TheSamba.com :: View topic - Oil soaked clutch disc--clean or replace

Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:48 am

I am finishing up my build today and was about to install the clutch and pressure plate, which have only about 1500 miles on them. When I pulled them off the shelf there was a thick layer of clean motor oil coating the entire clutch plate, which was stored in contact with the pressure plate. No idea how the oil got there; it must have spilled from a shelf above.

The pressure plate cleaned up nicely with brake cleaner, and the surface of the clutch plate feels dry after cleaning as well. But I worry that the clutch may have absorbed the oil and it will slip forever. Of course it's the Fourth of July and my local VW parts store won't be open until Tuesday. Are these clutches absorbent, and should I toss this one and wait to install the engine?

Thanks in advance.

Sun Jul 04, 2021 6:13 am

A little googling answered my question. These are absorbent and it needs to be replaced. Bummer.

Sun Jul 04, 2021 8:39 am

I would absolutely get a new disc.

I recently had a wheel cylinder go out on my '8 Mazda truck, and fluid soaked the brake shoes. Even though the shoes had 80% of their lining remaining, I installed new brake shoes. I was pi$$ed, but did the job right.

Sun Jul 04, 2021 12:33 pm

I soaked a disc in toluene over night and let it dry in the sun and I drove it for a year after that, this was in my 65 Fairlane after it blew the rear seal, but it would probably be best to replace it, I could not afford it at the time.

eQ

Sun Jul 04, 2021 1:01 pm

I’ve had success cleaning friction surfaces as well. The key is how long have they been wet? If caught within a reasonable amount of time but even then there is no easy answer. In the extreme I’ve seen oil soaked linings that swell and disbond. I’ve cleaned a bunch though and it worked.😀

Sun Jul 04, 2021 2:27 pm

Just take it to a local clutch shop and have the friction material replaced. Soak it in carb cleaner first to de-oil the spring and hub assembly.

You can probably get away with about $45 for new friction material.

Ray

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:31 pm

Good call on replacing it.

Not worth the chance for a $50 part. I don't like having to remove/install an engine twice for a stupid reason.

Mon Jul 05, 2021 4:18 pm

One of the beauties about the VW is that with a pair of jack stands and a floor jack 2 guys can drop the engine in just a few minutes. Dad had it down to 20 minutes in his Bus doing it alone. That was with removing the bumper and bumper hitch that anchored in front of the transaxle.

Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:22 pm

oprn wrote: One of the beauties about the VW is that with a pair of jack stands and a floor jack 2 guys can drop the engine in just a few minutes. Dad had it down to 20 minutes in his Bus doing it alone. That was with removing the bumper and bumper hitch that anchored in front of the transaxle.

I hate injections. A few seconds at most, but I still hate them.

It takes a long-travel jack to get my engines out, and the ground is really gravely and uneven, so it's hard to move the thing alone with the engine balanced, etc...

I've done the bug engine in 18 mins, but with the lift, a d I dont have a lift at home (major life error).

To each his own....

Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:52 am

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what other people think because no matter what is said someone somewhere will get butt hurt. Concerning the car it’s easier to just remove and replace rather than be a mechanic and fix a problem. It’s even easier if you have the discretionary funds or are spending someone else’s money. We also used pressure plates that had seen some miles rather than just throw away. There is a disconnect between knowing what you can do and just being a parts changer. 😀

Tue Jul 06, 2021 8:24 am

I said it a couple of days ago.....and will say it again and explain it further.

If you have a local clutch shop.....through them a small piece of business and have your disc rebuilt. Because.....

1. It will likely be better quality work

2. Though I have different kinds of ACVW, i have worked on a wide range and have found .....over about the last 15 years or so the quality of parts is not as good as some of the better used parts.
With clutch discs.....weak, short life springs, poor rivet material that hold on the driven spring plate (on sprung discs).....and poor tolerances of the splines on the hub etc.

3. So if the clutch disc you had was good quality and its low miles.....take it in and have it relined. It will either cost about the same or likely less than just buying a new disc......which may be new but lower quality.....or may be rebuilt and its a crapshoot.

Thats the other issue. Buying remanned discs through FLAPS......I have seen a stunning mix from absolute crap to top notch quality coming across the counter.

If you are willing to clean and reuse and oiled pressure plate.....and there is no reason not to if you clean it well........you can just as easily clean all of the metal parts of a disc and have new friction material applied. Just as clean.

And.....throw your local clutch shop a bone and help keep them open. Ray

Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:25 pm

Bought a new clutch disc today. As someone said above, it wasn’t worth the $50 to run the risk.

