Aircooled VW South Africa

Please please help...
Turns out that my clutch cable wasnt starting to break (see previous thread) so I tightened up the slack so that I can at least shift again...NOW a horrible sound eminates from the rear when pushing on the pedal! A high pitched squeling and the clutch feels, how will i say, very rough. I replaced the big nut with the bearing on the flywheel with a new one when i replaced the clutch. What is the most obvious thing to look for? I am starting to get fed up with this story!!!

Release bearing, perhaps?

Almost certain release bearing- can also end up damaging the pressure plate.

Aai man...that was replaced with the sachs kit I put in. So it is new. I had to remove the engine previously for the same issue and thought I would get seriuos damage on the release bearing or the gland nut, but they were fine. Not even scratched. Considered replacing sachs bearing with a Midas part but we concluded that the "used" sachs bearing was smoother than the Midas part. I relubed the pilot bearing with grease and the problem went awa. The other day I went for a looonngg drive and on returning home the damn things starts up again.

By the way...did you know that the "new" sachs kits for the older model beetles with 6volt flywheel is different than the original? I phoned sachs after buying and they assured me that it was fine. Where the older kit had a ring to keep the 3 fingers together and contact the release bearing the new one only has the 3 fingers. The bearing now presses up against each finger and not on the ring. Any knowledge or ideas on this? Sorry I know my car is very old!!

Only know the type with the ring. I have also seen various release bearings with different width contact areas. Some are metal and others have carbon. The carbon ones will not last very long if making contact with the 3 fingers.

Just by the way - the 180mm clutch, pressure plate and rellease bearing used on the old Beetles is the same used in basically all the 3 cylinder DKW/Auto Unions. These items are getting scarce and rather pricey.

Thanks Hubcap. I can put you in touch with the guys from sachs if you need that kind of kit. Ja it was very expensive. Thats why I am so sad about the performance! Mysachs bearing is definitely metal. The one from Midas I m not so sure about.

Here is the sachs info for SA:

ZF Sachs South Africa (Pty.) Ltd.
Alrode Extension 7
18 Bentonite Street
ZA – Alberton, 1450
South Africa
Phone: +27 1138 94-900
Fax: +27 1186 46-924

Thanx ...

Could allso be that one arm of the clutch fork (that works the release bearing) is starting to shear from the shaft.It then pushes the release bearing skew.

Here is a suggestion.

Buy a Spirex clutch kit for around R550.

In the box is a Sachs kit.Kid you not!

haaarken fell!