hi all today the clutch has started badly slipping on my 1.8t its on 117k and ive done some research but some people tend to be saying to get a smf clutch kit because the dmf arent all that reliable? thought i would come on here and see what the people who actually own the same cars have expierienced. also what decent clutch kits and flywheels are available.thanks
Clutch kits and dmf
- Thread starter joebickerton89
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I have an ECS stage 1 clutch kit (smf) on my baby.its 5 speed A3.
Got mine from awesome gti's store
so far its great,well worth the money
Got mine from awesome gti's store
so far its great,well worth the money
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chris99
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I'm running a Findaza SMF with a Sachs Performance clutch. Very happy with the clutch but hate the chatter even after 2 years! If I would have to remove gearbox or clutch, I would def change mine to a dmf tbh..
Agreed. I would definitely go DMF if in a similar situation.
FWIW, my OEM VR6 clutch/G60 solid flywheel kit feels less refined than the original DMF, albeit the chatter. Also I'm not running with huge power gains so I'm losing a bit in torque.. so bear this in mind before you make your final decision.:icon_thumright:
fair enough guys thanks for all your comments. ive got hold of a solid flywheel conversion kit including valeo clutch which people seem to say good things about
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The Awesome GTI SMF is weighted to the same weight as the standard DMF to avoid chatter. I get a very tiny amount sometimes when I'm in neutral with the clutch pedal up.
Chatter?! Both Prawn and I (along with tens of my friends) have run lightened G60 flywheels for years and never heard chatter. Poor fitment of crap quality components I say 
Dual mass is ****, sack it off right away. How anybody could say they would change theirs back is totally beyond me, madness.
Dual mass is ****, sack it off right away. How anybody could say they would change theirs back is totally beyond me, madness.
Wellys chatter cleared right up and had hardly any once he got something fixed (cant remember what it was) At ADI you`d never know it had a lightened SMF on idle.
Sam_
Down under
You shouldn't need to adjust anything Sam.
I think the issue is people using cheap after market parts which when assembled and marketed into a kit is more expensive than buying genuine.
GENUINE G60/KR flywheel and a LUK, OE or quality clutch kit with a genuine release bearing and bolts should never cause an issue.
KR's and G60's do not chatter; so why should a more refined 1.8t?
I think the issue is people using cheap after market parts which when assembled and marketed into a kit is more expensive than buying genuine.
GENUINE G60/KR flywheel and a LUK, OE or quality clutch kit with a genuine release bearing and bolts should never cause an issue.
KR's and G60's do not chatter; so why should a more refined 1.8t?
Because they were built to have SMF from factory where as the 1.8t wasnt? Diesels with DMF swapped to SMF rattle like fck on idle and its horrible. Petrols are no where near as bad. Wellys F1 flywheel was seriously light compared to standard and as i mentioned the rattle was hardly there. Think people are being too picky lol
Sam_
Down under
No you *shouldn't* but it will help if you do get rattle with a nice light flywheel.
We can't use the g60 setup on the 02M so it's pretty much aftermarket only.
We can't use the g60 setup on the 02M so it's pretty much aftermarket only.
There is very little bottom end change between a KR/G60 and a 1.8t.
In the states people have quite openly built a hybrid of the two interchanging OE fitment parts.
G60/KR crank will drop straight into any accepting 1.8t block. KR and G60's both have 86.4mm stroke too.
A good site for internals reference -
Not2Fast: VAG Engine Component Dimensions
Therefore, there is no reason at all why a 1.8t should "chatter" and a KR, G60, ABF should chatter.
In the states people have quite openly built a hybrid of the two interchanging OE fitment parts.
G60/KR crank will drop straight into any accepting 1.8t block. KR and G60's both have 86.4mm stroke too.
A good site for internals reference -
Not2Fast: VAG Engine Component Dimensions
Therefore, there is no reason at all why a 1.8t should "chatter" and a KR, G60, ABF should chatter.
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I almost can't be ***** to reply, but I've got nothing else to do, so I will.
Anyone with a 6 speed - your posts are confusing the man. your information is irrelavent. Joe has a 5 speed 1.8T.
Jardo: why must you be SO opinionated? They do chatter, it IS audible, on KR's, ABF's, G60's, and 1.8T's, even yours.
However, on a 5 speed, the noise you hear is SO minor, that you don't actually 'hear' it, you simple notice a slight change in sound when the clutch is pressed. really nothing to worry about in the slightest.
With Stock ABF flywheels the noise can hardly be noticed at all, with my 6kg lightened ABF flywheel it's a bit more noticable, but you'd still have to be a thunderous tw*t to consider it a negative, even on a refined road car, it's nowhere near as loud as a charcoal canister for example.
It sounds like you've already got this valeo kit and SMF now Joe, so good luck with that.
I'd have advised using a genuine ABF flywheel myself, and an LUK 3 part clutch kit from GSF, although several people (Like Lee above) seem to be getting on OK with the valeo kit, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
Anyone with a 6 speed - your posts are confusing the man. your information is irrelavent. Joe has a 5 speed 1.8T.
Jardo: why must you be SO opinionated? They do chatter, it IS audible, on KR's, ABF's, G60's, and 1.8T's, even yours.
However, on a 5 speed, the noise you hear is SO minor, that you don't actually 'hear' it, you simple notice a slight change in sound when the clutch is pressed. really nothing to worry about in the slightest.
With Stock ABF flywheels the noise can hardly be noticed at all, with my 6kg lightened ABF flywheel it's a bit more noticable, but you'd still have to be a thunderous tw*t to consider it a negative, even on a refined road car, it's nowhere near as loud as a charcoal canister for example.
