Is it possible to tell if a car has an SMF?

[TobyMTDI]

I bought my Octy in 2015, and it's served me well doing about 20k mostly fault free miles. However, a couple of weeks ago I though I noticed a hint of clutch slip accelerating in 5th. Today it's suddenly got quite bad, and slips a lot at anything over about 3k RPM in 4th and 5th, and a bit in 3rd too. 

 

It's done almost 200k, so I need to decide if it's worth repairing. First of all am I right in thinking that if it has had an SMF conversion, then it'll be cheaper to replace the clutch as the flywheel won't need doing too? Secondly, is it possible to tell if the conversion has been done without taking it apart? I'm concerned that it won't be worth the cost to do the conversion if it hasn't been done.

 

Finally, what would a ballpark figure likely be for just replacing the clutch vs doing a full conversion at a local indy (not dealer)? 

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Edit to add: the car also needs new front bushes, new front discs and is almost due a cambelt replacement - so this might effect whether or not it's worth fixing the clutch. Also the car is remapped by Shark to about 140bhp and probably too much torque for the original clutch

 

Edited 6 February, 2017 by TobyMTDI

[TobyMTDI]

Thanks for your reply Mike. Re. the remap, I meant for the slightly worn out clutch already on the car - I think it's probably the remap which pushed it over the edge that bit sooner!

 

I definitely agree that the SMF is worth doing, I bought the car from a local garage and he said that if he'd done the clutch he would have done the conversion, and it's likely that he did do the clutch as the previous owner was a regular customer of his. Unfortunately he couldn't prove that it had been done.

 

£150 for labour is reassuring, total between £250 and £400ish depending on if the SMF conversion has already been done isn't too bad. The engine still runs very well, and I'm fairly confident that I could get another 100k out of it providing the turbo doesn't go, so I think I'll go ahead and get it done. 

 

Thanks again for your advice. 

[Stuart-h]

what about converting the 2 liter diesel bkd engine to smf? Has any one done it at al and were impressed with the results?

[Stuart-h]

Cheers Mike. That'll save me wasting my cash when the clutch does decide it's going to give up.