Octavia 4x4, new flywheel time :(

[octytdi4x4]

Hi everyone, Its come to that time where i'm starting to hear the dreaded rattle of a dying DMF, its not bad yet, just a small rattling whilst cold at idle, and a little more engine noise whilst driving, so for the last few weeks i've been taking it steady and trying not to stress the poor thing to an inconvenient death.

 

Ive been quoted £1600(ish) from skoda for a new DMF, new clutch, release bearing etc, also i'm due a timing belt replacement, which i think will bring it up nicely towards the £2k mark! Almost as much as the cars worth.

 

I replaced both the DMF and timing belt on my previous car myself (1.9PD bora)without too many issues, but doing a bit of research its looking like the 4x4 system is going to make it a much more difficult task, from what i have seen, the simplest way is to drop the entire engine/gearbox/transfer box out from beneath the car and work on it that way. Has anyone done this themselves, i'm ok for garage space and tools etc, but i doubt i'll be able to get all that out in one without ramps. Cant the transfer box come off separately, allowing me to get the gearbox out from the bottom, leaving the engine supported and in place.

 

And just to open a little can of worms... would you stick with the DMF, or swap to a solid flywheel, i know they're going to be a little more lumpy, and noisier, but i kind of like the old solid flywheel idea, that just sits there for 400k and never moans once. Is anybody running one, and are they reasonable for a daily driver? cheers jon

Edited 6 March, 2014 by octytdi4x4

[MarkyTDI]

Hi Jon,

To the best of my knowledge no one produces a SMF that is compatable with the 1.9 TDi 4x4. This may have changed now but this was defo the case a few years ago, I think a good specialist could sort you with a new Clutch/DMF and a cambelt for about £750.

 

How many miles has yours done? I'm up to 60k and no signs of failure yet. My old Octy 1 had it replaced at 80k.

 

Mark.

[trundlenut]

Hi Jon,

To the best of my knowledge no one produces a SMF that is compatable with the 1.9 TDi 4x4. This may have changed now but this was defo the case a few years ago, I think a good specialist could sort you with a new Clutch/DMF and a cambelt for about £750.

How many miles has yours done? I'm up to 60k and no signs of failure yet. My old Octy 1 had it replaced at 80k.

Mark.

I've not come across an SMF for the 4x4.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[octytdi4x4]

So it's another DMF going in then from the sounds of it! Couldn't do with it being bad to drive, I'm at 123k now, so it's not had a bad innings really I suppose if the next flywheel lasts me the same again it's not going to be bad value for money.

I reckon I could spin it out a good few thousand miles more to be honest, my last cars got changed at 145k it was a little more rattley than this one, but when I actually got it off it didn't actually have that much play in it! I'll still be doing it one way or another soon though, I don't really fancy losing a game of DMF bingo, I reckon that thing could do some major damage if it decided to self destruct.

[octytdi4x4]

How'd you manage to get through a flywheel in 80k btw marky? I was remapped from 115 to around 150 bhp, de-catted and with water/methanol injection and still took ages to toast that thing lol

[Rab-k]

Well, reading this just ruined my start to the day. Ours is creeping up on 70K (3yrs 2mths old).

 

O/T Dealer told me last week that timing belt not replaced until 4 years, which I thought was odd given all my previous cars have had the belt replaced on the basis of miles.

[octytdi4x4]

Strange how that happens really, I'd have thought they would all last a similar amount of time really.

Well, I think I'd best be getting some prices today whilst I have the day off and get someone to do it, not sure I can do with the hassle of pulling the thing to bits myself, if getting the gearbox off is anything like the shenanigans I had getting the inlet manifold off and back on again, I don't think I fancy it really, that was the most awkward easy job I've ever had to do lol

[moanthebairns]

how can you tell the dreaded DMF signs?

ive just read that its a juddery gear change etc

is it noticable through all gears or just on take off etc

[octytdi4x4]

I think mines early stages, but as you say, juddering during gear changes, and if it's at the point of being FUBAR your gonna know about it, my last one was also making the clutch not clear properly sometimes, I think due to the loose half of the flywheel pushing the clutch cylinder back and causing the automatic adjustment to not work properly, just got a couple of garages to quote me on it this morning, so I should be getting a call back from them sometime today, this is gonna be the decider between paying someone to do it, and spending a couple of days rolling around on my back getting crushed by a gearbox

[andyoctavia]

It seems to be very much the luck of the draw as to how long your DMF will last. My own Octy 1.9 PDs had DMF failure, and SMF conversion, at 44k and 36k miles, a friend of mine had 2 DMF replacements under warranty in his Jetta at 7k and 21k, before his was converted to SMF, but another friend, who isn't the easiest of drivers, got 110k out of a DMF on his Passat.

