I think the last couple of posts on how VC's work are each only partly
correct.
From what I read in a 1986 promo VW publication about Syncro, and maybe
your owners manual, heat is the trigger that causes the patented silicon to
undergo a dramatic phase change at 100 degrees, like Bob says, it is
agitated AND gets hot due to shearing by the perforated plates, and at 100
the thin liquid becomes  hard ( no this isn't science fiction), voila the
VC locks up till it cools. The phase change is fast, part of a second or
so. The internal plates don't actually contact adjacent plates, and with no
metal to metal wear you get that long service life for these units.

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 4/21/99, at 5:33 PM, Robert A. Alexander wrote:

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
>Poster:       "Robert A. Alexander" <satcong@VOL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: How VC's work
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
>Stuart - It was my understanding that heat has nothing to do with it.  I
>read that this strange, patented, material was much like my EX, agitate
>it and it becomes hard!
>
>BOB

=================
Wolfgang  Carolsfeld
wolfgang@island.net