Syncro decoupler

[jed the spread]

Last time I looked a new VC was cheaper than a de-coupler. If a VC is fully working you would be decoupling nothing when its running as that is the job of the VC or automatic clutch.

[footstuck]

Hot Tarmac Kills, no issues in hot sand or loose surfaces where the transmission wind-up can find its way out. I'm guessing thats why VW deigned them.

Most of all I like pulling out the knob

[axeman]

Most of all I like pulling out the knob

it is also worth remembering that you are not buying a new vc they are recon units (most of them are) , of which who can actually say what is in side them. second hand/used /at least 20 year old parts and a 12 month warranty. ok they may well be serviceable parts but the vc at the moment is not really serviceable item at the moment in the uk.
a decupler on the other hand has several moving parts that you can see, if it failed to en gauge and 4wd was needed this can be done manually in around 5 min by physically pressing the engagement pin, its is not like a diff lock which has a return spring so wants to naturally return the unlocked, once en gauged it will stay there.

i also prsumed that with the t shirt saled that you were now endorsing a decupler

neil

[Mudlark]

There have been too many 'Ah Merde' instants in my driving career where permanent four wheel drive may well have saved my bacon for me to want to factor that out! Nobody is presumably going to argue that the road holding or cornering is not compromised by going 2wd, especially on a 2.5 tonne truck on AT tyres? You never know what is around the next corner and that stands for motorways, trunk roads and cart tracks in the wet, on snow and loose ground.

Personal view of course

[jed the spread]

i also prsumed that with the t shirt saled that you were now endorsing a decupler

neil

jed

[Syncrobaz]

Nice one Neil .

I guess if you lined up 10 vans the vc's would all operate differently, especially if you had a 'sport' option??

Personally I would go for a decoupler, gives you that extra option just in case.

[lloydy]

The only thing I don't understand about decouplers is why they cause such strongly divided opinions We have all bought stuff for our vans which isn't necessarily needed but lets us enjoy our van more. I don't feel the need to tell people they should have what I got and vica versa. (although I do shove it in your face in my thread )
A decoupler isn't a neccesatity, it won't ruin your van having one or not having one. But it would be a nice thing to have, if the price was around £250 a lot more of us would probably have them (so Clive if your not using the one gathering dust on your shelf ) but at £600 it's a bit steep

[HarryMann]

Well I could change my plans for £6000..


..oh, did I get the zeros wrong

[lloydy]

Nah, right amount of zero's, just need to move those decimal points over two columns

[silverbullet]

Ok just the one post, while I have a coffee to stay awake...

I have a copy of the production drawings for the SDP/VW DeCo parts on file (somewhere) and I reckon that at the current price of £600 for the full kit are well worth it.

The re-filled & re-sealed VC's on the other hand, are money for old rope. They should be half the price at retail max. IMHO.

[HarryMann]

Dorfbrunnen VCs are not just refilled & resealed - far from it... maybe others are taking the pi$$. I wouldn't have any other than a Dorf rebuild. originally about £400 seemed fair at the time... when new ones were about £500~550 if you could find them.

The shenanigans that this Syncro marketplace engenders and the profiteering shysters involved ocer the last decade or two would do justice to a Select Committee hearing... Margaret Hodge on your doorstep anyone?
No thanks

[axeman]

just to add a spanner in the works for those of you how dont think vw endorsed the decoupler i have just been looking through the french manual that came with the camper. the camper was a originally bought in france in 1986 and these a some of the pages in the manual.

i cant speak french but the pics do the talking in this case. may be Fabian could help with a translation?

see how there are 2 different diff lock panels.





neil

[superbus]

Thank god for that! I'll let you know how different it feels when I first drive it in 2wd...!

[silverbullet]

Well spotted Neil, that's quite a find

[KarlT]

Have a driving challenge and see how far you can get in 2wd. Its all good fun. If you have a VC that you like the characteristics of then a de-coupler will keep it that way for ever.

Good to hear from you Simon, where's this holiday home? Devon? Haven't gone abroad to Cornwall have you?

As Lloydie says, its very strange the whole feelings thing about Decouplers.
I had a DeCo (like it) on my Doka. On one of the Devon laning meets, I drove about half the lanes in 2WD just for fun (15" MT's on) through wash outs, across marshie bogs & up loose stone hills. Great fun, seeing how far I got.
At one of the stops, I was making conversation & mentioned this to a 'fellow' syncro driver....
"I've driven all the way from our last stop in 2WD".....
"No, you didn't, you're lying!"