Another Autostick problem

[dfrommi]

well i posted over at the samba and was directed over here. this site seems more directed towards  autostick 
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2245972#2245972
theres the link to the post so far.

[volkenstein]

Hi,
   After reading thesamba thread am I correct in saying that the only time you hear hissing is when you attempt to change gears? If that's so it sounds like a torn servo bladder. BTW, good for you for replacing the hoses ( with reinforced type hose I hope? ) and checking the shifter wire path.

Now for some slightly ugly news. The factory that made the bladder kits burn't down or went bust so any remaining stocks are dwindling and the price is escalating.

To test it, disconnect the hose at the servo, and the servo arm from the clutch arm. Push the servo arm all the way into the servo, put a finger over the hose spigot and then try to pull the servo arm out. If you can pull it out, even very slowly, your bladder is stuffed.

If it is, disconnect the servo from the clutch arm, remove the hose, remove the servo holding nuts and pull it off.
Undo the screw on the clamp and remove. Careful with removing the clamp, it's really stiff and you have to lift it over the lips of the two servo halves. You can then lift out the bladder assembly and give it a good eyeball. If you find it's just a hole as opposed to a tear, try a bicycle vulcaniser patch. It's worked before .

Otherwise, try the online shops, or email me and I'll send you the name of a guy who is actually making the bladders. He's made a test batch and they look hot and he's installed one in his car as a test bed.

IF YOUR BLADDER IS OK....then hissing still indicates a vacuum leak somewhere in the hose circuitry.

PS. When it's all connected the clutch is actuated by the servo arm pulling into the servo, not pushing out. Also, don't adjust anything on the servo arm until you've eliminated your current problem/s.

HTH
Volkenstein

[dfrommi]

yeah im not getting any kind of suction or restraint when i did what you said to do.  but i couldnt get the dang clutch arm totally off i pulled the cotter pin off of it and it just WONT BUDGE.am i missing something? i dont have any book besides a chilton and it only says hopw to adjust it not take it off.oh yeah, should i be able to manualy do the clutch by hand? like have someone inside the car switch into a gear while i move the clutch arm?i might take you up on the offer with the bladder im having bad connection trouble right now so who knows when ill be back ::edit:: interweb is fixed but i got a question. the hose coming from the control valve to the carb picture here===> http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/danfrommi/karmann%20ghia/?action=view&current=IMAG0012.jpg <====
is the small hose in the right hole? i took it out replacing the hose and forgot to mark what hole it came out of

[Cobey]

Yup, that's the right place to put it.

[volkenstein]

Dfrommi,
          The guy who is re-popping bladders is Michael and his email is hahamiki@hotmail.com . I had a squiz at your pic and the CV hose is hooked up correctly. A little freaked over the DVDA retard hose though .

The best place I've found for the VW cloth braided hoses (Green retard hose (4.5mm ID) and 12mm wire re-inforced vacuum hose) is
www.belmetric.com . Part No RH12W for the wired 12mm stuff.  

From what I've seen of a Ghia's engine bay the large bore hose runs are quite long. If you aren't using some form of re-inforced hose they'll collapse in short order.

To disconnect the servo arm, take out the cotter, let the washer drop. Push the pin out and then the plastic bush and the other washer is on top. Do this with both arms in the "at rest" position.

If you want, I can either post here or send some exploded views of the servo assembly and hints/tips from a post on the old board.


Volkenstein

[dfrommi]

I absolutely CANNOT get this &%@#*& pin out of the servo arm sprayed the hell out of it with wd40 pounded it with a breaker bar and a hammer and it will not budge. any more tricks to get this thing off? just to be sure the pin goes towards the top of the car? pics would help a lot too 

[Cobey]

PB Blaster.  WD40 blows, IMHO.

[volkenstein]

dfrommi,
            . Err...best lay off the heavy duty tools for the time being! You don't want to do something regrettable....
I'll post a pic tonight of the pin/bush stuff along with the servo.

It shouldn't be that bad..unless a PO has had a brainstorm which you are now paying for....


Volkenstein

[volkenstein]

dfrommi,
           OK, here's what the pin arrangement looks like on the clutch arm :



And the pin pieces and bushes :



So now that I have visited the shed I see your problem. The Pin appears to be rusted to the servo shaft eyelet. Note in the second pic it looks bright. That's because it has a hardchrome shell, but even mine has wear in the centre where the servo eyelet is. The bushes in the second pic are plastic and fit into the clutch arm, slipped into the inside and pushed up, leaving the two wider surfaces to ride on the eyelet.

I'd initially do what Cobey has suggested. Repeat soak it for 24-72 hours in PB Blaster or Kroil (?) I believe is another brand you have over there. Squirt as much as you can into the inside of the clutch arm.
I'd then use adjustable pliers (we call them water pump pliers) over the arm, squeezing the bottom of the pin (where the cotter went).

If that doesn't help, then run a rivet through the cotter hole, bend it around the shaft and use pliers to grip the rivet bits and TWIST the pin.

The last two thoughts are to fab up a tool a'la a ball joint seperator, or to scribe a line across the clutch arm/clutch shaft union (at the gearbox), undo the pinch bolt and the servo bolts and remove the servo assembly/clutch arm as one unit and work on it after it's out.


