it never rains but it pours. I need a new clutch.

[Clinterous]

A dual mass fly wheel generally contains an over torque friction release, so if it gets suddenly overloaded, rather than damage the springs, it slips, this could be what you are experiencing, this is especially prevelant on cars that have been tuned since the flywheel will have been designed for a very specific torque curve.

This works fine as a safety valve, but if it does it much it burns up. In short, overloaded they burn up and the springs get destroyed.

If you do need to replace the fly wheel, you may want to consider not using a stock or OEM one since you will just have the same issue.

Interesting point. My car has been remapped, and I experience a juddering when flooring it in top gear between 55 - 70mph, which smoothes out post 70mph. I've always put this down to the clutch struggling with the extra torque.

So, if using a standard DMF flywheel, but with an upgraded clutch, I wondered if it would banish the juddering.

Or is it perhaps the judder is because the DMF is about to go kaput!

I tend to drive with a degree of mechanical sympathy to avoid the juddering.

[Col]

My 2p......

My clutch has been slipping as described above for the last 15,000 or so miles. Sometimes it'll be fine for weeks and weeks and then it'll slip.

When it does it is only momentarily as I either back of the throttle or change down. I never let it slip for more than a few moments at a time.

The car is a lowly 130hp TDI Passat, and not re-mapped but has now done almost 145,000 miles, I assume on the original clutch. The car has a very hard life and gets thrashed to within an inch of its life all the time

Personally I am going to keep it going for as long as possible until it either becomes undrivable or dies. Only then will I change the clutch and dmf.

Look at it another way and compare the dmf as a service item like a water pump is when you do your cambelt. You will not, I assume, get your clutch changed without the dmf as it would be a false economy. So if you ruin it, it simply doesn't matter as it will be replaced when the time comes anyway.

Also,

Anyone know if they do a single mass conversion for the AWX TDI engine yet? I know you can get one for the AFN etc but not the PD's. Anyone know different?

As for vibration, I've driven loads of diesels without dmf's in the past and must say my old PD engined dmf'd Golf4 and now the Passat don't seem to be any smoother than other cars I've had. What I think the dmf does is smooth out the take off when the clutch bites. It might act as a damper but its damping properties to me are almost imperceptable. At 145k+ I don't care about a bit of vibration !

[paul b]

Anyone know if they do a single mass conversion for the AWX TDI engine yet?

The way I see it...

VAG wouldn't manufacture and fit DMFs just for someone to go and convert it to single mass. VAG must have made it like that for a reason... and it must have been a positive change for the car.

I have an AWX in my A6.

Paul

[Col]

The way I see it...

VAG wouldn't manufacture and fit DMFs just for someone to go and convert it to single mass. VAG must have made it like that for a reason... and it must have been a positive change for the car.

I have an AWX in my A6.

Paul

The primary reason is to reduce vibration and harshness to provide refinement.

On an old car it isn't worth the bother.

Take my Passat, probably worth about 3k for a 2002 car. Clutch change with a new DMF would be a minimum of £800 which is almost a third of the value of the car.

If you can't get an AWX solid conversion, I'll probably have it welded up and then dynamically balanced...... Now there is a business plan for old VAG / BMW / Ford / Peugeot in fact any diesel cars as they get older, dual to solid conversions b ut using the original flywheel. I reckon if you could turn these round for £50 a go which beats £400+ for a new item !


Look at this youtube link for a very good animation of a dmf in action...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaXB8...eature=related

[Clinterous]

I want to the break the 300,000 miles barrier in mine, which will be another 2.5 years. So would want to keep it as smooth as poss to aid the driving refinement. Othe wise I might get fed up and have to get rid before the mileage target.

[paul b]

The primary reason is to reduce vibration and harshness to provide refinement.

On an old car it isn't worth the bother.

Take my Passat, probably worth about 3k for a 2002 car. Clutch change with a new DMF would be a minimum of £800 which is almost a third of the value of the car.

If you can't get an AWX solid conversion, I'll probably have it welded up and then dynamically balanced...... Now there is a business plan for old VAG / BMW / Ford / Peugeot in fact any diesel cars as they get older, dual to solid conversions b ut using the original flywheel. I reckon if you could turn these round for £50 a go which beats £400+ for a new item !


Look at this youtube link for a very good animation of a dmf in action...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaXB8...eature=related

Ahh, but you know what they say if you can't afford to maintain your car...

Also, would it not be better, doing the DMF + clutch on your car and then having the piece of mind, you know what has been done to this car in it's past, whereas you could get rid for another £3k car and it could have had all sorts of problems in the past and it may be in need of work. A bit like "better the devil you know"?

Paul

[B8 TDI]

Ahh, but you know what they say if you can't afford to maintain your car...

Also, would it not be better, doing the DMF + clutch on your car and then having the piece of mind, you know what has been done to this car in it's past, whereas you could get rid for another £3k car and it could have had all sorts of problems in the past and it may be in need of work. A bit like "better the devil you know"?

Paul

Even if you could afford the maintenance, spending £1k to repair or maintain a £3k car is just really ....

[Col]

Ahh, but you know what they say if you can't afford to maintain your car...

Also, would it not be better, doing the DMF + clutch on your car and then having the piece of mind, you know what has been done to this car in it's past, whereas you could get rid for another £3k car and it could have had all sorts of problems in the past and it may be in need of work. A bit like "better the devil you know"?

Paul

I drive my cars very hard but also maintain them to the very highest standards, usually money no object. This is different, what is to be considered as a throwaway service item is so damned expensive it almost cuts out any diesel ownership cost savings in one foul swoop.

However in this instance I would not hessitate to convert to a solid flywheel if one were available. The 1.9 TDI block has been about for over 20 years and the older ones didn't have a DMF, so no need for one now from a running and longlivety point of view.

I will no doubt end up replacing the DMF and the spiggot bearing when I eventually do the clutch as a solid conversion as far as I'm aware is not available. Saying that, apart from the odd and ocassional bit of clutch slip when I give it mega beans, the car runs and drives faultlessly.

[Col]

Even if you could afford the maintenance, spending £1k to repair or maintain a £3k car is just really ....

Spot on.

I have probably over valued the car as the bottom has fallen out of 2nd hand values recently. It is probably worth more like £2,000 to £2,500 which would mean the clutch would approach 50% of its value.

[Sam]

Spot on.

I have probably over valued the car as the bottom has fallen out of 2nd hand values recently. It is probably worth more like £2,000 to £2,500 which would mean the clutch would approach 50% of its value.

It's got a nice stereo system though, hey Col