Clutch advise please

[Water4fire]

Guys i split my oil pan the day of my sons wedding and it cracked main seal. Since my clutch has 400k original miles i am going to do it all at once. I have used the search but cant find what i need.

Please advise on parts you all recommend! Clutch rear main seal and pan.

 

[whitedog]

Throw out lever and pivot ball.

This one wore clear through.


The kit should have flywheel bolts and trans hanger bolts.

 

[jokila]

Front seal of transmission too.

Also, check the shift tower action. Most likely by now the top seal is worn and probably the bearing as well.

A bad shift tower bushing will allow shifter slop and allow the shift tower to move laterally in place tearing up the tower seal. A bad seal will allow water to seep in. Moisture in there also causes rusting in the inner upper shift tower wearing down the reverse switch tip. Happened to me.

 

[Water4fire]

Guys i plan on getting a whole kit with rear main seal and a new oil pan.just would like to know the best kit everyone uses. I have it all apart and going to order my parts.

 

[whitedog]

A whole kit? Where is this kit coming from and what all is in it? Check the vendors section of this forum and be sure to pay heed to the stickies.

 

[Water4fire]

Oh my gosh.

I have used the search and i have the car apart. I just would like to know were people get a clutch kit. Man. Easy question. Idparts? Or were. A question is not a answer.

 

[Rrusse11]

Water4fire,
Yes to Idparts, their pricing is competitive, quality is excellent and they are knowledgeable. Seal, throwout bearing, throw out lever and pivot ball are probably not included in a "kit".
Talk to them when you order, if you have it all apart you may not need
all of the above bits, but in view of the work involved, it wouldn't hurt to do everything.
Cheers,
R*2

 

[williambill]

IDparts is an excellent choice, I've used them many times. Just checked Rockauto, they have the Luk 17050 kit for $172. This is what I put on a project I once had that was same year and model as yours. It's an excellent kit, and comes with new TTY bolts for bolting it to the crankshaft. I think I also did a new rear main seal (victor-Rienz) from there to. I'm sure they also have the fork and pivot if you need them as well. Also got the "clutch install bolt kit" from IDparts. Hope this helps.

 

[Water4fire]

Thank you guys. I just want a kit that is what everyone here advises. This is my first clutch and only because i split my oil pan.

 

[Windex]

A great all-round clutch to replace the OE in a MK4 is the LUK 17-050. Comes as a complete kit with flywheel, disc, cover and release bearing.

As others have said, always a good idea to inspect and replace the clutch fork and pivotball if there is any kind of wear on the fulcrum surfaces.

 

[UhOh]

Thank you guys. I just want a kit that is what everyone here advises. This is my first clutch and only because i split my oil pan.

My favorite reply for most everything is: "It depends."

If you're going for straight-up stock then that Luk 17-050 is a very well proven and liked clutch. It's the same style as is currently in your car (IF in fact it has the stock clutch). Some people will suggest going to a different style -an SMF- and that's OK too. I don't have any specific recommendations for an SMF (I put one in my car, but it's a higher performance one, a lot more costly- there are cheaper SMFs).

I bought the Luk (wife's car- just recently installed) from IDParts. They have a "kit" that also includes all the necessary replacement bolts: you can buy from elsewhere cheaper but I, and most other folks here, like to use the vendors who help support this site.

Rear crank seal and transmission output shaft seal will have to be separately sourced: rear crank seals are carried by almost all supporting vendors; they could also be solicited for the transmission seal.

I'm thinking that perhaps you didn't have a skid plate on your car? All three of my Golfs have one (Diesel Geek). I KNOW that they've saved an oil pan or two for me.

 

[whitedog]

Oh my gosh.
I have used the search and i have the car apart. I just would like to know were people get a clutch kit. Man. Easy question. Idparts? Or were. A question is not a answer.

Where to get the parts? From one of the trusted vendors here of which there are a few; IDParts is just one. There are others as well: some on the East Coast, some on the West Coast, some in between. Contact them and let them know what is going on and find the one that works best for you. I use Cascade German Autoparts in Portland, Oregon because I have a great relationship with them and I try to shop as local as possible because shipping across country has more cost than the price of postage. But that's just my opinion and that with $2.00 will get you a nice Americano from Dutch Brothers.

 

[Water4fire]

Guys what is the ticket on getting trans out. I have engine supported and two jacks on trans to lower and remove it. It will not come out. Is the passenger drive flange have to be removed?

 

[jettawreck]

Guys what is the ticket on getting trans out. I have engine supported and two jacks on trans to lower and remove it. It will not come out. Is the passenger drive flange have to be removed?

I makes it easier to remove when you remove the drive flanges. Simple enough. Have to rotate it around a bit and sometimes they get hung up on the shaft splines.
Be very catreful not to get any brake fluid from clutch slave into/onto new clutch disc.

