Hi guys,

I've just had a new clutch & flywheel fitted to my vRS and I know these have to be "bedded in" but is there any way in particular I need to drive?

Obviously I don't want to be driving it like I stole it and where I live I'm going to be stopping and starting a lot and the speed limit is 35mph :( but do need to keep the Revs high and staying in 3rd or should I be going into 4th gear like normal?

Hopefully this makes sense.

I went easy on the clutch at first, used all gears as normal and mine seems fine done 6000 miles now. It feel's nice and smooth now the vabration in 1st has eased off.

I drobe the way intended to drive on a daily basis allowing it the bed in to my style.

Just drive it normal.

Drive as normal, try to avoid wellying it too much, especially from rest.

Just out of interest, how much is it to get the clutch replaced?

I paid £500 + VAT for new clutch and DMF.

Jeeeeeeeeesus, i really hope its not that much for a new 1.4 mpi clutch!!!

What was the mileage on the car when you replaced it?

For a sachs clutch & flywheel @ euros comes in at just over £400 before discount. Then fitting costs

mine was £30 for a 3 hour old smf conversion kit. Was easy to remove from donor car as it was upside down awaiting recovery. My friend is a really bad driver, got a grinder into bell housing, 20 mins to remove. However 4.5 hours to fit to mine without a grinder

got a grinder into bell housing]

Sounds like a legit fix :p

wasless than ideal but he was willing had to grind a door in bellhousing, then undo pressure plate and fork, push that back then cut the gear box spline, remove plate and flywheel retrieve pressure plate, then off to thompson and potter for a releasebearing

haha well i guess it beats a £500+ repair bill!!!

oh yes, i have access to a local garage any sunday-all day. I helped the guy out one day and apparently averted disaster, this being his way of repaying me. Ramps tools everything

On that note anyone worrying about solid conversion in an older diesel.... dont.... works a treat and is smooth and quiet

Well thats all right for some! How time consuming/tricky is a clutch change for a relative newbie?

get a second pair of hands, and an engine support something to stop it dropping when gearbox mount is off. Undo anything attached to the gearbox and anything in the way for sliding it out, remove ball joints etc to get to drive shafts. If you do all this whilst draining the gearbox itll save you getting covered later.

bellhousing bolts

slide it out, heavy so second body needed for this

clutch is 6 or so bolts torqued to 20nm on the pressure plate

when replacing clutch has to be dead centre, or the gearbox will mess with your head

replace release bearing (attached to the fork)

reverse process

took me 4.5 hours with help (this was working fast and no problems) i would budget 8 as you may have burst bolts etc

It is advanced stuff but i wouldnt disuade anyone from saving money - worst case get someone else to do it when its fluffed.

Hmmm, I'm fairly mechanically minded, but I think I'll just fork out... peace of mind will be worth it!!!

Thanks for the replies guys. I've done about 400 miles so far and worryingly put my foot down a little to see how things are getting on. Seems to be fine in 2nd but 3rd is slipping a little. I guess more bedding in time is required :(

itll come mate, give it a thousand or so

imagine new discs and pads, you can plant your foot and it just wont stop quickly, however once bedded in you barely need to touch them.

in your case the pressure from the pressure plate IS pushing hard enough, but when bedded in itl be well bitten before your foot is off the clutch

Edited 27 June, 201214 yr by Lofty79

Its slipping after 400 miles id take it back to the garage every clutch ive done ive always give the car a squirt in all the gears and they NEVER slip you should be drivibg as bormal to bed it in

I paid £500 + VAT for new clutch and DMF.

Forgive if I'm asking something obvious, but it is parts only, without fitting labour, right?

(I just aksed clutch question costs, so I'm quite interested ).