[vishy76]

Overhauling a German Car (Part 1)

There’s this advice that goes around in car circles (specifically on teamBHP). It says “Don’t sell off your 5-year-old car just yet, spend on it and keep it”. There’s an entire thread (ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap?) on this topic and a number of other threads, posts and individual decisions have stemmed from it. However, there’s one question which I am sure everyone had while going through it, and it’s this: How hard can it be? How hard can it really be to give your car a midlife overhaul? Where should you have it done? What should be done? When should it be done and how do you figure out who’s the right guy to do it for you?

Answering all of those questions (hopefully) would be these threads. Most of you might already be knowing my prodigal son, a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI manual (link). He’s been a very mischievous lot, troubling me many a times and oft after the 4th year mark and handing me a couple of heart attacks (read: bills amounting close to 6 digits). In spite of all this, I have accepted him for the better.

Yes, he’s not as reliable as my neighbor’s Corolla, not as modern as my uncle’s Octavia and his elder Czech sibling (whose name I shall not take due to vocab reasons) was a far more popular kid in school. All said and done however, he’s become a member of the family now. I do get the occasional taunts from friends asking me to sell him off and get something more reliable, but I guess we all have an irrational side and my love for him (for cars as a whole in fact) is nothing but this irrationality shining through.

With all this melodrama out of the way, its time to get to business. I will split this saga up into bits and pieces to make it easier to understand.These threads will embody every aspect of overhauling a wear and tear item in a car. The clutch, suspension, mounts and even a few bonus items like the air conditioning will be covered. All of these components will first be explained in detail, so that one can takeaway a lot more than just high-res images of car parts from this thread.

Lastly, let this also be a tribute of sorts to the VW Jetta Owners group which has taught me a lot about this machine in great detail. This is my way of giving back to the Jetta community for all they have done so far for me.

[vishy76]

Chapter 1 – Clutch, Flywheel


The automotive clutch is one of the most essential components of a manual tranny (and even certain automatics), yet it has remained unchanged largely over the years. The most radical change to a clutch that has been brought about by most carmakers is the use of hydraulics to manipulate it instead of the good old-fashioned cable. Here’s a diagram of the automotive clutch:


Let me go through what happens here briefly.

• When you press the clutch pedal, the fork is pushed against the clutch release bearing which in turn pushes on the splines (the teeth like structures) on the pressure plate.
  
  
• The pressure plate, friction plate and flywheel are all in contact ideally when the clutch is not pressed. However, when it is, the splines on the pressure plate are pushed inwards while the diameter of the plate expands outwards
  
  
• This allows the friction plate to move away from the flywheel and lose contact with it, thus disengaging the gearbox input shaft (passing through the centre of all these discs) from the rest of the tranny and allowing you to shift gears

This explanation isn’t a very concise one, so here’s a simple video showing how a clutch works. Will make things much simpler to understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DL0j0eKD8Y

Points of Failure

An automotive clutch can age (and consequently fail) in the following ways:

• The pressure plate fingers go weak. This is the earliest symptom of a weak clutch usually. The end result is that the pedal goes hard. You have to apply a lot more effort to have the fingers move inwards since the plate itself has lost elasticity. Another symptom of a weak pressure plate is juddering when getting off from a standstill. This typically results from bent fingers on the pressure plate. As the release bearing slowly mates with them on releasing the pedal, the fingers contact it unevenly leading to juddering
  
  
• The second reason for changing a clutch is slippage. The friction plate and flywheel when in contact should be almost perfectly “slippage-free” and transfer all power through to the input shaft. However, age causes the material on the friction plate to wear and eventually give up. The end result is power loss. You will often notice the engine revving in gear but not the same increase in speed or even sudden changes in engine speed spontaneously in gear under load. This is typical of a bad friction plate
  
  
• The last (and usually the least occurring) reason is the clutch release bearing (CBR) failing. The bearing itself usually doesn’t go bad but can start making noise (characterized by a whine which disappears when you engage or disengage the clutch)

With the basics covered, I will move to the Jetta’s clutch.


