New loba/sachs clutch fitted

[R34nel]

so had the new clutch fitted on Saturday , it's the loba smf kit and was fitted by JBS in chesterfield who were very efficient as usual

I'm planning on running the clutch in properly as I read this is needed although if anyone knows the guidelines I'd like to hear them? I've not let it boost at all and was planning on driving this way for 500 miles or so, should I be careful not to rev to high also or is this not important?

The clutch is much heavier than I had expected considering people's views on here, compared to the stock clutch which had no weight at all this thing feels a little too heavy if I'm honest although I am getting used to it, also the point of engagement has moved up, I'd say it bites quite high now, does the stiff feeling ease up any while bedding in or is this how it will stay?

On the plus side I'm pleasantly suprised by the chatter emitted at idle (so far anyway as I've heard it gets worse)
There's hardly any noise usually although it seems to vary, also I don't notice vibration too much, it kind of gives the illusion that the exhaust is a little more boomy on the overrun between 2&3k revs but I think that is the clutch noise, anyway it's not intrusive - well so far anyway!

 

[bmh.01]

No it'll stay that stiff but you'll get used to it. Same way I felt after fitting a sachs to mine after the comments i'd read on here.

 

[R34nel]

Oh that sucks then! anyone know what kind of life these kits can stand up too? will launches and qtr mile be okay and will it last?

 

[wuta3]

so had the new clutch fitted on Saturday , it's the loba smf kit and was fitted by JBS in chesterfield who were very efficient as usual

I'm planning on running the clutch in properly as I read this is needed although if anyone knows the guidelines I'd like to hear them? I've not let it boost at all and was planning on driving this way for 500 miles or so, should I be careful not to rev to high also or is this not important?

The clutch is much heavier than I had expected considering people's views on here, compared to the stock clutch which had no weight at all this thing feels a little too heavy if I'm honest although I am getting used to it, also the point of engagement has moved up, I'd say it bites quite high now, does the stiff feeling ease up any while bedding in or is this how it will stay?

On the plus side I'm pleasantly suprised by the chatter emitted at idle (so far anyway as I've heard it gets worse)
There's hardly any noise usually although it seems to vary, also I don't notice vibration too much, it kind of gives the illusion that the exhaust is a little more boomy on the overrun between 2&3k revs but I think that is the clutch noise, anyway it's not intrusive - well so far anyway!

As far as the Sachs goes, I have the organic+DMF and it is much heavier than OEM and yes the bite is higher, but after a week im well used to it. As far as bedding in, no idea on a method for this or if it is needed. Im just trying to keep below 3500rpm for a few hundered miles. Dunno if that's right or wrong or if I should even care.

 

[Jonse]

Yeah ive had mine for around 1.5k miles and still stiff. I let mine bed in for the 1st 1k miles and now it pulls like a train. The one down side i do get chatter and its sounds the same as my mates diesel on idle but ive found if you let clutch out slow it doesn't make the sound.

 

[bmh.01]

Oh that sucks then! anyone know what kind of life these kits can stand up too? will launches and qtr mile be okay and will it last?

It will be fine for the task but won't take lots of repeated full bore standing starts.

 

[S.]

Oh that sucks then! anyone know what kind of life these kits can stand up too? will launches and qtr mile be okay and will it last?

your smf loba/sachs kit should be able to take some punishment.

 

[DJ-S3]

I got told by Statllers to drive as you would normally. But if you do standing starts/quarter mile drag races avoid them for a few hundred miles. But you can use full boost straight away as your only using the clutch when changing gears or slipping it to set off. I still went 200miles before really giving it the beans though. Just to be safe. Got about 1.5k also and clutch is still heavy. Although I don't notice it anymore, well after the first few days.

 

[R34nel]

Thanks for your opinions on this guys, I think I will still baby the clutch for a while just to be on the safe side, a little confused as to why people on here have said that the clutch is only slightly heavier than stock though when I'd say it's about four times heavier, well I don't know about other people's but my oem clutch was properly light!

