Give this a try:

Engine running at idle, handbrake firmly on, press clutch pedal fully down, engage first gear, hold clutch pedal down.

If after a while the clutch engages (the engine revs drop eventually stalling the engine) fluid is bypassing the clutch master cylinder; the quicker this happens the worse the leakage is. Do the gears ever ‘crunch’ when you change gear?

If you don’t have problems with the above my guess would be that it is the slave cylinder causing the problem by sticking when the clutch pedal is pressed (I’ve not had this problem with my Golf but have seen it on other vehicles – particularly the old Mini). This is good as it is easier to replace…..and cheaper. 🙂

Yes, having re-read your post I thought that what you’d probably had done.

On these Golf models the Clutch and Brake systems share a common reservoir but unless the mechanic took the trouble to ‘bleed’ the clutch cylinders when he did the brake system the fluid in the cylinders and pipe-work will not have been changed.

If your car is ‘using’ brake fluid at that rate I would be a bit worried! The rear (drum) brake cylinder seals are the most likely cause, leading to brake fluid on the brake shoes and poor rear braking. These are very cheap to replace although it is a horribly dirty and awkward job. It is also a very common MOT failure on these models.

You could be losing fluid through one of the clutch cylinders and this would tend to confirm the cylinder ‘sticking’ theory as the fluid is very corrosive. Are there any signs of fluid ‘damp’ patches on the gearbox near the slave cylinder?

As already stated this sounds to me like a problem with the hydraulic clutch operating mechanism. It is very unlikely to be a problem with the clutch itself as it only has 50,000 km on it; my Golf 3 1.9 TDi has over 300,000 km on the original clutch!

My guess would be that either the clutch ‘master’ or ‘slave’ hydraulic cylinders were sticking (probably the master) preventing the clutch from engaging; the ‘light’ pedal feel would tend to confirm this. These cylinders are prone to corrosion if the hydraulic brake fluid in them isn’t changed for a long time. It could be a problem with the pipe-work but I doubt it as most of the pipes are metal with only a strong hose at the clutch end (if memory serves). How old is the car?

I’ve changed both of mine over the years (at about 190,000 km).

They aren’t difficult to do if you are reasonably confident about hydraulics (as they need bleeding when replaced).

The cost of mine were, master cylinder £117 (from VW) and slave cylinder £45 (from GSF Parts), when I changed them back in 2001.

Good luck! 🙂

23/40 😮

The plot thickens.

Just out of interest do you or your ex-RAF contact have any explanation as to why this was allegedly done?

From your description considerable effort was made to preserve these brand-new aircraft, ‘cocooned, inhibited, nitrogen pumped in’ but then all this was undone by burying them in the damp, underground.

Surely you must see the lack of logic (even for the military)?

And what were they being ‘preserved’ for? Remember in 1953 the Hawker Hunter was entering production so not much use as a ‘war reserve’ even if they were in mint condition.

I don’t wish to be rude but is it possible that you have been a little gullible?

So just so I’ve got this correct…

You are 100% sure that seventy-three (73!) brand-new Spitfires, inhibited and covered in Spraylat were put in ‘secret’ Type-G hangers a week before those hangars were buried in 1953. You have photographic evidence that this occurred but now the whereabouts of these hangars have been ‘forgotten’ and you are hoping to find them with radar which you surely will given the amount of steel and concrete in their construction.

Your ‘reliable’ ex-RAF contact didn’t tell you this on the anniversary of the creation of the RAF did he? :diablo:

Cocooned Fighters were placed inside, 1 week before the ground was levelled.

For what purpose? :confused:

The Aircraft were covered in Spraylat cocooning material and fully inhibited, apparently brand new. I wonder if they are still there?

Spraylat…on Spitfires…in the mid-fifties! Are you quite sure about that? :diablo: