Well today is the day the cambelt and water pump are in aux belt is done all fluids are drained oil, water, and gear box oil and what an epic job the cam belt is Jesus that took some doing.

First job today is remove the left hand engine mount so we can drop that side of the engine and remove the gear box.

I'm still waiting for my polybushes and brake hoses to arrive but once there here we can then give the brake fluid a good flush and replace with 5.1 John did tell me off for how dirty and black the brake fluid is lol.

The gear box oil was black and a little cloudy but there wasn't any metal in it so that's good.

The engine oil has only been in 6 months but that was like tar very black surprised considering how long it's been in.

I have been takeing lots of pics so I will upload then when I can.

Wish me luck

Engine oil on a diesel goes black within 100 miles

Ok guys I need some help i can't for love nor money find a 35mm 12 spline socket (Haynes didn't mention that) to remove the hub bolt every where I try only has a 34 or a 36 any suggestions? Also the bolts on the drive shafts to split them are they M10 12 spline also? I have done a search on here but nothing is really clear.

So annoyed we have every thing ready but where now stuck because we can't get the bloody drive shaft bolt out I've never seen a hub bolt like it nither has my mechanic mate and as I've only got him for one more day I could do with some help on this ASAP.

I'm down in glouchester

go for the 36mm 12 spline should fit no problem. as for drive shaft bolts not to sure but i bought a set of multispline off ebay for bout £6 has about 5 or 6 sizes in it.

do your polybushing on the front when you drop the subframe to do clutch. less chance of snapping bolts when nothing is in the way

You sure its a 35mm?

Halfrauds let me try one for size

Think it was 32 cant remember

Unless halfords let me leave the store with it to bring it back to the house I can't check the size but from a thread on here a 36 was mentioned as being loose but able to remove it then some one else said they used a 35 I have a 36mm 6 side socket and that is to big so this makes me think it's a 35mm 12 spline

Haynes doesn't mention anything about the subframe comeing out so does that need dropping as well?

You should be replacing hub nut

Its a one use thing and costs a couple of quid!

I took my new one in with me...

Wouldnt cut corners on the hub nut like the clutch or you may die... nly kidding

Clutch is in what an epic task that was so far only had a very short test drive but it's very nice indeed I'm on may way home so have 130 miles drive so will report back then

Wont bed in fully for about 500 miles anyways, take it easy

Well so far coverd 300 miles and would you know it no slipping funny that ain't it!!!!

Any way the clutch pedal feels stronger and the bite of the clutch is much more aggressive pretty much what I was holding for I haven't thrashed it as yet but I have given it some power a few times in different gears to see how things where and it's very good I'm very impressed I will give it another 200 miles before I test it on 2nd gear launches but I'm very pleased with it and as my map is an aggressive one I would say it's been tested by that alone in the last 300 miles I will create a thread with all the pics on later.

So to sum up was my £500 well spent YES and between that and my custom FMIC I have saved my self around £1200

Saved that money over buying what? What power you running?

Matt

Custom FMIC and pipe work rather than a seat sport one and the clutch I have over the sach one and I'm running 182bhp and 302ft-lb but that was before the intercooler went on so I would think the ft-lb will be higher now oh and that fig is from an indepedent tuning compay who RR it for me after it was mapped so figs where not altered to please me

Well so far coverd 300 miles and would you know it no slipping funny that ain't it!!!!

Any way the clutch pedal feels stronger and the bite of the clutch is much more aggressive pretty much what I was holding for I haven't thrashed it as yet but I have given it some power a few times in different gears to see how things where and it's very good I'm very impressed I will give it another 200 miles before I test it on 2nd gear launches but I'm very pleased with it and as my map is an aggressive one I would say it's been tested by that alone in the last 300 miles I will create a thread with all the pics on later.

So to sum up was my £500 well spent YES and between that and my custom FMIC I have saved my self around £1200

wouldn't recommend 2 gear launch on a dmf thats for sure...

i could get my helix stinking on 2nd gear launches at 173bhp

tbh you don't need a 2nd gear launch, first is fine, i managed a 14.4s quarter with a 1st gear launch at 195bhp, and that is goood!!!

Well tbh your running the items on a setup that can be run perfectly fine on standard clutch/smic. So it's not really proving/disproving anything. Now if your were running 220bhp & those items then itd show they are up to the job that the sachs/forge/Ss are.

Matt

So we've gone from it's probaley a refurbed clutch to it will slip like a fish to now as it isn't slipping an OE clutch would handel my mods ? ? ?

I know full well it is only rated to 325 ft- lb which is more than the STD clutch which is what I wanted I needed to replace lots of items so I couldn't afford to stretch to a sach and as there was no need for a 400 ft- lb rated clutch yet then this will do until I save up for a hybrid turbo and then if needed I will change the clutch.