 

[box500]

Same here, I was expecting the sachs clutch to be just like the oem (i.e. a namby pamby thing). It turns out it is a bit more "meatier" and the biting point is much higher. A couple of months in and I'm starting to get used to it, mainly by starting off in first gear with a few hundred revs more than normal.

 

[pinterovski]

On the first day i fitted my Loba/Sachs setup. Running in was about 130 miles
and then pedal to the metal

 

[S.]

lol you got engine management light on

 

[box500]

lol you got engine management light on

My engine management light was on until a porsche boxster tried to race with me :thumbsup:

 

[S.]

My engine management light was on until a porsche boxster tried to race with me :thumbsup:

hahaha cool
was he surprised?

 

[box500]

hahaha cool
was he surprised?

I think so !

 

[S.]

yeah stage 2+ s3 is a great little rocket. i know that my has surprised few people...

 

[box500]

yeah stage 2+ s3 is a great little rocket. i know that my has surprised few people...

I'm just at stage 2 Revo at the moment. Car deffo needs more power though. I feel a need for over 400bhp coming along..

 

[R34nel]

Well I'm 160 miles into having the new clutch and have done my weekly commute in it and it was a bit unpleasant if I'm honest, some junctions on steep hills and lots of stop start and it's a bit uncomfortable with the extra weight and high biting point, funnily enough it's only the 'chatter' that doesn't bother me at all. I'm going to bear with it obviously and I've been driving like my grandma so I'm yet to see what it's like when giving it some

 

[S3Alex]

Well I'm 160 miles into having the new clutch and have done my weekly commute in it and it was a bit unpleasant if I'm honest, some junctions on steep hills and lots of stop start and it's a bit uncomfortable with the extra weight and high biting point, funnily enough it's only the 'chatter' that doesn't bother me at all. I'm going to bear with it obviously and I've been driving like my grandma so I'm yet to see what it's like when giving it some

Admittedly,mine isn't a Loba,but I've had the Sachs before the current monster clutch,andI'd say the Sachs is marginally heavier than stock,and my current Spec is pretty much the same weight as stock.

Any new clutch takes a little bit of getting used to,but you will find it copes with higher torque way better than the original piece of cheese did.

 

[R34nel]

this is massively heavier than stock, I was in traffic earlier today at some lights, I was in 1st with the clutch dipped for about a minute or two and it was starting to make my leg ache, it not to heavy to push down or anything like that but it is a bit uncomfortable for steady daily driving, it wouldn't bother me if it was just a weekend or track car but it's used as a family car, I was under the impression the clutch upgrade would give a little more weight and some feel as my stock clutch was little harder to press down than the accelerator pedal!

 

[S3Alex]

this is massively heavier than stock, I was in traffic earlier today at some lights, I was in 1st with the clutch dipped for about a minute or two and it was starting to make my leg ache, it not to heavy to push down or anything like that but it is a bit uncomfortable for steady daily driving, it wouldn't bother me if it was just a weekend or track car but it's used as a family car, I was under the impression the clutch upgrade would give a little more weight and some feel as my stock clutch was little harder to press down than the accelerator pedal!

That does sound odd.....it shouldn't be massively heavier,and I would take it back and get it checked out.

 

[wuta3]

this is massively heavier than stock, I was in traffic earlier today at some lights, I was in 1st with the clutch dipped for about a minute or two and it was starting to make my leg ache, it not to heavy to push down or anything like that but it is a bit uncomfortable for steady daily driving, it wouldn't bother me if it was just a weekend or track car but it's used as a family car, I was under the impression the clutch upgrade would give a little more weight and some feel as my stock clutch was little harder to press down than the accelerator pedal!

Yea either you have the legs of a girl or that's too firm. For me it was noticable when first using, but now it feels fine as I adjusted. It is heavier, and still feels it, but not problematic.

 

[S3Alex]

Yea either you have the legs of a girl or that's too firm. For me it was noticable when first using, but now it feels fine as I adjusted. It is heavier, and still feels it, but not problematic.

My Sachs was never that heavy,and the Spec system has surprised both me and the guys at AMDTuning by how light it is in use,so I can't see any reason why the Loba/Sachs should be heavy,especially when lots of other users have no issues with it.

