach, and seems to result in a smoother operation than the hook. It's also supposed to result in less strain on the cable, and if not for upgrading to a hydraulic clutch, I would have already went that route.
If I still had an OEM pedal cluster setup, I’d definitely replace the VW ind with a CBP cluster.
@jncspyder - I also installed their roller pedal and love it. Good, quality, well thought-out pieces
@jncspyder posted:
I agree. The "big boy" upgrade is nice if you have Flintstone feet, like me. Also, +1 on the roller throttle. You'll hate being upside down for the hour or so it takes to to do the swap, but it's a nice upgrade.
Thanks guys, will check these things out. I too have their roller ball. My speedster doesn't have an access panel under the car for access to the tunnel. I only can get to it through the clutch hook hole. Since I have the pedal assembly removed, I am going to order the shaft upgrade.
I wonder how long their soft metal brass spacer will hold up even greased.... that's a lot of cable load, just my .02
Our speedster is a Beck. Do Becks have issues with the clutch tube weld? I just checked under the car while my son worked the clutch pedal. I didn't see any tube moving.
Probably wear on the hook as others commented. Actually Becks do have access panels under the tunnel, but depending on the age, they may have been sealed with fiberglass. I had a similar situation and finally took a Dremel to the fiberglas so I could remove the panel on my Beck. That made repairs and cable replacement so much easier. It's definitely worth hassle.
ACK! I just realized that this is in the Spyder forum (silly me). At once point you said you have a Speedster and I forgot where I was. If it's a Spyder then ignore me (my wife does).
Lane
It is a speedster. My fault for not noticing that when I posted.
Here is picture of my hook. There is definitely some ware on it.
@Bobby D - think it's safe to say that's the source of your issue. The shaft upgrade from Classic Bug Parts should be all you need to get it resolved. I would also add there looks to be an absence of grease on the hook, which isn't helping anything either. Metal on metal with no lubrication will inevitably result in premature wear.
Thanks JR. I will make sure I grease up the new upgrade
Dang Bobby. Looks like you dodged a bullet with that one. I don’t think you were too many miles from having to practice your “clutchless driving” skills.
another ,perhaps more optional nuance to this foot dance on the pedals is investing in some semi-trick skinny racing shoes...even with the spaced out clutch pedal, still not very comfortable, at least for me, wearing heavy wide tennis/sport shoes....the thin light weight racing shoes are the "bee's knees" 
@jncspyder posted:another ,perhaps more optional nuance to this foot dance on the pedals is investing in some semi-trick skinny racing shoes...even with the spaced out clutch pedal, still not very comfortable, at least for me, wearing heavy wide tennis/sport shoes....the thin light weight racing shoes are the "bee's knees"
Or, as I've said before, drive barefoot in the summer. I care not if it is "legal" or not. It works, folks.
My CNC setup turned out to be even narrower than an OEM VW setup. It was a great excuse to put my Puma Speedcat collection to their intended use.
Besides those, my Sperry’s fit too, but none of my other shoes work.
Hey Guys
I received the upgrade shaft today. I watched CBP video. He said drive out the keeper pin on the clutch pedal then drive the full shaft out with an hammer and punch. Keeper pin came out easy. I have hit the shaft pretty hard quite a few times and the it is not moving at all. The keeper pin hole is still perfectly aligned. Is there a step I am missing?
JR
Can I hit with some heat from propane torch?
Because of wet/snowy/salty feet, the pedal cluster tends to rust and corrode quite a bit. While I, too, recommend a good penetrating oil like P-B Blaster to help loosen things up, you’ll probably end up heating the heck out of it to get it to loosen up. Expect to repaint the cluster when you’re done converting.
Gordon
I have it sitting now soaked in P-Blaster. I will give it an hour.
The torch was the ticket. Got it out. I am going to clean the parts and put a fresh coat of paint on them. Hopefully by tomorrow night she will be back on the road.
thanks for all your help guys.
