Clutch dead (MK4 Golf 20vt). Likely cost? Worth upgrading? What needs replacing?

Stormster · 16 Feb 2010 at 20:00

Hi guys.

My car is a 1999 VW Golf MK4 GTI, 1.8 20v turbo. AGU engine so ko3 turbo, engine wise it's mostly standard bar an APR stage one remap, platinum NGK plugs and a stealth subtle backbox.

Anyways, not long had a service, oil, air filter, coolant, new plugs etc.. car seems a lot more pokey when it comes on boost, feels much torquier. Lately with the damp weather, if I've been pressing on, it's been spinning up a bit in third gear with the sudden power increase! It has been accelerating well in all seriousness. But, today in 5th I overtook someone but put my foot down to get past fairly quickly without changing down and the revs flew up till I quickly let off the throttle. Now in third, fourth and fifth it does the same if it comes on boost fairly hard (I had to try, to make sure and of course quickly let off as soon as revs increased).

Long and short is definite clutch slip, so it's gonna need changing. Now I am not a mechanic, it would without a doubt be going to a garage to be fixed, but I'm after an idea of cost from people who may have had their clutch changed on such a car?

Also interested in what exactly is involved, i.e. a brief rundown of parts that'd need swapping. I'm assuming the Golfs use a dual mass flywheel (whatever it does technically I've no idea) - would this need replacement?

Does gearbox oil need draining etc with a clutch swap? And also will the clutch and brake fluid need draining? I wanted to get it all flushed soon anyway so may do this at the same time if neccessary?

Any recommendations of worthy garages within Stoke-on-Trent if anyones local? I was considering giving PSI tuning a call... I have my usual mechanic to ask too. Suppose I could always ask the local stealers too?

Thank you for any guideance, just wanna prepare my wallet for it, timing is terrible

TAX, MOT due, just booked a holiday, then a borked clutch lol.

Cheers guys.

Dave

JKD · 16 Feb 2010 at 20:16

Don't want to alarm you, but I destroyed the clutch in my MK4 GTI Turbo, down to the metal! It was a company motor and the leasing company refused to deal with it when it first started slipping as you described (despite it being a fully maintained car!). As it wasn't slipping all the time they weren't interested.

Anyways, carried on driving it until eventually it was slipping so bad I couldn't get it off my driveway. It was an engine out job (or so the stealer reckoned) and hit the lease company with a £1500 repair bill. Lease company tried to charge me the money saying it was driver abuse, luckily I had it on record a few weeks prior that I'd told them about the slip and tried to get it booked in.

Bat · 16 Feb 2010 at 20:27

Hmmm gearbox out, but I'm pretty sure it's not an engine out job.

Mr Clutch reckon £340. I'm not recommending using them, but I'd say it's a <£500 job for a decent indy.

lordrobs · 16 Feb 2010 at 20:30

Not sure if it is the same on the Golf but a common upgrade when a new clutch is required on the Octavia is to replace with a Sachs clutch and G60 solid flywheel.

Stormster · 16 Feb 2010 at 20:33

Yeah been very quickly looking into that too, VR6 clutch and G60 flywheel, sachs stuff like you say...

I'm hoping for a £300 quid max job, from speaking to a couple of local people with Golfs who've had the conversion done it should be easily doable for that money, if not less, which is made of win really.

Haven't heard many complaints from those who've done the conversion personally, but never religiously looked into it. You heard much with folks with Octys?

lordrobs · 17 Feb 2010 at 08:31

Stormster said:
Haven't heard many complaints from those who've done the conversion personally, but never religiously looked into it. You heard much with folks with Octys?

Again as you say I've heard no complaints and it will most likely be the route that I go.

Stormster · 17 Feb 2010 at 09:52

One chap claims it's likely there would be loads of vibration at idle with a single mass solid flywheel? Again I'm no mechanic but I don't want anything like that going on..

Matt82 · 17 Feb 2010 at 10:05

i think you should stick with the OE stuff, rely on the decissions that VW made so you didnt have to

Firestar_3x · 17 Feb 2010 at 10:29

Hopefully you won't need to change the dual mass flywheel, if so expensive job.

I had to change the clutch and flywheel in my Passat at 90k, Uprated clutch was £200, new dual mass was £300 or so, and about 8 hours to do the job, granted they did some other work for me at the time but the total bill was just shy of 1k inc vat.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/V...d5231e077451ca4f64c2ff95d5a4dac7215e4953&DMFW

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/V...08960da37799c1245a8d31d533be92b809dcb201&CLUK

I get around · 17 Feb 2010 at 11:08

Matt82 said:
i think you should stick with the OE stuff, rely on the decissions that VW made so you didnt have to

Vw didn't remap the engine though.

Depends if you wanna spend the money, uprated clutches can be expensive, SMF are better for performance but will vibrate a lot more than a DMF.
But OEM clutches will have less grip, still die faster (not much) if you're putting more power through then than stock.

Never paid for clutch replacement. But last time I managed to get parts for £90ish after hunting and getting a mate to buy for me at trade prices, then fitted it myself for free.

Matt82 · 17 Feb 2010 at 11:34

dual mass flywheels die without remaps.

and why on earth would a normal flywheel vibrate more? thats the daftest thing ive heard today

I get around · 17 Feb 2010 at 11:55

It's not vibration as such but they're definitely more noisy and less refined.

Matt82 · 17 Feb 2010 at 11:56

where does the noise come from and where does the refinement go?

Firestar_3x · 17 Feb 2010 at 12:06

Because the dual mass flywheel acts like a damper for engine vibration, the single mass can't do this, a dual mass flywheel is also more progressive and offers smoother standing starts and gear changes.

Matt82 · 17 Feb 2010 at 12:11

ive driven three a3s with single mass flywheels. the only difference was the throttle response. even the clutch response was the same

i take it there is an internet myth that once you put a normal flywheel on its like swapping to solid engine mounts...

normal flywheels are balanced too

Firestar_3x · 17 Feb 2010 at 12:14

Indeed, if the flywheel wasn't balanced then it would sake itself apart in about 30 seconds, but thats a given.

Clear advantages exist as to the usage of Dual Mass Flywheels otherwise why would the really expensive cars use them, the facts are it provides damping of engine vibrations something that a single mass flywheel can't do as well.

http://moodle.student.cnwl.ac.uk/mo...ans/clutchMan/clutches/dualmassflywheels.html

JKD · 17 Feb 2010 at 12:20

Can you replace a dual mass flywheel with a single mass flywheel? I thought dual mass flywheels were a relatively new piece of kit. Certainly my older cars were absolutely fine and super smooth with just a single mass flywheel.

Stormster · 17 Feb 2010 at 23:02

I am 95% sure I'm gonna swap to a G60 single mass flywheel and VR6 clutch kit (sachs).

If I go brand new the parts are gonna cost me approx 250 quid. Loads of people just say find a 2nd hand G60 flywheel, but I'd rather pay 140-150 quid to VW for a new one to be honest.

Labour is gonna be about 100-150 quid.

Been asking on owners forums who've done the conversion and noones really had a bad word to say. The myths of vibration did worry me but no one claims to experience any differences bar a much lighter clutch pedal.

Stormster · 25 Feb 2010 at 20:43

Booked it in today at a local specialist, G60 flywheel, VR6 clutch, slave cylinder, labour, £295 all in.

Not too shabby.

taximike · 25 Feb 2010 at 20:47

Back in 2005 think my parents paid something like £400 at a main dealer for a MkIV clutch....