The best time to take it back is immediately after,and at least be sure there's nothing wrong.

 

[DJ-S3]

Yea either you have the legs of a girl or that's too firm. For me it was noticable when first using, but now it feels fine as I adjusted. It is heavier, and still feels it, but not problematic.

Agreed. Mines heavy too. Infact all the people who's got it says it heavy, but like said, after a few days it becomes the norm. I don't even notice it now unless I drive someone else's car. Or take mine back to Audi and get a courtesy car from them, but even with the stock clutch mine felt heavy. Now it would feel like I'd be trying to put my foot threw a wall I imagine as I'm yet to do this (take my car into Audi after the new clutch was fitted).

 

[R34nel]

I'm wondering if some of the stock setups were heavier due to the fact that there were two different ones wasnt there, and the later ones were said to be stronger.
I drive a few different vehicles and a van at work which all feel really light compared to this and maybe that's why I'm noticing it so much because every time I get back in the s3 I'm thinking this feels unpleasant compared to what I've just been driving, but I can say that it is a huge difference from stock, tbh the stock s3 clutch was lighter than any car I've driven in recent years, I've come from a couple of astra vxrs which I would say have a lovely weight to them and as a bonus the stock setup will take plenty of tourque and is not required to upgrade until 400lbs probably

 

[R34nel]

little update on this, it seems to have got drastically lighter a couple days ago, so it's either loosening up with use or it's down to the outside temps suddenly getting warmer here, it was around 6c last week then the day before yesterday I noticed it felt great to use and it was 17c, aside from that I can't think of much else, it feels what I'd consider to be normal now although its certainly not light, I've only put about 180 miles on this new setup

 

[S3Alex]

Maybe as you say,it's just loosened up a bit.

Hope you continue to like it.

 

[bmh.01]

I'd say your left has gotten stiffer rather than the clutch getting softer. Mine is certainly no softer than it was when it was fitted 5 months ago.

 

[ramp1990]

My clutch is heavy i dont know what a standard s3 clutch feels like, how would you tell if its been changed, without looking at it, the car has been tuned before by the looks missed engine cover mountings etc, (intake) i got in my misses ford focus 1.6 ebony and i pressed the clutch down nearly put my foot through the floor then couldnt acually lift my foot of the clutch to take off very strange feeling ha

 

[R34nel]

I'd say your left has gotten stiffer rather than the clutch getting softer. Mine is certainly no softer than it was when it was fitted 5 months ago.

I can't imagine the use of the clutch has strengthened my already respectable thighs lol but as you say maybe I'm used to it

 

[R34nel]

My clutch is heavy i dont know what a standard s3 clutch feels like, how would you tell if its been changed, without looking at it, the car has been tuned before by the looks missed engine cover mountings etc, (intake) i got in my misses ford focus 1.6 ebony and i pressed the clutch down nearly put my foot through the floor then couldnt acually lift my foot of the clutch to take off very strange feeling ha

My standard clutch was really mushy and light, had no feel to it, would maybe be slightly heavier than a focus but not so much that you would notice it

 

[DJ-S3]

i pressed the clutch down nearly put my foot through the floor then couldnt acually lift my foot of the clutch to take off very strange feeling ha

I was exactly the same when I drove another car after the loba/Sachs set up. It felt like I wasn't pressing the clutch in when I started to let off so that it would bite. Ha

 

[R34nel]

At least it's good to know the loba will hold up though, I read this on their website
'Although this clutch kit is rated at 550Nm, this is conservative. We have cars runing upto 700Nm on this set up.'

That's 516lbs

 

[ramp1990]

no no mines real heavy id say 3 or 4 times heavyer, hmm wonder if its had a clutch would be nice ha how would u find out?? lol

 

[R34nel]

aside from opening up and looking all you can do is tune it and see if it holds out I suppose, or contact prev owner from logbook and ask them

 

[Jonse]

yeah reading back through this i would say your getting use to the clutch. Mine is still heavy. I let my friend drive mine yesterday and he couldnt believe how heavy it was, but to me it feels fine i dont notice it at all now