The Jetta’s clutch expectedly bins the cable and fork system, opting for a more modern hydraulic setup. A set of three cylinders generate, multiply and transfer pressure from the pedal in the cabin down to the bearing in the gearbox housing. These are:

• Master cylinder: Sits above the clutch pedal in the cabin and converts the driver’s pedal movement into hydraulic pressure
  
  Special thanks to bhpian akshay_rebel for clicking pics of his car's master cylinder:
  
  
  
  
• Primary slave cylinder: Sits above the gearbox housing and helps in transferring and maintaining the same pressure across the circuit down to the CBR
  
  
  
  
  
• Concentric slave cylinder cum CBR (clutch release bearing): The clutch setup mentioned above is quite common across most cars with a hydraulic system. However, it changes here. Instead of having a simple fork and release bearing (which even the Polo/Vento have I believe), the Jetta gets another slave cylinder with an integrated release bearing.
  
  

The entire face of the slave with an integrated bearing moves inwards and outwards due to hydraulic pressure.


Flywheel



Theoretically, the simple job of a flywheel is to smoothen out the pulses that occur as a result of the upward and downward motion of the pistons (which obviously doesn’t happen all at once). It provides momentum to the crank and ensures seamless power delivery, apart from being a component of the clutch system in a manual.

There’s not much that can go wrong with a “solid”, “single mass” flywheel. It’s essentially just a precisely weighed disc that bolts to your crank and spins with it. Yes, there is the odd occurrence where the teeth on its circumference (that mesh with the starter motor pinion) wear out, but that’s about it. A single mass flywheel (SMF) can be used for 2-3 clutch changes as well since it only needs to be skimmed if the mating area with the friction plate has grooves.

Unfortunately, the automotive industry found a way to overcomplicate this simple component too and thus came the DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel). The dual mass flywheel is essentially composed of two masses (as the name suggests) with dampening springs in between.



What this does is absorb drivetrain shocks (jerks while pressing and letting go off the clutch) better and results in lesser harshness and vibes going down the gearbox input shaft. Another reason for adopting DMFs is that manufacturers can cheapen out on GB components too. Since the GB won’t see a lot of shocks going through it thanks to this flywheel, lighter and cheaper synchros can also be used.

This is the case with the MQ350 (02Q) GB in the Jetta. Instead of using heavier brass synchro rings, it makes do with steel synchros. There have been several cases of 6-speed TDI owners reporting blown gearboxes after switching to SMFs, thus proving that VW did have a lot to save by using this flywheel.


Failure points for a DMF

A DMF (as expected) has a few more failure points as compared to its contemporary sibling. Here they are:

• The dampening springs between the two masses can seize, essentially rendering the flywheel useless. This can cause vibrations and a very loud knocking sound to emanate from the gearbox side
  
  
• DMFs and water wading are two things which never get along. Unfortunately, my car was a victim of this. Water can cause the innards of the DMF to corrode and the torsional springs to seize again. Result is again clutch chatter and vibrations when letting off the clutch

The video below also documents how to check for a bad DMF. Every DMF has a certain amount of play in it before the torsional springs kick in and restrict movement. This play however shouldn't be excessive and nor should there be any upward and downward play between the two halves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58nU-f0azb8&t=151s

[vishy76]

Overhauling the clutch and flywheel

My car had 90K km on the odo when the clutch chatter became unbearable. I got a “whatever the hell it is, sort it out” advisory from the home ministry. The pedal had also gone hard but I was told it is expected for a car with 90K km on the odo (natural ageing of the pressure plate as I mentioned before). The chatter was in all probability coming from the flywheel.

I took the car to an FNG recommended by a friend and decided to have the overhaul done there itself (with a long list of other items). As for the parts used, there are two well-known OE suppliers to VW for the clutch kit and flywheel; LUK (Shaeffler essentially) and Sachs (a ZF subsidiary). Both supplied to VW and it is said there’s a probability of finding either of these in a Jetta. Ideally, the ASC will dismantle the clutch assembly and order the exact one that came with the car, but further research revealed that they are interchangeable provided BOTH the clutch kit and flywheel are changed together. Here are the VAG part numbers for those interested. This is for the 6-speed manual CLCB (140hp) 2.0 TDI configuration:

LUK Clutch Kit (pressure plate, friction plate): 03L 141 016 NX
LUK DMF: 03L 105 266 CA

The Sachs part numbers are as follows (special thanks to bhpian Viraat13 for helping me with these):

SACHS Clutch Kit (pressure plate, friction plate): 03L 141 018 G
SACHS DMF: 03L 105 266 DL


Coming to the clutch change itself, doing so in a FWD car is a bit more difficult than a RWD. Simple reason being, there’s a lot more stuff to take off. In a FWD, the gearbox and differential are both a single unit (also called transaxle). This means the GB has half shafts (drive shafts) coming out of either ends. Those need to come off. Apart from this, most FWD cars have a transverse engine layout, which means the pistons are arranged perpendicular to the length of the car. In order to take the GB off, a lot of crap including the battery box, air intake and the likes need to come off. In an RWD, the GB can be dropped out after simply disconnecting it from the engine and prop shaft post which the clutch can easily be accessed.

