Clutch device (VW Golf 2)

Clutch assembly (figure 5.1) consists of:

a) flywheel 10;
b) clutch disc 11;
c) clutch compression;
d) clutch release bearing 3;
d) guide sleeve and release bearing;
e) forks disengaging the clutch with lever 5;
g) clutch cable;
c) clutch pedals.



The main element of the clutch assembly is the clutch disk. It transfers the drive from the engine flywheel to the clutch shaft of the gearbox. The clutch disk consists of a hub with an internal spline, a rotary shock absorber and friction linings. The hub is connected to the linings by means of a rotary shock absorber and springs that cushion sharp impacts of the torque.

The oscillation shock absorber consists of friction rings, which, moving relative to each other, dampen the vibrations of the shock absorbing springs. The remaining elements serve to smoothly connect the engine to the gearbox in order to transmit the drive to the wheels of the car. The next solutions of the clutch assembly provide greater reliability and convenience in controlling this assembly.



VW vehicles use two clutch design solutions. These two solutions use a disc spring as an actuator. The disc spring has the best characteristics, which results in the force produced by the clutch pedal stroke being significantly lower. This results in a higher comfort of clutch control with the same torque transferred through the clutch. The first solution mentioned is the typical system shown in the figure (figure 5.1)

When the clutch pedal is released, the disc spring 6 presses the clutch disc 11 onto the flywheel via the pressure ring 1. This is shown in the lower part of Figure 5.1. The torque is transferred from the flywheel via the friction linings 9 and the clutch disc to the clutch shaft 12 of the gearbox. When the driver presses the clutch pedal, the release bearing 3 will be pushed along the sleeve 4 by the release forks.

The position of the release bearing after pressing the clutch pedal is visible in the upper part of Figure 5.1.

When the release bearing moves toward the disc spring, the inner part of the disc spring bends. Since the spring disc is attached to the clutch pressure housing 8 with rivets 7, after the inner part of the spring bends, its outer part bends in the opposite direction, pulling out the pressure ring 1. After the pressure ring is pulled, the flywheel rotates freely, without transmitting torque to the clutch shaft. The second solution, shown in the figure, includes similar elements located slightly differently (figure 5.2).



Clutch pressure 5 is screwed to crankshaft journal 4 using bolts 1 and washer 8. Flywheel 12 is attached to clutch pressure housing 5. In this system, the flywheel is screwed to the crankshaft journal, and the pressure housing is screwed to the flywheel.


The second fundamental difference is the use of a pusher located in a groove in the clutch shaft.

The release bearing and the release forks are located in the rear gearbox housing. After pressing the clutch pedal 5, the clutch cable 1 rotates the clutch lever (figure 5.4)



On the lever axis inside the gearbox there is a shoulder that moves the release bearing. The release bearing presses through the pusher 13 on the release disk (figure 5.2).

The release disk bends the disk spring, which, similar to the first solution, pulls back the pressure ring 6 and releases the clutch disk. The drive transmission is interrupted. The release disk is attached to the disk spring by means of the spring ring 10.

[The original text is available on the website: VWmanual]