It sounds like you've already got this valeo kit and SMF now Joe, so good luck with that.
I'd have advised using a genuine ABF flywheel myself, and an LUK 3 part clutch kit from GSF, although several people (Like Lee above) seem to be getting on OK with the valeo kit, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
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This is why I stopped replying! When Jardo gets something into his head there's no point arguing with him. The thread just goes down the pan, fast.
It literally isn't, sod the pair of you.
How can you make a point about me being so opinionated, being bummed up by Westy but then agree with me that it is inaudible and only a bat would notice the noise if any?
My flywheel is inaudible, and it was on the last car, and whilst yours is there you would only recognise it if somebody pointed it out and told you to look for it. If I started my car from hot or cold and pumped the clutch 20 times not a single person in the land would say it was any noiser than with a DMF let even audible.
I know of 100's of older VW's which share a large amount of parts with a 1.8t, never once have I stopped and thought "Jesus, that flywheel is noisy!"
Get off my back you pair, everything I have said was right. Even Prawn just said that you can't actually hear it. So when I "get something in my head" Westy it is usually because I am right.
You don't own a 5 speed box, and you don't have experience of an ABF and VR6 clutch setup on a 1.8t so how can you argue?
When I hear people talk of flywheel rattle I think of this -
The noise is a vibration, a minute almost undetectable change in pitch when the clutch is depressed. Which unless you have your face under the bonnet you would never hear inside the car and would be hard pressed to notice with the bonnet shut.
If that bothers people so much that they wouldn't fit a clutch which is unquestionably better in every aspect then there truly is no hope for the human race.
How can you make a point about me being so opinionated, being bummed up by Westy but then agree with me that it is inaudible and only a bat would notice the noise if any?
My flywheel is inaudible, and it was on the last car, and whilst yours is there you would only recognise it if somebody pointed it out and told you to look for it. If I started my car from hot or cold and pumped the clutch 20 times not a single person in the land would say it was any noiser than with a DMF let even audible.
I know of 100's of older VW's which share a large amount of parts with a 1.8t, never once have I stopped and thought "Jesus, that flywheel is noisy!"
Get off my back you pair, everything I have said was right. Even Prawn just said that you can't actually hear it. So when I "get something in my head" Westy it is usually because I am right.
You don't own a 5 speed box, and you don't have experience of an ABF and VR6 clutch setup on a 1.8t so how can you argue?
When I hear people talk of flywheel rattle I think of this -
The noise is a vibration, a minute almost undetectable change in pitch when the clutch is depressed. Which unless you have your face under the bonnet you would never hear inside the car and would be hard pressed to notice with the bonnet shut.
If that bothers people so much that they wouldn't fit a clutch which is unquestionably better in every aspect then there truly is no hope for the human race.
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People are fussy mate, what you and I would consider to be 'nothing' others would consider an annoying rattle.
The noise isn't even a flywheel rattle anyway, it's from the gearbox, but worsened by a lighter flywheel.
02M's with a lighter flywheel really do rattle VERY badly, I parked next to a big turbo ibiza tdi at Inters with an alloy SMF and paddle clutch, and I really did think it was ****ed.
The noise isn't even a flywheel rattle anyway, it's from the gearbox, but worsened by a lighter flywheel.
02M's with a lighter flywheel really do rattle VERY badly, I parked next to a big turbo ibiza tdi at Inters with an alloy SMF and paddle clutch, and I really did think it was ****ed.
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16Klappe: changed already one genuine release bearing (second is on the car now) and sounds the same. poor fitment twice? hmm.. saachs race performance clutch and pressure plate + fidanza aluminium flywheel.. crap components? 
You are right, maybe some of us are too fusy, but as you said, the 02M with a 4,5kg flywheel is very noisy (also my opinion). Now it's up to everyone if they target stage 3+ mods and accept it, or just try to take out some decent performances without changing too much the feeling/sound of the car.
Of course it's the gearbox that makes that sound because of the flywheel.
You are right, maybe some of us are too fusy, but as you said, the 02M with a 4,5kg flywheel is very noisy (also my opinion). Now it's up to everyone if they target stage 3+ mods and accept it, or just try to take out some decent performances without changing too much the feeling/sound of the car.
I can genuinely say as prawn said I e had a valeo kit in mine for 2 years now an can't hear any rattle at all mine is used daily and gets a fair old bit of stick an the valeo is holding up perfectly tbh
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I think the 5 speed 02J setups cope better, because they're just an evolution of the old 02O and 02A stuff which then evolved into 02J.
02M is a whole new box, designed from the outset with a DMF, and as such when fitted with a SMF there is an increased rattle. Worse on some than others.
Still wouldn't bother me too much, but I can see where you're coming from.
16Klappe: changed already one genuine release bearing (second is on the car now) and sounds the same. poor fitment twice? hmm.. saachs race performance clutch and pressure plate + fidanza aluminium flywheel.. crap components?
Of course it's the gearbox that makes that sound because of the flywheel.
You are right, maybe some of us are too fusy, but as you said, the 02M with a 4,5kg flywheel is very noisy (also my opinion). Now it's up to everyone if they target stage 3+ mods and accept it, or just try to take out some decent performances without changing too much the feeling/sound of the car.
It's 02M, and as such NOTHING I have said is relevant.
Joe, the OP has an 02J A3 so everything I have said is totally relevant to him; unlike your posts.
This thread makes me realise two things;
A) I really am a newbie
b) I don't quite get what is being argued about here
A) I really am a newbie
b) I don't quite get what is being argued about here
