Engine bogging in first...

[humanzamboni4224]

When you put my 1989 cabriolet into 1st gear, the engine seems to bog and likes to die. The clutch is very touchy, and I can't even get it to run, nor can my friends who all drive stick... Its being a pain, is it the clutch, the timeing. The car idles perfectly fine. Its just being weird with this, it likes to die and stall on me, should I just replace the clutch and if so, is their a good performance one I can put on it out their, the engine is an 8v. Thanks

[A4TurboAvant]

Doug, it sounds like a vacuum leak to me, the older dubs don't run off computer controlled devices like the new ones, they are almost a mix between a carb and fuel injection in my opinion anyways, one thing to check... there is a rubber boot that connects your throttle body to the piping from your airbox they often crack check for that, even a small hairline crack can do this, the fuel injection runs off vacuum pressure if the vacuum pressure is limited or there is none it'll bog when you try and drive the car, vacuum pressure is its highest when getting the car to start rolling in 1st gear cause its got to have enough torque to get the german tank to roll... at idle the car will run fine or it might take a few extra cranks to get it to start, with the car at idle listen for hissing, actually you'll hear lotsa other sound and may not even be able to pick out where the leak is coming from, i've been pretty busy lately or i'd just try and get ahold of you and come over and take a look myself cause there are vacuum lines all over the car you just gotta know where to look..... but first and formost check that throttle body boot.... good luck and pm me with questions mang i love working on the older ones and i'll help however i can. Andy