Ive just replaced the clutch in my 59 Beetle (36hp and splitcase trans) and it shudders worse than the original, but only on hillstarts, even slight ones. On the flat and downhill it seems fine.

As soon as I slip the clutch on a hillstart both doors nearly rattle off.

New pressure plate, clutch plate, throwout bearing, gland nut, machined both surfaces of the flywheel, new clutch cable and borden tube and reco'd trans.

It has the type of flywheel where the clutch plate is recessed into the flywheel

I don't think it's getting enough clamping pressure.

Any ideas or tricks I'm missing?

engine mounts????

Did you use a pressure plate with a solid ring in the middle?

Somehow I’ve always known, that you must always tighten the bolts that hold the pressure plate with a tension wrench, to the factory spec, and it’s not very tight. If you over tighten them, the clutch shudders, apparently. Personally I’ve never bothered to over tighten them to find out.
Hope that helps.
Tony

Make sure you have some "bow" in the bowden tube between the chassis and the transmission.
Dave

5 things I can think of.

1) correct bowden tube bend

2) Correct torque of pressure plate bolts

3) Is the friction plate the sprung type or solid?

4) all gearbox mounting rubbers in good order

5) Correct thrust bearing and pressure plate have been installed

look at the above especially the mounts

It will have to come out again did you check the end float on the engine

Thanks for the replies.

Engine mounts are new wolfsburg west rubber mounts.
Its a finger spring style pressure plate
I didnt torque the pressure plate bolts
I think the bowden tube has a slight/gentle bend, i will check and put a pic up.
Looks like its coming out again!

And end float on the engine was good

My 2 cents worth Chris

1 take off the doors....lol
2 check the flimsy bracket is not split from fatigue voiding the Bowden tube tension

(lengthen tube by adding washers btw)

Its the modern type of pressure plate Mike.

Would you have a photo of this landing ring?

Try some more bend in the Bowden tube with the washers before you pull the engine out.

Ok will do Dave. I forgot to mention its got 1 x cut washer installed already between the bracket on the gearbox and borden tube. Looks like an og part from memory

Here's links for pictures of each clutch type.

Early style clutch for non-guide tube type throw out bearing
Early clutch

And the later type clutch that has a guide tube around the gearbox input shaft that the thrust bearing slides along and keep it parallel to the spring fingers of the pressure plate
Late clutch

So unless you've swapped out the gearbox then you should be using an early type clutch.

Mike i cant see the links. Thats Ok though

Dave, the bowden tube is just about straight, I'm pretty sure I checked the length against the old one and it was the same length and it had the same problem except not so bad. Ill add a few washers first and see how we go!

Cheers

ok i shimmed it up and I think its about an inch of bend. Ill confirm though. Either way, its improved but still shudders. I may shim it up once more with another washer before I remove the engine. Thanks for all replies.

The links were just txt in AussieDubbers so click of Early Clutch and Late Clutch.

If not then I've uploaded them here too.

And the late style clutch

Great thanx Mike. Im with you now. It is the early style and Im sure the landing ring was fitted. Ive gotta place another shim to put more tension on the borden tube and we will see how tgat goes. Not counting my chickens though. Update inbound

Great thanx Mike. Im with you now. It is the early style and Im sure the landing ring was fitted. Ive gotta place another shim to put more tension on the borden tube and we will see how tgat goes. Not counting my chickens though. Update inbound

I ended up shimming the borden tube to get a bend in it and now I have no shudder. Thanks all.

Cool. Glad it was a simple fix