Herky Jerky 1st gear shift

Not because I cant drive a stick either..

I read in my "how to keep your vw alive forever book" that this is caused by a distored flywheel caused by a spring broken on the pressure plate?

I have dismantled much of my engine in hopes of finding something telltale of why im running near 300 deg oil temps on the highways... i think my thermostat flaps were staying closed, and i never had full throttle due to poor design in the dual solex 34 lingage arrangement. But i figure, ive got this much taken apart, i might as well pull the motor, clean it up, install my external oil cooler stuff and see if i cant put a lightened flywheel in while checking my pressure plate and clutch etc..

tell me, what will i be looking for on this thing after i drop the motor out..

Also, the only way i can see of putting my external oil cooler on is to yank my doghouse cooler and put on the adapter for it... should i get a new fan shroud then? Im told pulling the doghouse cooler cools #3 cyl better. true? or should i wait and buy a new oil pump with the in/out lines machined in?

any suggestions helpful.

Whew! OK, let's see:

"I read in my "how to keep your vw alive forever book" that this is caused by a distored flywheel caused by a spring broken on the pressure plate?"
Yes- that can be a cause, but first, look for any oil leakage behind the flywheel that might have been getting onto the clutch plate or disk. If that happens, you'll easily see the stains on the clutch disk (they look black or burnt). If something is leaking (usually the rear main seal or the cam shaft journal plug) then you can easily replace them. Aircooled.net has a nifty tool for inserting the main seal that uses the flywheel gland nut as a press.

If nothing is leaking and you've gone to the trouble of pulling the engine, then a nice Kennedy stage 1 or 2 pressure plate and stock clutch disk are in order. Stay away from the 4-puck clutch disk, as they tend to be binary in application - they're either full on or full off with little in between - great for the Drags, but not cool for stop-N-go traffic.


"I have dismantled much of my engine in hopes of finding something telltale of why im running near 300 deg oil temps on the highways... i think my thermostat flaps were staying closed, tell me, what will i be looking for on this thing after i drop the motor out.. "

How do you know what the temp really is?? The best way I've seen is a dip-stick thermometer (mainelycustombydesign.com). Once you know what the temp really is you can begin to cure it.

Take the vanes out of the shroud and polish up the moving surfaces to make them move freely (steel wool is good). Replace the little keeper springs (they're cheap). Replace the thermostat (it's cheap, too) and adjust per the service manual.

Do you have all of the engine shield sheetmetal installed? It should completely isolate the top of the engine bay from the bottom (hot exhaust) area. If these two areas are not isolated from each other, you'll NEVER get it to run cool.

"Also, the only way i can see of putting my external oil cooler on is to yank my doghouse cooler and put on the adapter for it... should i get a new fan shroud then? Im told pulling the doghouse cooler cools #3 cyl better. true? or should i wait and buy a new oil pump with the in/out lines machined in? "

EVERYTHING I've ever read from Gene Berg and Jake Raby tells me that pulling the doghouse cooler will make #3 cylinder run HOTTER, not cooler. The best way to get a full flow oil cooler installed is to pull the oil pump and plug the output port, then add a full-flow cover with an oil output on it, then drill and tap the end of the oil gallery for the oil return. Look back to my oil cooler project posts for a lot more detail on this.

If you run a pump cover with BOTH input/output fittings, it only skims a portion (might be a SMALL portion) of the total oil flow to go to the external cooler/filter - not cool. Doing a full-flow conversion is a lot of work, but it's the best way to do it.

Gordon

I'm going to pull the engine today... I can't decide whether i should take it in as a core and get something a bit larger, or if i should have them tap it. Looks like all the pushrod tubes are leaking, and i had some tarlike sludge in my oil sump cover. Gross stuff. not good. My cylinders are also all rusty but the heads look to be alum. I just dont think it's going to make me happy even if i had a nice 1600... i think i need more... I want to be able to pull alongside a new boxter, mustang or camaro and not get blow away. I'm ok with losing but not by 30 carlengths. LOL

Also, I'm just going to pull the thermostat flaps and thermostat. I'm told that in Phoenix I'll rarely need that stuff. And in the temps it MIGHT get to here, I wouldnt be driving the car anyway.

Too late to find out what my temp really is... I'd like to install a head temp sensor... is there info here on that somewhere?

I've got the exhaust off the car, and am removing my heater boxes as they are rusted badly and I think have been leaking because i smell like a mechanic everytime i've driven the car... i stink... girls wont come near me, and dont want to ride in the car... = why have it :)

cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=194

maxi pump 4? still not doing what it should?

Don't know for sure without having one in my hands to look at how they route the oil flow. Potentially, it can be a full flow design, but I've never seen one.


Perhaps someone else on here who has installed one can give you better info...

gn

im no expert but i wouldnt remove the thermostat flaps. I would wire them open all the time but not get rid of them altogether. Several people have done tests on cooling and there is something to say for leaving them in.

also the clutch thing could come back even with a new clutch. Check to make sure there is the proper bend in the bowden tube and also make sure your nose cone mount isnt broken or flexing. Another common problem is the clutch tube breaking free from the tunnel and causeing the same sympoms you are talking about.

i bought all new trans mounts... looks like I have oil in the bottom of my bellhousing saying that oil could have been on the clutch... cause is that likely... i recently cut holes into my tunnel so that i can check out all my tubes, they're ok too.... as for the "correct" bend in the bowden tube... how do check that?

Bowden tube should have about 1-1/2" - 2" deflection, shim it away from the trans mounted Bowden tube support bracket with washers slipped over the white nylon section of the tube, this will allow it to have the needed radius.
Surprising what a couple of added washers will do for a smooth clutch pedal.