On a car like the Jetta, here’s what needs to come off in order to access the clutch:

• Air intake plumbing all the way to the turbo inlet (including MAF sensor)
  
• Battery and battery tray
  
• Front left wheel well cladding
  
• Front passenger side gearbox mount (holds the GB to the monocoque). Do note that the engine needs to be supported appropriately from the top or bottom while doing this
  
• Dogbone mount or torque rod as it is called in some cars (holds the engine+gearbox to the subframe and prevents it from excessively swinging front and back under load)
  
• Starter motor
  
• Gear shift linkages need to be disconnected from the top of the gearbox (from the selector bracket)
  
• Both the passenger and driver side drive shafts need to come off completely
• Primary slave cylinder (sitting on top of the GB) needs to be disconnected and wrapped in tape to prevent brake fluid from dripping out and creating a mess

Post this, the MQ350 GB can be separated from the engine by undoing the retaining bolts following which one should get access to the clutch ancillaries. Once the pressure plate (clutch cover) bolts are undone, the friction plate also drops out with it and one will have access to the DMF. The secondary slave cylinder, also called the central slave cylinder, will remain bolted to the inside of the gearbox housing. It will have to be removed separately.


Enough of talking. Here’s some actual images of the entire process.

The MQ350 manual GB finally off the car. The cavity with the cloth stuffed in it is for the driver side half shaft:


A closer shot of the GB. The concentric slave cylinder is perfectly visible here. Although this seems to be a very intelligent idea (integrating the CBR and slave together), if the slave cylinder fails (which it can if the bell housing gets flooded), the entire GB needs to come off again!

You will be paying a labour amount which exceeds the part cost. If the clutch is worn more than 50-60 percent, its better to go ahead and do a clutch and flywheel job too:


The dogbone mount or torque rod taken off. There’s not much that can really go wrong with it:


This is how it is arranged wrt the engine+gearbox and subframe. It anchors the GB to the subframe (attaches to the subframe mounts) and restricts the back and forth movement of the entire tranny. One part is bolted to the GB body while the other sits between two bushes on the subframe bottom:


Another one of the many parts that came off included the passenger side driveshaft. You can see some dampness around the left-hand side boot. The boot had a very small rip. I had it changed as a precaution:


Finally, the old pressure plate (clutch cover). SACHS clearly written on it. The Sachs and LUK clutch kit (clutch pressure plate and friction plate especially) don’t look the same (as you will come to know later):


Both the pressure plate and friction plate off. Aged very well. At 90K km, the friction plate had another 15-20K km of life left which is excellent considering my dad isn’t very merciful with the clutch:


The new parts. REPSET DMF by LUK included the DMF (with the bolts to secure it), pressure plate, friction plate and the concentric slave cylinder.












The new flywheel going back in. Although the FNG here used a pneumatic wrench to tighten it, I don’t advocate its use especially for fresh new one time use bolts. If you don’t know the torque specs, hand tighten them! It’s absolutely fine. You can also see the main gearbox mount (secures the GB to the monocoque via a bracket) at the very bottom of this image:


Pressure plate aka clutch cover going back in. The amount of working room here is more thanks to the presence of a lift. Doing the same thing without one is also possible, but it’s a lot more strenuous physically:


The new clutch cover, friction plate and flywheel bolted in and secured. You can see the difference in structure between the SACHS clutch cover and the LUK clutch cover very distinctly. The LUK clutch cover has torsional springs built into it along with a cage like structure surrounding the gearbox input shaft hole. It is to be ensured that the holes on the pressure plate, friction plate and flywheel are perfectly aligned to prevent difficulties when inserting the gearbox input shaft back. You can also see the primary slave cylinder hanging here with tape attached to it:


Putting everything back is easy provided you are only doing the clutch and not anything else. In my case, I went in for the full suspension overhaul with all the mounts which demanded the subframe come off entirely. Before putting the battery box and everything else that sits on top of the GB, the hydraulic line needs to be bled.