 

[jettawreck]

Oh my gosh.
I have used the search and i have the car apart. I just would like to know were people get a clutch kit. Man. Easy question. Idparts? Or were. A question is not a answer.

"People" here get parts from lots of different sources. That's why there are many to choose from. Many of us have our favorites and some don't care for the other guys particular choice.
Better to ask if your particular choice is recommended or not, perhaps. Asking for advice with an attitude isn't conducive to future help by some of the knowledgeable.

 

[maxmoo]

Guys what is the ticket on getting trans out. I have engine supported and two jacks on trans to lower and remove it. It will not come out. Is the passenger drive flange have to be removed?

The flanges do not have to be removed but it does make it easier.
If you can push the bottom of the engine forward, a small scissor jack works good for this it will create more room to get the tranny out. Also the trans still needs to be rotated to clear everything.

 

[Water4fire]

"People" here get parts from lots of different sources. That's why there are many to choose from. Many of us have our favorites and some don't care for the other guys particular choice.
Better to ask if your particular choice is recommended or not, perhaps. Asking for advice with an attitude isn't conducive to future help by some of the knowledgeable.

I agree and apologize for sure, but I build seadoo's with big power and on the forums I help with. We tend to steer people the correct way on parts and not hide venders. I am truly sorry I just want a good replacement kit. I have 400,000 miles on my tdi and love it. this is my first clutch. And to top it off it happened on the day of my sons wedding driving up the venue's road. Split oil pan that cracked main seal. So it all has to come out.

Is this a good kit?

https://www.idparts.com/complete-clutch-conversion-kit-a4-p-3860.html

 

[UhOh]

"Are these a good pair of shoes?"

WHAT are you NEEDING? First specify your requirements and THEN people can say what's recommended. Keep in mind that not everyone's requirements are the same; just like with footwear, "it depends."

There's so much already posted here in these forums on clutches and clutch selection that people get a little jaded in constantly replying (doing so makes one feel like they're pitching products, and, of course, going through all these same games of guessing what the requester really is needing). A simple search brings up a LOT of discussions.

If you have questions on a product contact the vendor. ALL are great to deal with. AND, if they spend time on you then it should only be fair that you spend your money on them (don't use them to shop elsewhere).

 

[jettawreck]

I'm sure it's a good/great kit. The vendor doesn't sell any junk. Note it is a conversion to a SMF from the OEM's DMF and isn't for any power upgrades. But since your first original one went 400k miles apparently that's not going to be an issue.
There are so many options out there (and personal needs depending on use, tune, etc) it really has to be sorted out by the user.
Bad day for the trouble for sure, but sort of Murphys Law (that bastard). Always seems to show up when least needed.
Last spring a buddy and I had the tranny out of a 1.8 about 8 times with a clutch issue (hence warning about the fluid on clutch disc) putting together a car for his kid. Then some months later he blew an axle and put a hole in the case. Tore the thing out and apart again to replace the 3rd/4th gear cluster shaft. Had way too much time into that "easy" project trying to help the little rascal to get into a decent car cheaply.

 

[Water4fire]

Thanks for all the input. It is my daily driver to work and no mods what so ever, I need the fuel economy as I drive 80 miles one way to the firehouse.

 

[maxmoo]

If you aren't increasing torque from stock, these are excellent clutches for the price....
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CI8XTK/ref=psdc_15724081_t1_B006YC8BTA

 

[pcjohnson_ohio]

Guys what is the ticket on getting trans out. I have engine supported and two jacks on trans to lower and remove it. It will not come out. Is the passenger drive flange have to be removed?

I used a cheap Harbor Freight transmission jack and found I had to remove both half shafts entirely. Then I had to use a scissor jack between the block and the subframe to push the engine forward. Then I had "just" enough room to clear the right flange around the left lower control arm. Make sure side skirt is removed (and/or Panzer Plate mount). Once the transmission is free from the engine, I had to rotate the transmission clockwise (looking down at it from above) to clear the A/C lines. It was a royal PIA until I figured out all the little tricks were needed. I tried the block and tackle rout but that was a failure for me.

Good Luck

 

[jokila]

Guys what is the ticket on getting trans out. I have engine supported and two jacks on trans to lower and remove it. It will not come out. Is the passenger drive flange have to be removed?

Once the dogbone is removed and the trans mount is detached the whole engine can move enough to allow the trans to move away from the frame. I never remove the drive flanges because that causes a mess with gear oil draining out.

I would consider degreasing the transmission once you have it out. It helps you identify future seepage/leaks and makes the process of reinsalling the transmission a lot easier to bear.

 

[Windex]

Meh, I take that passenger side flange out, it makes life easier.

I generally replace the axle seals and the input shaft seal while I am in there, so no cares draining the transmission fluid.