Replacing My Clutch

[Joe Cool]

About 3 years ago, I replaced my stock clutch set-up in anticipation of some E85 16G power. I used a new OEM pressure plate, an exchange parts 6 puck sprung ceramic, and an ACT Streetlite flywheel, and a new OEM throw out bearing.

A little while ago, the car started to make some slight scratching noises from the transaxle. It was only audible while stopped and the clutch depressed. Earlier this week, I stepped down on the clutch and felt a light pop, and could no longer get the clutch to disengage to get me into any gears. After tearing apart the car and seeing several springs fall out, I found this.

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Along with this damage, the throw out bearing also disassembled itself when we opened it up. I think that it's failure was the cause of the car not being able to disengage. The pressure plate and flywheel also have light scarring.

Now I am trying to decide what I can do for a reliable and decent replacement. I think my days of enjoying the car's power are past me. I probably won't ever put any more work into it. It is just a daily for me. I'd like to see if there are any opinions on what I can put in that will satisfy what I need and also last for a decently long while.


My questions....



1. Will an UNsprung clutch of the same kind from the same manufacturer be a better option for me? What could the drawbacks be? The advantages?

2. Do the flywheel and pressure plate necessarily need to be resurfaced? Can the ACT Streetlite be resurfaced? Can the pressure plate? Where can I get this done and how much would I expect it to cost? If they aren't resurfaced, what are the possible drawbacks?

3. Could the failure of the throwout bearing be attributed to the springs moving around in the bellhousing? I expected a new OEM bearing to last longer than three years, are there any installation tips or things I should be aware of to maintain the longevity of the next bearing?

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I also broke this sweet little piece, which I believe is the speed sensor. Does anyone have one I can buy or know where I can get one?




Any other insight or help would be greatly appreciated.#


Thanks!


1995 TSi AWD 16G

 

[T is for TURBO]

1. I would go with a full face sprung clutch, since you're not making all that much power.
2. Flywheel NEEDS to be resurfaced with the proper step height.
3. It's most likely that the bearing failure was due to the clutch failure. OEM bearings are pretty stout

What is the condition of the pressure plate?

For what it's worth. I have a South Bend pressure plate with a full face sprung Kevlar disk and I absolutely love it. Drives like stock, but holds PLENTY of power. I think I paid $400 for the whole kit from Tim Zimmer at TMZ Performance.

 

[Joe Cool]

Thanks for responding.

My concern with the full faced disc is that my 6 puck would slip when I would run at the local drag strip.
I was on E85 and making pretty decent power according to the butt dyno, but I can't really say how much. If I ever decided to run it again, I'd hate to be unable to.

Is the flywheel I have able to be resurfaced?

Yeah. I agree. When I replaced the clutch the first time I think it was the original OEM bearing in there and I only replaced it because I was told it was good practice.

The pressure plate looks okay, I haven't been able to take any shots of it. I will see if I can later today. It has some slight visible scarring on the friction surface but it doesn't appear to have any cracking. The fingers appear to have normal wear. Like I said, it is only about three years old and I got it brand new from the dealer.

I'd like to have a setup that could hang with my AWD grip if I decide to upgrade like I've been toying with. The E316G has been fun but from what I understand I can get a lot more power for a lot less work with a 50 trim.

ALSO, isn't the clutch disc supposed to be flat? It has a curve to it, is that normal? I'm having a hard time remembering. I was going to have it rebuilt, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

 

[T is for TURBO]

I have no experience with that flywheel, So I couldn't tell you. But I don't see why it couldn't be? I'm a big fan of the OEM flywheel personally. Mine was resurfaced at least twice. It is, however crucial to have the flywheel step height of 0.612" with it perfectly flat across the friction surface plane; not just measured at the outside of the friction surface to the step height; you will have disengagement issues if the step is uneven or outside of spec.

I would not worry about a full face disk slipping. My full face Kevlar spung disk had taken a beating and It has yet to slip. And I'm running a FP Green at ~24psi. DSMLink is estimating around high 300hp and mid 300tq. Just yesterday, I cut a 4.2sec 0-60 per Link, and my car is full weight.

The disk should be flat. My guess is it got hot and warped.

 

[WES_393]

+2 for South Bend. The SS/TZ has the street manners of a stock clutch with the grip of a puck-style setup. Mine is still holding strong with a bolt-on H1E at 30psi+ and aggressive E85 tune.

 

[T is for TURBO]

+2 for South Bend. The SS/TZ has the street manners of a stock clutch with the grip of a puck-style setup. Mine is still holding strong with a bolt-on H1E at 30psi+ and aggressive E85 tune.

The SS/TZ is the same one that I am running as well. It bites hard, but only when you want it to
From what I understand (no personal experience) is that an unspung puck disk is like an on/off switch. So save your drive train and stick with a spung disk