n1das
TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2002
- Location
- Nashua, NH, USA
- TDI
- 2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
Here's what enjoying too much weapons-grade TORQUE finally did to the clutch disc in my 05 ATD PD JWagen TDI.....
It's a South Bend Stage 3 SMF setup (IIRC recently renamed to South Bend Stage 2 Endurance). It was mated to an OEM (heavy) VW SMF. Engagement was always slightly more abrupt than the stock DMF setup but pedal feel and engagement height was identical to stock. Even after the failure it still felt like stock and I could shift OK, just no torque available at the wheels.
This happened in early 2014 in my 2005 ATD PD Jetta Wagen. The failure happened while on my way home for work. I was haulin' ar$e on the highway (I-495 in Chelmsford MA) when it failed with a very loud BANG(!) and then it had all the symptoms of a badly slipping clutch. I was able to take the next exit and get off the highway and by the time I got to the end of the exit ramp, it was done and couldn't move any further. I had the car towed to (TDIclub Guru) mrchill's shop in Braintree MA. After 160k miles and close to 9 years, I decided to not fix it and sold the car to mrchill and walked away from it. It's now his next project car.
Mods in the car:
The last time the car was dyno'd (in 2012?) it was putting down around 180HP and 305 ft-lbs to the wheels. It was a hoot to drive with all that weapons-grade torque.
I don't recall reading any reports of other TDIclubbers having broken a SBC 3 SMF clutch. IIRC, it's rated to hold 425 ft-lbs. In my situation, it looks like the friction material held together but the disc sheared away where it attached to the hub. I think I might be the first TDIclubber to break one of these clutches.
It's a South Bend Stage 3 SMF setup (IIRC recently renamed to South Bend Stage 2 Endurance). It was mated to an OEM (heavy) VW SMF. Engagement was always slightly more abrupt than the stock DMF setup but pedal feel and engagement height was identical to stock. Even after the failure it still felt like stock and I could shift OK, just no torque available at the wheels.
This happened in early 2014 in my 2005 ATD PD Jetta Wagen. The failure happened while on my way home for work. I was haulin' ar$e on the highway (I-495 in Chelmsford MA) when it failed with a very loud BANG(!) and then it had all the symptoms of a badly slipping clutch. I was able to take the next exit and get off the highway and by the time I got to the end of the exit ramp, it was done and couldn't move any further. I had the car towed to (TDIclub Guru) mrchill's shop in Braintree MA. After 160k miles and close to 9 years, I decided to not fix it and sold the car to mrchill and walked away from it. It's now his next project car.
Mods in the car:
- ATD PD engine - replaced the original BEW engine at 76k miles after a rogue timing belt took it out in 2009. The ATD is a Euro version of the BEW PD engine, supposedly the "real" PD100....what the BEW was derived from for the USA. Only a few parts from the BEW needed to be swapped over to the ATD to make it work with the BEW's ECU. It made for a plug and play swap.
- Rocketchip PD Stage 3 tune. The tune included the steel GP update from the first glowplug recall to replace the BEW's time bomb ceramic GPs. The ATD had steel GPs.
- 3-bar MAP sensor.
- PD version VNT-17/22 turbo.
- PD150 intake manifold and racepipe.
- IDparts 2.5" PD version downpipe and CAT.
- 2.5" exhaust piping all the way back including glasspack resonator.
- PD150 injectors w/R783 nozzles (IIRC, don't remember the exact nozzles off the top of my head.). This was the last mod done and probably what finally took out the clutch after a year of driving it like I stole it. I loved the Weapons-grade TORQUE!
The last time the car was dyno'd (in 2012?) it was putting down around 180HP and 305 ft-lbs to the wheels. It was a hoot to drive with all that weapons-grade torque.
I don't recall reading any reports of other TDIclubbers having broken a SBC 3 SMF clutch. IIRC, it's rated to hold 425 ft-lbs. In my situation, it looks like the friction material held together but the disc sheared away where it attached to the hub. I think I might be the first TDIclubber to break one of these clutches.
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