So I’ve read around the internet that you can use the S4 clutch and flywheel for the 3.0.
My 3.0 is starting to have clutch/flywheel problems so I am looking for the best options. EuropaParts has a kit (http://www.europaparts.com/clutch-conversion-kit-52405618-valeo.html) and it seems to be the most economical. My 3.0 is stock, but I would like a little better performance from it. Wouldnt a SMF reduce rotational mass, thus letting the engine rev faster?
Yes you can use B5 kits but the best kit is the JHM B7 rs4 clutch with lightweight flywheel. I had a clutchmasters fx400 with a single mass steel flywheel which is often setup used in B5’s and it was shit compared to JHM kit. That Valeo kit is a pos compared to the b7 clutch which can handle more than enough power you will ever have on the 3.0 and is so smooth and perfect for DD and can even handle track and is made for long life with a full disc. The aluminum flywheel reduces weight by 1/2 And is very noticeable gain in acceleration. This is honestly the best mod I have done to my car hands down.
While I’d like the best options available, I wasnt really planning on this repair until later this year so I didnt properly budget for this. The JHM kit is another $200. Which is like 40% more than the Valeo kit.
I dont track my car and I dont push it hard at all (it barely ever sees RPMs over 3k). In this case, would the Valeo be ok? Like I said, I am pretty concerned about price and while I don’t want to buy garbage products, I also do not want to have to drop more than needed to get the car back running again.
The valeo kit isn’t going to help give any extra performance. The JHM kit is better for you being the lightweight flywheel and better clutch. The JHM flywheel is much lighter giving you better performance in the low revs and helping pick up some performance let alone fuel mileage.
At the end of the day, I’d LOVE to go with the JHM setup. I mean its better in every which way. BUT its $1000 and I can get flywheel, pressure plate, bolts to my door for <$550 if I go with the Valeo kit. Yeah I know its not the same quality, but still thats half the price. I can also get all a4 parts with a dual mass for $450 to my door.
You get what you pay for, The JHM clutch is OEM it will last a very long time and while giving you all the holding capacity you need. Also If your doing the work yourself 1000$ for a clutch job for is a steal of a deal especially considering the quality of kit your getting. What your paying for from JHM is the aluminum flywheel. It is bad ass and will significantly help your acceleration. The clutch is factory and pretty inexpensive but its made by Audi for the Rs4 so will handle anything the 3.0 will ever have. Also not trying to be rude or anything but if your that concerned over a couple hundred price difference you bought the wrong car. Its really important to use the right part because it will cost you far more having to replace the part again in the near future, (ask me how I know). The RS4 clutch kit and flywheel will be good for the life of the car, the flywheel can be resurfaced and the RS4 disc is cheap to replace and should last the life of the car if you use it properly, Its a prefect street clutch and is more comfortable than any other clutch I’ve driven.
The clutch from the factory is a Luk, so using a valeo is pretty much downgrading from what the car came with. The place I bought a new clutch kit with new dual mass that I ended up selling on here to another user before I installed my CM kit, from it was like low 700 something shipped from a place called Carolina clutch but I dont see it on there site anymore. Might want to try give them a call. You should at least be using a factory replacement.
I thought you could only go with the B5 S4 clutch kit if you have the 01e box which was only on the early model 3.0’s.
What box do you currently have your car A43Go cause did you have a different one and your 01e was sitting in your garage.
nah I still have the O1E. At the time when i first bought my car I bought another O1E, and I never saved the old one because
I was a stupid newb and I just let the shop keep it instead of keeping it to have it rebuilt. And yes its true you can only use
the B5 clutches if you have the 01E and sometimes they take a spacer to be able to use depending on the clutch I think.
I’m not the person who usually takes the cheap way out. In fact I usually always buy the superior product. A few financial situations hit me within the last month so I can’t just throw an extra 500 at the car if I can get the luk setup for under 500 to begin with. If the Valeo setup isn’t good, I won’t use it. That’s the answer I came here looking for. I bought the 3.0 to prevent myself from doing performance upgrades since if I wanted to do that I would have bought a mustang since I work for one of the largest part suppliers for them. If I had a 1.8t I’d be all over the JHM kit. It really is the better option and I’m aware of that.
I’m sure we’d all agree the extra 500$ would be better spent on a JHM tune in my situation. Which I had been putting money away towards.
So does everyone agree that the luk flywheel and clutch kit specifically for the 3.0 is better than the single mass valeo kit for the 2.7? If so I’ll go ahead and order two exhaust clamps a pilot bearing and rear main seal so I can do this next week.
A43G is right…use the oem if your not going for the JHM unit…you dont want to go backwards…
Oem it is. Anything else I should order? Also. Do the down pipes NEED to come off? If so I will certainly order the new clamps. Which size clamps do we need?
check carolina clutch they had the best price on the luk kit last I checked, but i coudln’t find it on there site last time i ordered it was like 715$. And the JHM clutch kit is a better mod than the tune by quite a bit.
I was able to get a luk flywheel & clutch + pilot bearing for $480 shipped. I doubt I will have the car long enough to be responsible for the next clutch change.
Also, should I disconnect the slave cylinder hard line or keep it connected and remove the slave from the trans? Seems like people do it either way. I dont have a power bleeder so I would be letting it gravity bleed.
If you dont have a power bleader leave it connected to the line
sounds good. correct me if im wrong, but the slave can only be inserted back into the trans after the trans has been mounted, correct? I know its tight up there and difficult to remove it if the trans is still attached, but I read somewhere that the trans needs to be bolted back down to insert the slave. I dont recall if that was model specific or just a general piece of advice I read on a generic clutch repair.