Tue Jul 06, 2021 8:24 pm

I dont know where you live Ray, but I haven't seen a shop near me reline clutches or brakes since the 1980s.

The last shop I worked at sold their brake lathe 10 years ago. At an average shop rate of $150/hr, it cheaper to replace and most modern vehicles come with one cycle brakes anyways.

Tue Jul 06, 2021 8:56 pm

slalombuggy wrote: I dont know where you live Ray, but I haven't seen a shop near me reline clutches or brakes since the 1980s.

The last shop I worked at sold their brake lathe 10 years ago. At an average shop rate of $150/hr, it cheaper to replace and most modern vehicles come with one cycle brakes anyways.

Maybe its just the center of the country....I have three local to me in OKC and I know of two in Dallas.

The shops these days mostly do work for large trucks...brake and clutch. No shortage of work. Look for a semi/truck clutch rebuild shop. Most have no issues with auto clutches.

Just understand that when you come in and ask for a 215mm clutch...thy will start with SAE 9" material and cut it on a lathe after its assembled.

I found one in Des Moines Iowa three years ago when I lived there.....two actually...even though one was a motorcycle shop....they can do auto clutches after they order friction material.

Where do you live? Your avatar does not say.

$10 says I can find a shop within 25 miles of you (unless you live in the middle of the desert) that rebuilds clutches and brake linings. Ray

Wed Jul 07, 2021 4:56 am

I used to work at a shop that did both among many other things back in the early '70s. I just went past the other day and the business is still there and running the same name. The original owner passed on a number of years ago and last I heard it was his daughter running it now. I don't know if they still do clutches and brakes. They turned flywheels and rebuilt pressure plates at one time too.

I got lucky and found a shop with a brake lathe in the next town here. Again it is a family business that was established back in the '50s, is in a town of 1200 people and still has all the old stuff. I seriously doubt you would find one in the bigger centers.

Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:38 am

raygreenwood wrote: slalombuggy wrote: I dont know where you live Ray, but I haven't seen a shop near me reline clutches or brakes since the 1980s.

The last shop I worked at sold their brake lathe 10 years ago. At an average shop rate of $150/hr, it cheaper to replace and most modern vehicles come with one cycle brakes anyways.

Maybe its just the center of the country....I have three local to me in OKC and I know of two in Dallas.

The shops these days mostly do work for large trucks...brake and clutch. No shortage of work. Look for a semi/truck clutch rebuild shop. Most have no issues with auto clutches.

Just understand that when you come in and ask for a 215mm clutch...thy will start with SAE 9" material and cut it on a lathe after its assembled.

I found one in Des Moines Iowa three years ago when I lived there.....two actually...even though one was a motorcycle shop....they can do auto clutches after they order friction material.

Where do you live? Your avatar does not say.

$10 says I can find a shop within 25 miles of you (unless you live in the middle of the desert) that rebuilds clutches and brake linings. Ray

Add to the list this one and it’s true these type of businesses are waning as parts changers outnumber mechanics. I can remember buying reclined brake shoes for 6 dollars a set exchange. It becomes more of an issue when working on rare vehicles for which replacement parts are NLA. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x87b6ec853c2...DnoECC4QCA

Wed Jul 07, 2021 12:54 pm

Zundfolge1432 wrote: raygreenwood wrote: slalombuggy wrote: I dont know where you live Ray, but I haven't seen a shop near me reline clutches or brakes since the 1980s.

The last shop I worked at sold their brake lathe 10 years ago. At an average shop rate of $150/hr, it cheaper to replace and most modern vehicles come with one cycle brakes anyways.

Maybe its just the center of the country....I have three local to me in OKC and I know of two in Dallas.

The shops these days mostly do work for large trucks...brake and clutch. No shortage of work. Look for a semi/truck clutch rebuild shop. Most have no issues with auto clutches.

Just understand that when you come in and ask for a 215mm clutch...thy will start with SAE 9" material and cut it on a lathe after its assembled.

I found one in Des Moines Iowa three years ago when I lived there.....two actually...even though one was a motorcycle shop....they can do auto clutches after they order friction material.

Where do you live? Your avatar does not say.

$10 says I can find a shop within 25 miles of you (unless you live in the middle of the desert) that rebuilds clutches and brake linings. Ray

Add to the list this one and it’s true these type of businesses are waning as parts changers outnumber mechanics. I can remember buying reclined brake shoes for 6 dollars a set exchange. It becomes more of an issue when working on rare vehicles for which replacement parts are NLA. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x87b6ec853c2...DnoECC4QCA

I have actually found a few clutch relining shops...attached to large truck stops that have service houses on site. Ray