I drill down through the pedal tube w/ and 1/4" bit until I hit the horizontal shaft, then spray PB Blaster or similar into the hole, working the pedal assemble loosens up quickly and while easily done on a bench can be done in the car.
That’s because Alan doesn’t want to stink up the Condo upstairs with the smoke from the torch. 🤢
It’s always fun to fire up my oxy/acetylene torch when any neighbors are in the garage. Soon as I get the fireball going they all head for the door!
@Gordon Nichols posted:Because of wet/snowy/salty feet, the pedal cluster tends to rust and corrode quite a bit. While I, too, recommend a good penetrating oil like P-B Blaster to help loosen things up, you’ll probably end up heating the heck out of it to get it to loosen up. Expect to repaint the cluster when you’re done converting.
Yeah speedsters rule even in winter 
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Using a torch near flammable materials can be risky for us amateurs.
Best left to the pros - who know what they're doing:
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@Gordon Nichols posted:It’s always fun to fire up my oxy/acetylene torch when any neighbors are in the garage. Soon as I get the fireball going they all head for the door!
They've probably seen your welds. And if your torch work is anything like your welding then a proper evacuation zone should be established prior to starting.
Ok, now that's funny! 
Hey, @Robert M!
Actually, my MIG welds versus my gas welds are polar opposites. No one ever really taught me how to MIG weld, but one of the last of the "Lead Men" auto body guys around here (Frannie Maroney, long passed) taught me how to gas weld, so I can do sheet metal butt welds, overlaps, modified spots, you name it, on steel or aluminum with Oxy/Acetylene, MAPP, Butane or Propane cocktails (gas mixes - those last two more for light brazing or silver soldering). I inherited my late brother's torch set when his wife was afraid to have it in the garage and got his MIG & TIG welders, too. I cleaned up my gas heater plenum box seams that Chris did on his MIG with my torch to make them pretty without grinding and they came out great.
Frannie taught me gas welding around 1970 - 1971-ish, when I was just getting started on my '46 Ford coupe which had rotted rocker panels, etc. I fab'd new steel pieces and welded them in with his guidance. Unfortunately, he passed away from alcoholism not long after that and never got to show me MIG welds.
Just to impress the neighbors, my brother had a blow-torch tip for his gas torch that I inherited - it looks like the afterburner on an F-16 when you light it up, can produce a 15" plume and the roar is tremendous. It eats a lotta gas, but BOY! Can that thing heat stuff up! Trouble is, if you get too much acetylene it blows thick clouds of soot all over everything and with a bit too much oxygen in the mix it blows itself out with a bang like a 16-gauge shotgun. That's especially loud if the garage doors are closed. The closest neighbors must be getting used to it - haven't seen any neighborhood social media notices of gunshots, lately. 
But, yes......... My MIG welds still look a lot like bird poop. What I need is a big welding project, like Chris had when he built my car hauler, to learn by doing.
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@Gordon Nichols posted:.
...it looks like the afterburner on an F-16 when you light it up, can produce a 15" plume and the roar is tremendous. It eats a lotta gas, but BOY! Can that thing heat stuff up!...
..if you get too much acetylene it blows thick clouds of soot all over everything and with a bit too much oxygen in the mix it blows itself out with a bang like a 16-gauge shotgun...
Reading this, Gordon, I'm more comfortable than ever with my decision not to take up welding. And I'm certain the world is a safer place for it.
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I did this yesterday with my 110v MIG.
It isn't the prettiest, but it will hold just fine. The top one I had to grind, I didn't leave enough room for the bead . The bottom one I spaced better and left a groove. It filled in pretty well.
This is DOM steel, .120" wall x 1.25".
This is a removable bar above the transmission to facilitate removing/installing the engine and trans together. It's a Vintage Spyder, but not mine. Just linear compression and tension on this part of the frame, no bending or twist loading.
Oh, and I highly recommend 3M Scotch Brite Clean and Strip discs to clean the mill scale and weld slag off the workpiece. It makes priming and painting a piece of cake.
Pedals are back in the car. No clacking anymore. No issues on test drive!
Thank you everyone for you help.
