340 Auto - New member needs help...!!

[filthyjohn]

Great stuff, keep them somewhere safe Tom, I'll never remember which thread they're in!

[trabitom99]

They were in this post:
http://www.dafcars.proboards37.com/inde ... thread=715

where someone appears to have a similar problem ...

Tom

[trabitom99]

Just started reading the clutch article - it really is very detailed!

New to me is this:

'The books' recommend a total clearance of 0. 1 to 0.3 mm, or 4 - 12 thou inches. In reality this is much too tight, and the clutch will drag. A dragging clutch turns the propeller shaft and makes it impossible to engage forward or reverse gear silently (or at all). A practical gap is 0.4 to 1.0 mm or 16 - 40 thou. inches. In other words a new clutch should be set to about 0.4 mm, 16 thou inches, and reset back before it has worn to 1.0 mm or 40 thou.

0,2mm +/- 0,1mm is the usual recommendation ...

Tom

[Ian Mac]

Opinions certainly seem to vary regarding the clutch adjusment setting. I assume the gap is measured between the friction plate and the flywheel - does anyone have a definitive answer as to what the gap should be? I notice in an earlier posting someone said 3mm but the article Trabitom mentions says much less. Confused? I'm getting there..!!

I can see me having a Daf at some point. I've had half a dozen Trabants since the wall came down and I've just sold my last one. The Daf does seem to have 'shades of Trabi' if you squint slightly so it appeals to my rather odd tastes...

I'm hoping to get the 340 up and running before the next cold snap. My Yugo 311 ain't a warm place to be first thing in a morning when its frosty. Its the first car I've ever owned where the doors literally freeze around the apperture making them impossible to open. I only live in Brierley Hill, more like Siberia lately....

[sven360]

My Yugo 311 ain't a warm place to be first thing in a morning when its frosty. Its the first car I've ever owned where the doors literally freeze around the apperture making them impossible to open. I only live in Brierley Hill, more like Siberia lately....

I had a 511.Leastwise that's what i think it was.
Based on a Fiat 128 iirc-'cept they took the Fiat body off and inverted a skip.Cut some door holes and a hatchback and renamed it.

Twas a weird wee beasty-'specially when me mate was in it we turning right on a roundabout as he wound the window down summit off the mechanism caught the wire for the door lock and as it flung open he nearly fell out

Very good for leaving in Newcastle city centre unlocked-always there on your return.
Pretty reliable like if my memory serves.

[trabitom99]

Opinions certainly seem to vary regarding the clutch adjusment setting. I assume the gap is measured between the friction plate and the flywheel - does anyone have a definitive answer as to what the gap should be? I notice in an earlier posting someone said 3mm but the article Trabitom mentions says much less. Confused? I'm getting there..!!

Definitely not 3mm, "point three" is closer to the mark. The 3mm pettaw referred to is the width of the shims he used when fitting a new clutch.

I can see me having a Daf at some point. I've had half a dozen Trabants since the wall came down and I've just sold my last one. The Daf does seem to have 'shades of Trabi' if you squint slightly so it appeals to my rather odd tastes...

YOU'VE OWNED HALF A DOZEN TRABANTS?? That's a V3M first for me I've had mine for 6 years now. In fact my 4-year old would agree with you about Dafs looking like Trabants. At the recent German DAF meet, she saw them everywhere

Tom

[pettaw]

3mm is the thickness of the shims between the pressure plate and the flywheel that you use to adjust the clutch gap, which should be between 0.1 and 0.3mm

I would believe the green books. I've never come a cropper when using those on any procedure so far......

I've done two clutches on varios and on both occasions we adjusted them right down to the factory spec of 0.2mm. I think on one, Pete Farrell's we adjusted it right down to 0.1mm because that's how the shims worked out. I had already read George Dickenson's article when it first came out in 'Technical Driver' many years ago, but we checked the clutch very carefully for binding and found none at all. Obviously the gap is measured with everything torqued up to specs as in the books, maybe that's where the discrepancy occurred. If you measure with the nuts only on 'finger tight' and then tighten to specs its going to drag? I don't know, anyway, the factory spec worked for me.