I have not been a sheep and I have been bold enough to try something new and luckily it has paid off

Meh

Helix rated to 440 lb-ft

Feel free to go back and quote me saying any of that because i dont remember. :wonder: I NEVER say to people on here running just a remap that they need anything more than a decent standard clutch. I ran for over a year with one, no issues at all, as is my mate now again with no issues. Unless your driving like a tool, its just overkill, as most have said on here.

Your making out its as good as a sachs uprated clutch, when as yet, we have no proof of it being any better than standard, since your setup/power is perfectly fine for a standard clutch. I`m not slating what your doing/done at all, just pointing out until it`s tested with more power we`ll not know how good it is.

Matt

So we've gone from it's probaley a refurbed clutch to it will slip like a fish to now as it isn't slipping an OE clutch would handel my mods ? ? ?

I don't recall ever saying it would slip, particularly not with your mods. The bit I'm confused about is that you thought paying £500 for a pretty coloured Sachs OEM clutch was a good idea when a normal coloured Sachs OEM clutch for a PD150 ARL (which is good for 300lb/ft) is £158 from EuroCarParts. You still haven't managed to explain what's uprated about yours which warrants the extra cash, whereas the Sachs organic is tried and tested on many cars so you can see where your money goes...

The £500 was for a dual mass fly wheel realease bearing bell housing new bolts and the fast road clutch, from what my tuner mate has explained to me comparing both the OE and the new one it has stronger springs and clutch compound is different I am not saying it is as good as a Sachs uprated clutch what I am saying is it is an alternative to buying one if you don't need a 400 ft-lb clutch as I keep saying pre intercooler I was RR at 302ft-lb already at the limit of a OE clutch I don't drive like a tool I'm not some 17 year old boy racer I have been driving for many years now.

On the OE clutch I sometimes got slip in 6th with out much effort since I added the intercooler hence me needing something abit stronger so the 325ft - lb limit suits my needs i could have maybe saved a little more just putting a OE clutch back in it but what would be the point knowing its already at the limit of what that can handel if not over it.

Have techinclutch even tested it? Or did they just guess the figures?

I had a browse last night and couldnt find one positive review, they have actually been banned from selling through ford magazines and forums as their claims are b.s

I was flicking through some threads earlier and this one popped into my head. A couple of months on, how are you finding it? I'm guessing you've long since finished running it in and covered a few thousand miles on it now, so how's it behaving now it's being used "in anger"?

I dont understand why people on here are giving this lad flak over him buying one of these clutches. I agree ive read into them and the reviews from other people and forums have not been good. But his baught one and so far things are ok, and for his sake I hope he gets thousands and thousands of miles of worry free clutch action. Who cares what lbft it can cope with, and the usual toot that some clutches can run up to 900,000,000lbft. Its no applicable to him other wise he would have baught one that can cope with such high power figures.

Ive gone through this thread from the start and it just seems petty. I dont mean to sound so negative but my 2p on this.

Plus keep us informed with how it performs once you rack a few more miles on it, take it steady and I hope it serves you well mate

Shrug, I don't see it as petty to disagree (and I did explain why I disagreed based on everything I've read and my belief in "buy cheap, buy twice"), and this is genuine interest. I've read lots of junk about Techniclutch, and this is me asking for a more informed opinion on them. I realise that Si may not need a Sachs 400lb/ft job, but from everything I've read Techniclutch basically sell OEM parts painted a different colour, and he probably does need something more substantial than standard hence me asking how it's holding up now. Equally, if it did turn out to be crap then that's useful for others to know so they don't waste their money on buying the same part.

Shrug, I don't see it as petty to disagree (and I did explain why I disagreed based on everything I've read and my belief in "buy cheap, buy twice"), and this is genuine interest. I've read lots of junk about Techniclutch, and this is me asking for a more informed opinion on them. I realise that Si may not need a Sachs 400lb/ft job, but from everything I've read Techniclutch basically sell OEM parts painted a different colour, and he probably does need something more substantial than standard hence me asking how it's holding up now. Equally, if it did turn out to be crap then that's useful for others to know so they don't waste their money on buying the same part.

Its fine to disagree, but just as an outsider reading it, its like people are giving him a hard time over it. I am under the same assumption that there is something dodgey about techniclutch, but if you want those answers theres only one person to ask techniclutch.

I also think its misleading as well, unless si runs much higher bhp and torque figures a standard oem clutch and dmf will be fine. I would recommend LUK as a replacment as there one of the only clutch companys that will supply a NEW clutch, alot of clutch's sold are actually refurbished. But ive read alot of threads that you need an uprated clutch if you have these mods etc... etc... usually if the cars had a remap. 9/10 in my opinion its not true at all! If you drive like you have stolen it no flywheel or clutch will last the time. Plus if he has a friend who was been working in tuning, am sure his friend will have parted in partial wisdom on his purchase. If he feels its an improvment over a standard clutch then surely thats good enough in itself. As well as that clutch improvments isnt all related to what power figures it can withstand.

Edited 20 August, 201114 yr by TorqueXIsXCheap