This is to be done via a bleed nipple provided on top of the primary slave cylinder which sits atop the GB as shown below. The fluid then needs to be topped up again via the brake fluid reservoir:


Once the lines are bled, put all the other ancillaries back together in the reverse order and you are done. The clutch overhaul is complete.

[vishy76]

Economics

In the end, the cost breakup for the entire overhaul is as follows:

• LUK Clutch Kit (CBR, Pressure plate and clutch cover) + DMF (CBR, Pressure plate and clutch cover): Rs. 39,500
  
• Labour Component: Rs. 4,500

At a final cost of exactly 44K, I would say the overall charges were reasonable. I have come across cases where people sourced the parts for an even lesser cost, so it’s best to research and see what deals one gets on the flywheel and clutch kit.

VW would have wanted to bill me around 80-90K for the same job. Not really worth it at all if you ask me.


Niggles

Immediately post overhaul, I noticed a very slight shuddering noise from the gearbox area when the clutch was released in reverse or first. The FNG was dismissive of my concerns and said this is the sound every car makes while letting off the clutch. I have attached a video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oaZp_WsNp8

The second issue is a thak thak noise if you punch the gas pedal and let go of it. This also happens while shifting from first to second when letting on and off the gas to shift. Again, no solution offered and I am told this is normal.

None of my friends or contacts here own a 2.0 TDI manual. I can’t check what the issue is or if the sound is normal. The FNG mechanic was very confident that every diesel has these drivetrain sounds. I don’t know if this is just pure bluff or actually the truth. Would be glad if some owner can shed light on this.

The upside is that the clutch pedal is now feather light. The gearshifts were never an issue and remain the same as before.

Thanks for reading through. Any further queries, clarifications or pieces of information that can be added to this thread are most welcome.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by vishy76

[
The second issue is a thak thak noise if you punch the gas pedal and let go of it. This also happens while shifting from first to second when letting on and off the gas to shift. Again, no solution offered and I am told this is normal.

None of my friends or contacts here own a 2.0 TDI manual. I can’t check what the issue is or if the sound is normal. The FNG mechanic was very confident that every diesel has these drivetrain sounds. I don’t know if this is just pure bluff or actually the truth. Would be glad if some owner can shed light on this.

.

That sound is most likely from a worn out drive shaft. Next time you take it for service with him , he may ask you to replace it, perhaps it's not serious enough at the moment to need a replacement.

[EV NXT]

Originally Posted by vishy76

The second issue is a thak thak noise if you punch the gas pedal and let go of it. This also happens while shifting from first to second when letting on and off the gas to shift.

It appears to be an engine / gearbox mount failure. It could even be the drive shaft as mentioned above or a failed front wheel bearing.

This is based on your verbal description which has its limitations and it could well be something completely different.

Sounds are best diagnosed with the actual car and an expert technician who can isolate the problem. Answers to verbal descriptions can at best only help to point you to various potential areas.

[Tgo]

A nice and detailed write-up. Looking out for updates to come.

I remember going through the clutch work on my 2012 duster after covering 175k kms, ended up replacing the slave and master cylinders too along with the rep kit. All this was done at the ASC. Even then I have excessive free play which they haven’t been able to correct till date. They say it is a hydraulic system and there is no adjustment, but how did they mess it up? I feel they mixed up the slave/master cylinder with the newer model as it has been bled multiple times and the fluid has been replaced once along with a suspect master cylinder, all at their cost.

That too has a DMF setup and can you imagine just the part cost was INR 52K. Luckily I didn’t have to pay for labor and paid only 50% of the cost for the flywheel. Dreading the day I will have to get this job done on the AWD too.

An informative LUK DMF information catalog can be found in this post (Renault Duster : Official Review).

A few things I noticed in your job:

-Use of impact wrench is a concern. It should be done using a torque wrench.

-Was the centering tool used to centre the flywheel, friction plate and pressure plate assemblies. Making these concentric with the crankshaft shaft and gearbox input shaft respectively, is very important and that's where the tool comes into play.

-You should get the gearbox oil replaced too considering the age and mileage.

-Engine output shaft seals and gearbox input shaft seal should be replaced at this point if the is a sign of slightest of leak from either or both.

-Hope you are following the clutch fluid change interval. It is hygroscopic in nature and should be changed in 3 years / 60k kms.

-I would get this work done at the ASC even though its expensive since I can bank upon their workmanship guarantee (valid for 6 months / 20,000 km in case of Renault) if issues that you are facing now crop up.

