Clutch options for the b5.5

whizznbyu said:

Has anyone tried using a lightened flywheel to reduce rotational weight?

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Not a good idea in any Tdi. Even worse in a b5 platform as they are already vibration prone.

Finally got mine back together. The South Bend reline for the Valeo 1.9 tdi worked out great. I was going around a corner in 2nd and barked the tires when I gave it some throttle. That was with out shifting. All gears are holding with some moderate driving.

How much do you have into the valeo setup with the SBC reline?

JFettig said:

How much do you have into the valeo setup with the SBC reline?

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300 for clutch.

https://www.amazon.com/Valeo-52285615-Solid-Flywheel-Conversion/dp/B001DHHRPK

295 for reline.

So 600 bucks. Also way cheaper if you reline it before it slips 2k miles later. haha

I have $325 plus shipping both ways. Plus the initial $500 I think it was. If I Knew the clutch would not hold up to a stage 2 tune, I probably would have gone with Whitebreads heavier 240mm flywheel and a Clutchmasters FX350 clutch set up. I don't have the extra money right now or I still might have.

I have WB's clutch that I had in my 6 speed. I tried to test fit it with a spare 5 speed I have and it hits somewhere on the bell housing. It may be some little high point that I can grind off but I have not found it yet.

Has anyone successfully installed a 240mm clutch with a 012 gearbox?

BTW, this one is for sale. I know it fits a 01E AND holds with a 3+ stage tune

I have whitbreads in my 012, no issues to 460ft-lbs so far. Doesn't hit anything. It's super quiet too.

Weird but good to know. Will recheck. I have found that some of the castings on the bell housings vary slightly. I was using a GGB to test fit.

vwztips said:

Weird but good to know. Will recheck. I have found that some of the castings on the bell housings vary slightly. I was using a GGB to test fit.

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I know ECS use to sell a measuring tool or something with one of their clutch kits for MK4's for the same reason. I think I had to grind a MK4 02J bell housing once to fit.

Found my problem. I have 2 different disc that fit. One has a longer nose that fits over the input shaft and it was bottoming out on the metal housing covering the shaft as it comes out of the gearbox. All is well now.

I'm now onto the 3rd clutch for my Passat. I had the Valeo that came with the trans that started to slip and my South Bend pressure plate just broke. I really want to do this one more time and be done with it. For the record I was never happy with the SB, it had a terrible chatter in 1st gear.

Buy once, cry once. Talk to Mr. Whitbread and get one of his ultra heavy flywheels and Clutchmasters clutch+PP.

JFettig said:

Buy once, cry once. Talk to Mr. Whitbread and get one of his ultra heavy flywheels and Clutchmasters clutch+PP.

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It's funny that you say that as we spoke this morning and he said the EXACT same thing to me. I have one on order! So if anyone else is doing a swap or thinking about wasting money with a South Bend upgrade, do yourself a favor and do it right the first time.

I've accumulated well over 450k miles on my Southbend clutches with no issues at all. Sorry you had a problem. My Jetta had close to 300k on the Southbend clutch when the engine bit the dust, and all 3 of my Passat conversions have been flawless on the Southbend setups.

Here are a few pics of the break.

Whitbread flywheel and Clutch Masters Clutch?

A couple years ago I bought my B5.5 wagon from a forum member who had the 5-speed done. At the time of the swap he supposedly installed a 1.8T DMF and a clutch off eBay. (I think this one: https://gripforce.com/fx-racing-stage-1-clutch-kit-set-97-05-audi-a4-quattro-98-05-vw-passat-1-8t-1-8l/)
Not surprisingly, it is beginning to fail and I need to find a clutch solution.
This car is my DD. It has what the PO described as a mild tune. Aside from that it appears to be stock everything. Most of the time my driving style is pretty spirited but not often what I'd consider "aggressive".
In my '03 Jetta wagon, I have a Malone Stage 2 tune and a Luk 17-050 clutch and DMF and I love it. I can start from a stop without touching the accelerator and it is smooth as butter. It also holds firm in all gears under any load. If I can come close to that type of performance in the Passat with a SMF I'd be thrilled.
I want to address this clutch issue once and for all and find something that will outlast the car. I'm looking at Whitbread's 30-lb SMF and a Clutch Masters clutch. My question: is this a good setup? Should I get the FX-100 or FX-250 or neither? I want to move on this pretty quickly as I am getting an intermittent rattle at idle with the clutch pedal depressed. I fear that sound is my DMF warning me that it has plans to explode and take out my transmission in the process...

Whitbreads setup is definitely the best option! Contact him directly about your questions. whitbreadperformance@gmail.com He recommended the FX250 to me.

blazen71 said:

Whitbreads setup is definitely the best option! Contact him directly about your questions. whitbreadperformance@gmail.com He recommended the FX250 to me.

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I don't usually have the luxury of being able to deal with personal stuff like this during the work day, so I emailed him a few questions Tuesday night and sent a Facebook message Thursday night. Still have not gotten any response. Hopefully soon.

richmondvatdi said:

I don't usually have the luxury of being able to deal with personal stuff like this during the work day, so I emailed him a few questions Tuesday night and sent a Facebook message Thursday night. Still have not gotten any response. Hopefully soon.

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I've been trying to get in touch with him too. I need another clutch & wanted to go through him again. Does anyone know the part numbers for the clutches he uses in case he doesn't respond?