Hello Briskodians,

Could usesome advice on a dualmass flywheel issue. The car is on 06-reg VRS with 75kon the clock. Earlier in the year I had the RAC out for a radiator failure, and the chap was a fellow VAG dieselowner and noticed my car was showing early signs of DMF wear when idling, a muted intermittent rattle/chatter. I'd noticed quiet, but odd idling noises myself. This week whilst running a tyre compressor I noticed some actually rather loud knocking noises coming from the base of the engine when idling - they were intermittent, and also seemed to disappear after the engine had idled for a few minutes. Iam noticing a slightlyjuddery clutch on first gear take-up, and also start-up and shut-down feela bit rougher.

Is it safe to say my DMF is on the way out? How seriously should I take this - I really have no money for anymore car maintenance this year, although I do have a 3rd party warranty which expires in about a month and I was considering cancelling. Would it be worth getting a garage diagnosis and getting a warranty claim in beforeit expires. I'm assuming I would have to pay for a new clutch, so would still cost me a fair whack even if they honoured the claim.

Also I've heard stories that the vAG replacement DMFs are even shoddier than the original fitment? Is a solid flywheel a wiser idea? I've heard they make an already clattery diesel worse?

Weld it. Job done

Weld it. Job done

Hmm, sounds cowboy, no bodges on this car.

I think the reason people report SMFs clattering is the fact that a lot of the ones designed for big power are a lot lighter than the standard DMF. You can get replacement SMFs that are part of a conversion kit and so weigh pretty much the same as the DMF.

The noise should disappear completely when you dip the clutch....?

If so dmf on its way out!!

They can go for a fair while.... Mines lasted 20k but ended up taking the gearbox with it.... Worth replacing before that happens

I think the reason people report SMFs clattering is the fact that a lot of the ones designed for big power are a lot lighter than the standard DMF. You can get replacement SMFs that are part of a conversion kit and so weigh pretty much the same as the DMF.

I though it was because DMFs inherently absorb vibrations? Is there an OE spec SMF conversion kit for VAG TDI's then?

I though it was because DMFs inherently absorb vibrations? Is there an OE spec SMF conversion kit for VAG TDI's then?

When fitting a conversion kit, the clutch generally is sprung to absorb the vibrations instead.

Weld it up.............. LOL

When fitting a conversion kit, the clutch generally is sprung to absorb the vibrations instead.

Good job you posted that, I was hoping to get away with keeping my friction plate and just fitting a new SMF as the pressure plate and friction plate aren't that old. I hadn't clocked that they're different designs and the SMF friction plate is sprung whereas the DMF one isn't!

Dmf welded equals smf, what's the problem? Lol

They have to be balanced perfectly part of the reason why smf are so expensive

Mine is doing exactly the same and ive been looking into replacements

Any links to the SMF replacements rather than the lightened SMFs?

I think someone like Vealo did a kit?

Valeo do a SMF conversion kit but it's only rated for standard torque levels and I've read that because they make the parts different sizes, you can't mix and match parts. By which I mean I've read that the flywheel is thicker than standard and the friction plate is thinner than standard, so together they take up the correct amount of space but if you try and put a Sachs uprated friction plate onto that flywheel (for example), it won't fit under the cover.

I'm intending to buy Jabba's SMF kit, at 8.5kg. There was a thread on here where BossFox posted a YouTube video of his car running the 8.5kg flywheel and it sounded fine to me. Think the thread was called "Hybrid owners - what clutch are you running?" or something similar.

Mine is doing exactly the same and ive been looking into replacements

Any links to the SMF replacements rather than the lightened SMFs?

I think someone like Vealo did a kit?

These are the two that I've found when searching for them.

SKODA FABIA 1.9 TDI 6 SPEED CLUTCH KIT & SOLID FLYWHEEL

Valeo Solid Flywheel Conversion Kit

Sachs uprated clutch that goes with the dmf can be run with an smf

Mattchelski is using one (think thats his username)

Edited 18 October, 201114 yr by BigJase88

They have to be balanced perfectly part of the reason why smf are so expensive

Reason aftermarket SMF are so expensive is nothing to do with balancing it. Everything to do with it being a limited market with limited choice and vendors charging what the market can take. I'd also add most aftermarket seems developed for or from the racing circuit. An environment not known for being cost conscious.

J.

Even though the Sachs DMF friction plate is a solid one and the one they sell for SMFs is sprung to absorb vibrations? That sounds like something that shouldn't be skipped to me, and I wonder if this is why you read people on forums who've had problems with vibrations killing gearboxes, if there's nothing in the drivetrain to absorb them. Makes me think they've perhaps upgraded from DMF to SMF with the same plate and everything's "too rigid"...

The dmf is already balanced just a matter of lining the bolts up already on it and job done

Hmm, sounds cowboy, no bodges on this car.

I heard every job done on this car was a bodge??

Hmm any specs on the Valeo SMF kit? what power and torque figures can it handle?

I asked Euro car parts but they had no idea

Booo

That`d be me, thought my ears were burning lol. Yes, I was running a normal Sachs clutch (designed for the DMF), then found a used Jabbasport SMF on ebay, took a punt on it and stuck it in. As said, the clutch plate on the kits designed for a DMF are solid (like mine) and the ones for a SMF have springs in to take some vibrations out. As a result, I have a ridiculously loud amount of chatter on idle , the plan is to get a new sprung plate to go in it, but its done half a year and a good few thousand miles as it is issue free!

I was looking at

Ebay Link

Although it doesn't specifically mention Skoda Fabia it does have the ASZ engine listed under the Bora

I'm assuming this would fit?

Should do as long as the ASZ engine in the Bora used a 6 speed box, the clutch is bigger on a 6 speed than a 5 speed (240mm vs 223mm if I remember right).

I was looking at

Ebay Link

Although it doesn't specifically mention Skoda Fabia it does have the ASZ engine listed under the Bora

I'm assuming this would fit?

That's for the 5 speed by the look of it.