-The "Thak" sound I can associate with the two parts of the flywheel (the two masses) getting wound up. I mean the damping springs between the two masses getting compressed fully or letting go corresponding to pressing and letting go of the accelerator. It shouldn't be there.

I think it's time you met with the owner of the FNG along with your friend who recommended you this place to have a look at the issue.

Cannot really make out the judder in the video but you can check if the underbody protection plate (if present) is mounted correctly with the correct number of screws which hold it in place.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

That sound is most likely from a worn out drive shaft. Next time you take it for service with him , he may ask you to replace it, perhaps it's not serious enough at the moment to need a replacement.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I don't face any issues while turning. A bad driveshaft should typically make noises while turning or even under certain load conditions (had noticed this on a Yeti with a bad CV). None of this happens on my car. I will still check it once.

Originally Posted by EV NXT

It appears to be an engine / gearbox mount failure. It could even be the drive shaft as mentioned above or a failed front wheel bearing.

This is based on your verbal description which has its limitations and it could well be something completely different.

Sounds are best diagnosed with the actual car and an expert technician who can isolate the problem. Answers to verbal descriptions can at best only help to point you to various potential areas.

You are spot on. It's extremely difficult to pinpoint noises no matter how well the video is made. I have changed all mounts excluding the gearbox main mount shown above which bolts the GB to the monocoque, since that was changed at 65K km once. No mechanic here is ready to agree to the sound. They either say it's normal or they say it's abnormal but they are unable to pinpoint the source.

Originally Posted by Tgo

A nice and detailed write-up. Looking out for updates to come.

I remember going through the clutch work on my 2012 duster after covering 175k kms, ended up replacing the slave and master cylinders too along with the rep kit. All this was done at the ASC. Even then I have excessive free play which they haven’t been able to correct till date. They say it is a hydraulic system and there is no adjustment, but how did they mess it up? I feel they mixed up the slave/master cylinder with the newer model as it has been bled multiple times and the fluid has been replaced once along with a suspect master cylinder, all at their cost.

That too has a DMF setup and can you imagine just the part cost was INR 52K. Luckily I didn’t have to pay for labor and paid only 50% of the cost for the flywheel. Dreading the day I will have to get this job done on the AWD too.

An informative LUK DMF information catalog can be found in this post (Renault Duster : Official Review).

A few things I noticed in your job:

-Use of impact wrench is a concern. It should be done using a torque wrench.

-Was the centering tool used to centre the flywheel, friction plate and pressure plate assemblies. Making these concentric with the crankshaft shaft and gearbox input shaft respectively, is very important and that's where the tool comes into play.

-You should get the gearbox oil replaced too considering the age and mileage.

-Engine output shaft seals and gearbox input shaft seal should be replaced at this point if the is a sign of slightest of leak from either or both.

-Hope you are following the clutch fluid change interval. It is hygroscopic in nature and should be changed in 3 years / 60k kms.

-I would get this work done at the ASC even though its expensive since I can bank upon their workmanship guarantee (valid for 6 months / 20,000 km in case of Renault) if issues that you are facing now crop up.

-The "Thak" sound I can associate with the two parts of the flywheel (the two masses) getting wound up. I mean the damping springs between the two masses getting compressed fully or letting go corresponding to pressing and letting go of the accelerator. It shouldn't be there.

I think it's time you met with the owner of the FNG along with your friend who recommended you this place to have a look at the issue.

Originally Posted by Tgo

Cannot really make out the judder in the video but you can check if the underbody protection plate (if present) is mounted correctly with the correct number of screws which hold it in place.

Thanks Tgo. Some very valuable inputs from your side as always. Even I hope I have some positive updates to share on this front soon.

- Yes I did point out that a torque wrench is what should be used for the job. The mechanics however didn't obey. They said they didn't have a torque wrench (standard response)

- This is a good question. Unfortunately, I wasn't there when the gearbox was bolted back to the engine. I had stood there for a solid 7 hours and then went off for lunch. By the time I was back, the GB had been reinstalled. But yes, if not done, this could be causing the noise

- I had the GB oil changed around 15-20 days later at another FNG. Even though the oil in my car had been changed at 65K km once. But yes, excellent suggestion considering most people ignore this

- Yup. I actually follow a 2 year interval, very seldom stretching it to 3 years

- I have to agree with you on this, but the problem is that the ASC here isn't very skilled either based on previous experiences. Their haphazard approach of replacing parts directly and troubleshooting is what worried me the most

- Yes the Thak sound is coming from the DMF is what I feel too. As much as I would hate to remove the entire bell housing again, I feel it's the only way out

Yes I checked the underbody protection plate. Even removed the entire plate and checked again but it made no difference whatsoever.

