Buyer beware clutch masters fx300 with Whitbread flywheel

[themightyquinn]

Thanks for popping in with the info, much appreciated!

 

[PickleRick]

By chance is your screen name referencing the mighty Dr. Quinn from sealab 2021? World renowned scientist and ladies man. Pod 6 is jerks!

 

[Zak99b5]

Adult Swim in the house!

I just assumed it was a Dylan reference.

 

[PickleRick]

Dr. Quinton Quinn had an IQ of 260.

 

[richmondvatdi]

I've pretty much settled on the SB DMF Stage 3 Daily kit: https://www.southbendclutch.com/clutches/K70205-SS-O-DMF-3854/. SB said their DMF kits are designed for use with OEM DMF.

Confirming, is this the OEM flywheel for the 1.8T. (It seems to be according to FCP Euro).

Audi VW Clutch Flywheel - Luk 06B105266A

Audi VW Clutch Flywheel - Luk 06B105266A

www.fcpeuro.com

I want to pull the trigger quick because now the chattery CM 300FX clutch is starting to SLIP. I really hate this setup...

 

[richmondvatdi]

Please forgive my very limited understanding of this whole B5.5 clutch issue (reading these threads makes my head hurt), but I've got a follow-on question.
Will the DMF/SB above be a direct swap with the Whitbread 240mm flywheel and CM clutch? In other words, will I need a different starter, special spacers, etc.? This is my DD and I need to have everything ahead of time to be able to minimize downtime. Thanks, gentlemen.

 

[richmondvatdi]

Hoping some kind soul with lots of knowledge stumbles across my questions so I can order what I need before the CM clutch leaves me stranded.

 

[PickleRick]

I don't see springs on that clutch you posted from south bend. Might not make for a friendly daily driver

 

[Braddman]

That flywheel should be 228mm, that is what the 1.8T Audi A4s use therefore you will be able to simply swap the Whitbread 240 single mass flywheel. If you wanted to install a 240mm DMF you will need an euro tdi starter and 5mm bell housing spacer. The 2.0T Audi A4s use a 240mm DMF with the 5mm spacer

You don’t really need dampening in the friction plate as long as you have a DMF.

 

[richmondvatdi]

Thanks guys. Good info. None of the SB DMF clutches have springs but all the SMF's do so I'm thinking springs may be less important because the DMF helps with dampening. I don't do a ton of stop-and-go driving so I'm not overly concerned about a stiffer pedal. Because I don't know a lot about the tune that the PO did, I'm not sure how much torque I'm generating. The Stage 3 is rated for 395 ft-lbs. (versus the 285 of the Stage 2) so it's probably a safer bet.

As a side note, the Whitbread solid flywheel with the 300FX is rated at 425 ft-lbs. I am not hard on clutches. My ALH Jetta (Stage 2 tune) stock clutch and DMF was still going strong at 300,000 miles. I followed break-in procedures to the T on the CM clutch and it's slipping at 70,000 highway miles. In my opinion, it's junk. Plain and simple.

 

[PickleRick]

If Matt could get an alternative clutch supplier his single mass set up would be perfect. He told me he approached south bend about setting something up for him but they were not interested.

I've sold all my Whitbread stuff but I wonder if it could be sent into south bend and they match something up out of their inventory to fit in place of the clutch masters crap?

 

[86turbodsl]

FWIW, i remember reading somewhere that Whitbread wasn't able to get any vendors except Clutchmasters to work with him on his flywheel. I have no doubt that he'd prefer to use a more reliable supplier than Clutchmasters.

 

[Nash_TDI]

I just sent my Whitbread FX300 setup to SB for some RD. Hoping to get something decent back.

 

[richmondvatdi]

UPDATE: I went ahead with the SB Stage 3 DD with the Luk DMF flywheel. Had it installed a couple weeks ago. So far I love driving it. Slightly stiffer pedal than the Whitbread/Clutchmasters setup, but smooth engagement and absolutely ZERO chatter (even with no clutch springs). South Bend recommends a 500-mile break-in for the Stage 3 DD, but I'm at 1,000 miles and just now starting to push it a bit. No slip and no vibration under fairly hard acceleration. Since I don't know a lot about the tune on my car (previous owner described it as "Stage 1.5"), take this review for what it's worth in terms of how it will perform in your vehicle, especially those with aggressive tunes.

I'll update this at some point with my long-term experience, but so far I'm very happy with it.

 

[Windex]

UPDATE: I went ahead with the SB Stage 3 DD with the Luk DMF flywheel. Had it installed a couple weeks ago. So far I love driving it. Slightly stiffer pedal than the Whitbread/Clutchmasters setup, but smooth engagement and absolutely ZERO chatter (even with no clutch springs). South Bend recommends a 500-mile break-in for the Stage 3 DD, but I'm at 1,000 miles and just now starting to push it a bit. No slip and no vibration under fairly hard acceleration. Since I don't know a lot about the tune on my car (previous owner described it as "Stage 1.5"), take this review for what it's worth in terms of how it will perform in your vehicle, especially those with aggressive tunes.

I'll update this at some point with my long-term experience, but so far I'm very happy with it.

This is a 228mm?

 

[TPW]

This is a 228mm?

Yes, it can be used with stock 1.8t DMF flywheel. This is the same setup that Levi used in his video on "Passat Manual Swap" I'm curious how this setup has worked for him.

 

[dylphil97]

UPDATE: I went ahead with the SB Stage 3 DD with the Luk DMF flywheel. Had it installed a couple weeks ago. So far I love driving it. Slightly stiffer pedal than the Whitbread/Clutchmasters setup, but smooth engagement and absolutely ZERO chatter (even with no clutch springs). South Bend recommends a 500-mile break-in for the Stage 3 DD, but I'm at 1,000 miles and just now starting to push it a bit. No slip and no vibration under fairly hard acceleration. Since I don't know a lot about the tune on my car (previous owner described it as "Stage 1.5"), take this review for what it's worth in terms of how it will perform in your vehicle, especially those with aggressive tunes.

I'll update this at some point with my long-term experience, but so far I'm very happy with it.

that link to the stage 3 clutch brings up a page with the DMF too.. is the LUK DMF the one SB uses in that link you posted? Or do you buy them separately

 

[TPW]

Yes, it can be used with stock 1.8t DMF flywheel. This is the same setup that Levi used in his video on "Passat Manual Swap" I'm curious how this setup has worked for him.

Levi said he's run his Passat with the stage 3 DD 170k miles without slipping.