Golf Update: I hate love this stupid amazing thing, now with edits!

"I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker" (qaaaaa)
03/07/2019 at 17:50 • Filed to: None

Got my car back from,the shop this morning and... It’s not good. 1st is hard and sometimes impossible to get and you cannot get reverse without grinding. I took a video of clutch half-assing its job. Things have not gone well. It sort of drives at least?

https://drive.google.com/a/udayton.edu/file/d/1LQVXyq-JycF8keBjAD12vXKvZfRthB4R/view?usp=drivesdk

EDIT: I fixed the video link, I had it set to the wrong link share setting

Another edit: poking around on forums and my Bentley manual suggests a few things that should be done. First, I should check that the clutch over-center spring didn’t slip out and is properly functioning. Next, I should check that the automatically-adjusting clutch cable mechanism is properly functioning. This gives a few outcomes.

Outcome 1: over-center spring is not functional- either repair or replace it. This not functioning properly means I need to readjust the cable. If the spring is not functioning, that means the cable is not adjusting itself properly either.

Outcome 2: spring is functional, cable auto-adjust is not- replace the cable with a functional one, probably with a manual adjust one for moar reliable.

Outcome 3: both are functional. In this case, I will say fuck it and burn the car down for the insurance money. All $500 of it.

Another edit! (5:30 pm ish) I dug into it around 4:30. First thing I did was take a look at the cable with fresh (actually awake) eyes, and I noticed that the assembly was put back together incorrectly! The cable was supposed to be held on one end by the bracket, which should be separated by a rubber spacer from the “arm” that swings up and down. Instead, the rubber spacer was ABOVE the arm. So, I popped the bracket off (way more easy than it should have been), re-compressed the auto-adjust mechanism, and grabbed a friend who was walking by to pop the plastic bit that holds the auto-adjuster in place. Then, we put the whole thing back together. I gotta say, this was amazingly easy.

I’ve also come to the realization that the clutch cable was never properly installed. Not in the time I’ve had the car. I never had full use of the clutch- I no longer pop out of 2 if I don’t double clutch. I’m blown away. It’s a whole new driving experience. Thank god for good friends.

So, here’s the list of actual issues the car has now, from most important/annoying to least:

1. Rusty as all hell exhaust that’s patched in like five places. I need to replace this whole thing, it’s getting absurd.

2. Distributor (hall sensor is still bad)

3. Timing belt/water pump (the belt is less than 2 years/10k miles old, but the pump was never replaced when the belt was. However, I don’t leak any fluids, so this is not pressing)

4. Still get blow by and the air intake hose is oily. I should add a catch can.

5. There’s some issue with PCV. I have no idea what it is and haven’t read anything of it lately.

And that’s about it. There’s still rust, but it’s not bad, and a few other odds and ends I don’t really care about enough to fix, plus a broken aesthetic fog lamp lens. I need to just get new functional lights.

DISCUSSION (16)

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 09:51

Makes me miss my first car. Same ‘97 golf gl in the same (forest?) green. In Ohio. She had 300,000 miles when I pretty much gave her away because of clutch issues.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 10:16

Slave or master bad?

Does it even have a hydraulic clutch?

ttyymmnn > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 10:24

Clutch or bushings? I had an older VW that you had to really wrestle with to get into reverse and first. New bushings and it was good as new an old VW.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
03/07/2019 at 10:34

All cable, no hydro at all.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > ttyymmnn
03/07/2019 at 10:35

Clutch is good (less than 20k on it I belie ve) but even if it was bad, pedal wou ld still return all the way. I think the cable just needs more adjustment.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
03/07/2019 at 10:37

Hey, this is a 96 GL in forest green and rust, also living in Ohio, but with less than half the mileage.

Not really sure why constant problems amd frustration woul d make you miss yours, but to each their own.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 12:07

1. Stretched cable, causing it to not release fully.

2. Bent clutch lever, again causing it to not release fully.

3. Worn clutch, assuming you have an auto adjuster like old Mopars, the clutch could just be bad enough that it can no longer release fully.

Old Mopars “auto-adjuster” was on the clutch pedal itself. If you pulled the pedal towards you it would make the adjuster take up the slack in the cable. If yours is the same setup, you could give that a try.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
03/07/2019 at 12:24

1. I think this is the most likely cause at this point.

2. Clutch lever isn’t bent when I compare it to pictures online. It’s missing its counterweight, but that shouldn’t cause this problem.

3. I doubt the clutch is worn out. I’ve driven a car with no clutch left, and it felt completely unlike this.

The auto adjust on this cable is on the transmission end of it and works with magic. I’m gonna poke around a bit, then do the manual adjust conversion. The stock cable (23 years old, there’s a date code punched on the housing) is probably just stretched.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 17:07

Lol it just looks like it. And I was kind of being ironic. I don’t really want to own another one though

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
03/07/2019 at 17:35

They’re brilliant cars... when they work.

ttyymmnn > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 18:15

Cheap fixes are the best fixes. Good job.

Thatredcar > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/07/2019 at 18:15

You could get Ben in the club your in to help you with the exhaust, he has a welder. He lives 30 mins west of Dayton, he’ll help out if you ask.

This is weird replying to you on a website...

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Thatredcar
03/07/2019 at 19:32

Lil bit, yeah, but exhaust fix isn’t gonna happen for a while.

Did I see you roll by while I was working on my car today?

Echo51 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/08/2019 at 05:37

1: Straightpipe.

2: It’s fineeeeeee
3: might outlast the car, might die tomorrow. GG

4. Route into exhaust to prevent rust. Alternatively let drip onto a driveshaft for free under-body oil coating, anti-rust whoo!

5: Bigger hole in the engine block, gotta air out the oil, ye?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Echo51
03/08/2019 at 07:34

1. Duh

2. It’ll get changed when I convert to coil on plug... eventually

3. Yeah, who knows. ABAs are allegedly non-interference, but become interference after 100k ish

4. Wait, is this a thing? I’d do it, it seems janky enough. It’s not even enough oil to make a dent on tbe dipstick.

5. I recall the code being "bad sensor" so whatever. It runs fine.

Echo51 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/08/2019 at 07:36

re 4, no not really. oil on the inside would only prevent in-side coming rust. But leaking all over the undercarriage would somewhat work to prevent surface rusting i guess? Or atleast keep it well lubed...