With the gap at the factory setting and the car up on ramps the propshaft was completely free to rotate without binding and was seen to engage at approx 1100rpm, just as it says in the book.

[Ian Mac]

Ok all, here goes. I managed to get the car on ramps yesterday and first off I thought I'd check the belts. Both of them have fairly obvious cracks and there is no measurable gap between the pulley halves so I suspect the belts are stretched and running slack. In view of the cracks I can't see any point in trying to adjust them as they obviously need to be replaced. Turning to the clutch, working on my back I must confess that I could see very little through the 'inspection' hole in the bottom of the bellhousing and I didn't have a clue where to measure the gap. However, what immediately struck me was the obvious lack of burning smell or any evidence of clutch dust, both of which I would have expected from a slipping clutch. Could the problem simply be down to the belts I wonder? Either way, I dont think I fancy doing either job lying on my back...

Ref the Trabi, they are brilliant little cars. The only reason I've just sold mine is the lack of any UK parts support which means everything has to be ordered from Germany. Not ideal...

[trabitom99]

... I don't know, anyway, the factory spec worked for me.

OK, good to know!

Either way, I dont think I fancy doing either job lying on my back...

George Dickenson says this "should only be considered if a pit or high hoist is available. For the DlYer with only ramps to raise the car, it is recommended to remove the engine to dismantle the clutch".

Ref the Trabi, they are brilliant little cars. The only reason I've just sold mine is the lack of any UK parts support which means everything has to be ordered from Germany. Not ideal...

I'm lucky to live near a garage who were the only West German Trabant importers in the 70's That means it's far easier for me to have the Trabant serviced than the Vario, the nearest place I've found where I'd feel comfortable to leave it is 100kms away ...

Tom

[filthyjohn]

George Dickenson says this "should only be considered if a pit or high hoist is available. For the DlYer with only ramps to raise the car, it is recommended to remove the engine to dismantle the clutch".

I did a whole drivetrain swap with the engine still in place, with only a jack and some axle stands. But it wasn't easy.

[pettaw]

Yeah, George Dickenson's advice is recommended, but not necessary. We did a complete clutch swap with the car on 4 axle stands.

[Ian Mac]

Right then, I've now ordered a clutch kit and a pair of belts which should arrive within the next few days. I'm going to replace the belts first and hopefully the clutch can stay in the boot for a month or two..

Given that I don't have access to a clamp for the rear belts what's the best way of removing them? The Haynes manual says to pull the belt downwards which will open the secondary pullys and then put a one inch spacer between the pullys to keep them apart. This sounds rather simplistic - any advice would be appreciated, as always.

Cheers all,

Ian

[morgan105]

If you're not going to re-use the old belts cut them off, then use a pry bar to open the pulleys and use a block of 1" wood (make sure it's not to soft a wood) or use a socket piece to hold them apart. Don't forget to slide the drives together with the adjustment nut to aid replacement of the new belts as they will be hard to get on as they are not stretched.

[Ian Mac]

Thanks Morgan, much appreciated. I have a further problem now in that I'm struggling to obtain belts. I ordered a pair from 'My Volvo Shop.com' at £94 delivered. They then refunded my payment saying the belts are back ordered. I then ordered them from 'Scan Tech' at £96 delivered and they've just contacted me to say they're no longer available. I could get them from the Daf guy in Holland but he wants about £160 or they're still available from Volvo at around £200 plus vat. I must be honest, I'm reluctant to spend this sort of money on a £300 car which will still only be worth £300 when I've finished it, and it still needs a set of tyres...

I'm approaching the point of selling it cheap, cutting my losses and looking for a decent manual 340... Any sensible offers may be considered...

[volvosneverdie]

Any pics ian?