[EV NXT]

Originally Posted by vishy76

They either say it's normal or they say it's abnormal but they are unable to pinpoint the source.

When this happens it is better not to force the issue with them anymore. They have either reached the limits of their competence or are feigning ignorance - a common trait with FNG’s when they have made a serious mistake.

An option is to take it to the ASS - as you probably know VW gives a 2 year warranty on replaced parts. But then they might also find fault with the replaced parts stating they are not OE or badly installed which could result in you spending a lot more.

All the best

[vijuk21]

The price at which the overhaul was done seems pretty easy on pocket. I have my Skoda Laura 1.9 TDI for which I had to shell out ~89K for the replacement and 12 days of idle time in the Skoda service center for parts to be shipped. Pardon my ignorance. I feel the spares must be the same for both

[viXit]

Use your new Head unit.

Increase the volume and forget the noises. It's imperative to pick your battles with cars that aren't the cheapest to diagnose and repair.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by vijuk21

The price at which the overhaul was done seems pretty easy on pocket. I have my Skoda Laura 1.9 TDI for which I had to shell out ~89K for the replacement and 12 days of idle time in the Skoda service center for parts to be shipped. Pardon my ignorance. I feel the spares must be the same for both

There's a high chance it would have been even cheaper for you if done at an FNG. You can make do with a single mass flywheel since your 1.9PD uses a 5-speed manual GB and not the delicate 6-speeder.

Originally Posted by viXit

Use your new Head unit.

Increase the volume and forget the noises. It's imperative to pick your battles with cars that aren't the cheapest to diagnose and repair.

I would have agreed cent per cent with you if this was an old clutch and I didn't have the funds to repair it. But the fact of the matter is that I have paid top money to a garage that claims it services luxury cars day in and day out and had it done.

The least I would expect is proper workmanship. Whatever charges I have paid are on par with industry standards for FNGs here in GJ. Had I engaged a roadside garage to do all this and paid him peanuts, I wouldn't have complained about the same.

[Indian2003]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Immediately post overhaul, I noticed a very slight shuddering noise from the gearbox area when the clutch was released in reverse or first. The FNG was dismissive of my concerns and said this is the sound every car makes while letting off the clutch. I have attached a video below:

The shudder is not serious in a new clutch. It should go away after a few hundred kilometers when the parts bed in.

I have replaced a few clutches on all sorts of cars over the years. Some shudder while most dont. Nothing to worry about now if the mechanics fingers were clean during assembly.

I bought a complete LUK 280 mm rep set with the DMF but it was not delivered in pieces like yours. Mine came installed as a casette in one piece and centered. It was just bolting it on to the crankshaft with the 8 bolts already inside the casette. It cost me exacly the same as it cost you. I bought the kit in Germany and had it fitted in Poland.







My clutch release bearing is hydraulically operated like yours but the line goes from the master cylinder to the bearing and not via a slave cylinder.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Indian2003

The shudder is not serious in a new clutch. It should go away after a few hundred kilometers when the parts bed in.

I have replaced a few clutches on all sorts of cars over the years. Some shudder while most dont. Nothing to worry about now if the mechanics fingers were clean during assembly.

I bought a complete LUK 280 mm rep set with the DMF but it was not delivered in pieces like yours. Mine came installed as a casette in one piece and centered. It was just bolting it on to the crankshaft with the 8 bolts already inside the casette. It cost me exacly the same as it cost you. I bought the kit in Germany and had it fitted in Poland.

Attachment 2271496





My clutch release bearing is hydraulically operated like yours but the line goes from the master cylinder to the bearing and not via a slave cylinder.

Thanks a lot for your inputs. I have driven around 3-4K km post overhaul and the shudder still remains. It's especially prominent when the engine is stone cold. It subsides to a great extent once things get hot.

Mine didn't come in one piece. I am not even sure if the mechanic centered the clutch since I was not there when the GB was reinstalled. And of course, there's also the thak thak sound when the throttle is punched and let go off in 1st and 2nd gear and even at idle sometimes. I will post a video of it soon