 

No pattern at all as to when or where the DMF problems start.

 

Mike

 

 

I couldn't agree more Mike, and it doen't just apply to Skodas. Try taking a look at Ford and BMW forums, they have their problems as well.

I think that we are lucky with our 1.9 TDi models because maybe they were designed with a single flywheel in mind. However, many of the latest engines (lightened crankshafts and rods) are designed specifically for FUNCTIONING DMF's.

I wonder what detrimental effect a malfunctioning (vibrating, eating itself) DMF has on an engine designed to put up with minimal vibration?

[octytdi4x4]

I think the worst thing you can do for a flywheel is labour the engine hard when at lower revs, I reckon the lower frequency but harsher movement from the engine will wear them out pretty quickly, this is probably the reason why newer diesel engines have torque limiters set into the management system.

[MarkyTDI]

How'd you manage to get through a flywheel in 80k btw marky? I was remapped from 115 to around 150 bhp, de-catted and with water/methanol injection and still took ages to toast that thing lol

My father drove the car up to 60k miles and I think that was the main problem as he always wanted to be in a gear higher than I would for hills etc. My 06 Octy II is up to 60k miles now and the DMF is fine. I do a fair bit of boat towing/launching on slipways and I don't think this helps them much.

 

Always wanted to get the 4x4 mapped as it is a bit slow and struggles towing on the open road. Insurance quotes have always stopped me at the last minute.

[A4R323]

Hi all, thread bump. I new to the forums and to Skoda's in general. I've picked myself up a 2008 Skoda Octavia 4x4 2.0tdi as a daily driver but need to do a clutch / flywheel swap. After climbing under the car, I can see that removing the gearbox is going to be a bit more tricky than the fwd versions but was looking for tips on getting the box out without having to brio the engine as well. Thanks in advance.

[Stevie D]

A4R323 I've had mine out twice (well 1 1/2 wasn't fully back together before I realised I'd a problem) in the last month or so - bought as a project that has proved more troublesome than expected due to finding VAG parts at the right sort of money - it was going to cost more than I paid for the car to buy a replacement box from VW lol...

 

It is a bit more involved than the fwd cousin but not much more than a few hours extra labour to disconnect extra drive shafts / skid plates etc - I did mine on the driveway / in a private garage on axle stands.  It comes out easily enough once you've found a few hidden fasteners - I missed one that looks like its holding a heat shield on top the transfer box ;-)

 

I'll be dammed if I can get it back in again with the transfer box still attached working against gravity!

 

Good luck

[A4R323]

Thanks... sounds like I'll need it.... lol

 

but the box will come out with transfer attached - yes?

[Stevie D]

Yes!

[A4R323]

Brilliant. Will be giving it a go once my euro spec tools arrive. Have previously only worked on a Japanese cars so I need just about every tool I don't currently have for this Skoda....

[Stevie D]

Need lots of odd sized spanners and sockets - some deep ones in 15/16/18mm etc & metric (not sure if they come in imperial sizes?)  xzn / 12 spline tools for this - drive shafts, clutch, flywheel bolts etc.

 

Steve

[Stevie D]

Gearbox and transfer box has to go back in as a unit as well  - I ended up dropping the wishbone to get it back in mate!

[A4R323]

Thanks Stevie. As in wishbone, I take it you mean the alloy suspension mounting and lower arm? Yeah, I was looking at that and figured it would make things easier if it wasn't there. Problem is, that's where my axle stand is so will need to find a new place for that.

[Stevie D]

Yes that's the one - mine was the same after 3 goes ended up taking plastic covers off floor pans and finding a suitable place under there.

[A4R323]

Thanks so much for your help Steve d. Gearbox came out easy as last night and new flywheel and clutch has been fitted. Let's just hope it all goes back in and together as easy.