HTH
Volkenstein

[volkenstein]

dfrommi,
           When you get past your current woes you can disassemble the servo until you get this :



Some tips.
- Mark the two servo halves so you can line them back up during re-assembly
- The metal band is a stiff S.O.B. and you should undo the screw and remove it completely, then prise it (with hands only) off over the servo cups lips.
- The big nut on the back of the servo bladder assembly is 27mm from memory. Don't muck around with the adjustable section of the servo rod. Paint one face of the large hex portion a lurid/visible colour.
- What looks like a "C" clip in my photo is the remains of a fibre washer between the servo arm and the metal disc. I made up an aluminium washer 1mm thick to replace it, but you can use anything just as thick (gasket paper etc)

Anyway, after a thorough clean, check that the vacuum spigot for the large bore hose is tight and then you can assemble the servo arm/bladder again and get to here :



You don't need to go crazy tightening the big nut, just give it a good wrist tightening.

Assembly tips.
- Put the bladder assembly onto one half, pop the other half on aligning the marks you made and then turn the bladder assembly so that the eyelet on the servo arm is parallel to the two mounting studs on the outer case.
- When you put the metal band on it'll be a bit of a struggle. Be really carefull that you don't hook up the bladder.
- When the band is on, work the servo arm in/out (back to "center at rest") to centre the bladder.
- When putting the screw back in, as you are tightening the band with it, check the metal band for alignment over the two halves.
- Again, don't go crazy tightening that screw.

Test it again with your finger over the spigot, with the servo arm bottomed againt the back of the servo. It should not budge.


HTH
Volkenstein

[dfrommi]

I GOT IT OUT!!!! just short of strapping a bomb to it too we called around at some VW places around here asking prices on just to have it taken and and looked at. every place but one place near sylvan lake/keego harbor wanted around $105 an hour just to look at it...so we called this place in keego were we used to live and the guy said  just to heat it up a bit(which was my idea in the first place but my pops didn't want to). after basically melting out the dang plastic bushes out the pin still didn't come out! what it is the rod coming out of the servo is actually screwed inside the pin!no wonder why a hammer couldn't get it out  heres some pictures of the bad bladder in the servo
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/danfrommi/karmann%20ghia/?action=view&current=IMAG0017.jpg
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/danfrommi/karmann%20ghia/?action=view&current=IMAG0016.jpg
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/danfrommi/karmann%20ghia/?action=view&current=IMAG0015.jpg
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/danfrommi/karmann%20ghia/?action=view&current=IMAG0013.jpg
now to get a rebuild kit for it. anyone know any places that might carry one?

[volkenstein]

dfrommi,
        The factory went bust or burn't down. Supply of the kit is extremely limited.

Joe at www.evwparts.com may have a few.

These guys say they do :

http://www.bugcity.com/cgi-bin/WebStore/indexNEW.cgi/mi=yes/srchcd=113142055RK

This guy is repopping just the bladder, and I posted about him already, name is Michael :

hahamiki@hotmail.com 

Maybe try Anthony @ ISPWEST.

At US 59.95 for the kit I'd be trying Michael!!! &%$# me!! 250% up in two years!!! 25% up in the last 3 months!!

Fleagay looks like a good option and there is one on US Fleagay.

CIP1, Karmannghia.com and the usual suspects no longer advertise the kit.

The pin was screwed in? Has a thread on it? I smell the work of a previous owner.....

I had a look at all your photos...check those large bore CV hoses.  If they aren't the VW stuff, they'd best be 1/2" Brake booster hose or they'll collapse.


HTH
Volkenstein

[dfrommi]

yeah those really small hoses do need to be replaced you can collapse them with your fingers and im sure with the heat and a vacuum they will do it with ease. the guy at the local mopar store said this was his "vacuum" line. ill just grab some other stuff. no the pin its self wasn't screwed in the pin has a female hole in it for the rod coming from the servo adjuster rod to screw into. once i get it all the way out ill take a pic. the guy in sylvan lake Michigan said he can get a rebuild kit for it ill see how much he wants for it before i do anything else. btw fleagay = ebay correct?only thing i found was the bladder from some guy in Israel.and i REALLY don't like ebay at all so  i don't think its going to be an option thanks a bunch for the help

[volkenstein]

dfrommi,
           Michael is from Israel ..funny about that!! He and I have exchanged the odd email after he saw my posts regarding the bladder and the CV on the old forum.

Please take a pic, I'm having some difficulty mentally picturing your pin setup.


Regards
Volkenstein

[dfrommi]

well i received the rebuilt servo today (they didn't have the rebuild kit just a rebuilt servo for 20$ more) and tossed it in but still the same problem. Before putting the rebuilt servo in i took note of how much free play was in the clutch arm its self. You can pull the arm all the way back (towards the engine) then finally get some kind of click.by clicking i would assume that the clutch disengaged or engaged. and push it all the way in (towards the front of the car) and finally get a click when its almost as far as it will go that direction. this is about 6 inches of play. should i have that much play?if not what is required to fix it? a new clutch plate? ill take a picture tonight of the pin. the pin its self will not come out unless i cut it out