Engine out - Cluch in

[louis356]

Took the engine out over the weekend


It's now sitting on the floor



I've seen prices vary where do i get the cheapest Sachs 180mm Ive seen prices vary from $290 for a complete 3 piece from Sierra Madre to £400 for just the disk.

I need everything including some trans mounts.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

[Nick Moss]

Why are you looking in the USA, especially with the current exchange rate? Why not contact one of the UK specialists: Steve Winter at Jaz, Roger Bray, PRS, Prill etc.

[Ashley James]

I'd try at a local motor factor taking the old clutch with you. Usually they're the same as in other more common cars and readily available. If they aren't and pressure plate is undamaged, just do a search for a company that specialises in religning friction plates and brake shoes. We often do this on 300mm clutches for £90-150. Many will also look at the pressure plate and recon if needed.

My car is at PRS at the moment and I've been buying from them. They're efficient, extremely helpful and very friendly, so why not ask them.

[hot66]

great photo

[simon james]

Calder Clutch in Brighouse rebuilt my original bits, even weeding out the VW plate that the previous owner had "made" fit.
Total cost to rebuild pressure plate and re-line friction disc was about £30.....
The release bearing I peeled apart and fitted a new bearing into!!!

[POR68]

Louis - recently bought a correct Sachs pressure plate ($AU 248) and Sachs disk ($AU45.00).

[louis356]

Thanks guys,

Main reason for U.S. was cost. when asking here the prices were more even taking into account exchange rates and postage.

I would willingly support 'our' network here. But I want to get a good price also. But I don't want to buy inferior, just because I'm looking for a good price. I want to pay a fair price for the right stuff. I have a long list transmission mounts etc. so it's going to be a big bill just for parts.

Main thing is what do In go for? I hear scary storys of VW items being used and passed off as Porsche parts and not up to the job. OK if they are the same.

I'm even about to give my local Porsche main dealer a call!!!

Thanks for the comments

[louis356]

Thanks por68

The exchange rate thing and buying abroad makes sense with your prices and paying say £100 for shipping and any taxes it would still be cheaper to buy from Australia and get the correct Sachs clutch.

It's looking like Germany for the engine/gearbox mounts at the mo.

[POR68]

Does this help http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/170709291989 ... EBIDX%3AIT

Cheers

merv

[Kneeslider]

Another vote here for Calder Clutch in Brighouse.

Like you, I went to the USA when I wanted some clutch parts. I ended up buying a flywheel, because the old one that was fitted had teeth that were almost chewed through, pressure plate, and driven plate. Like Simon, I just changed the bearing in the carrier. I forget what the price of the clutch parts was now, but it was from an advertiser on The Samba. I figured that buying all the parts from the same supplier and branded with the same name would work out for me.

All the parts looked good when unwrapped, and I fitted them and put the engine back in. I then found that I couldn't adjust the clutch at all, and that it wouldn't release at all.

Big problem. I now had to take the engine out again, remove the clutch and the flywheel, and it looked like I would have to purchase the parts again to complete the job. Sending them back to the USA wasn't an option. I made some attempts to try and work out what the problem was, by assembling everything together, but without a means of compressing the diaphragm spring to disengage the clutch I was stuck.

So, I found out about Calder Clutch. A call to them, and I was taking it round that afternoon for them to have a look at. They have a big press which works the spring, and a jig to test the engagement and disengagement.

It turned out that the parts as supplied could never work together, because either the driven plate was too thick, or the pressure plate was set too far in. They checked how much material to remove from the pressure plate by adding shims between the pressure plate and flywheel till correct disengagement could happen (it was about 90 thou), then took the pressure plate apart, and surface ground the disc from the pressure plate to the right thickness. The part was ready the next day, and they only charged me £20, which must be the best £20 I have ever spent.

Relief is an often underestimated emotion.

No connection to the company, but I am just a happy customer. It is good in this day and age to encounter a proper specialist who is willing to share knowlege, and to put your custom the way of people who really know what they are doing.

[simon james]

Transmission mount wise,
When my diff carrier cracked letting things loose that shouldn't be loose, the transmission was momentarily locked up which in turn tore the already weak transmission mounts apart!
These were again rebuilt locally, £20 each!!! They've been on now for five years and five thousand miles!!!

[Kneeslider]

Are your over riders upside down?

[louis356]

"Are your over riders upside down?"

Good spot! yes. They are actually front ones turned upside down Carrera style. I have a sports exhaust and was going for the Carrera look with a skirt. Rather than have two overriders with holes and an exhaust. But the engine is sitting a bit low due to the knackered mounts and the exhaust just hit's the skirt. Just one of the reasons to get the mount's replaced.

Here's a trial fit of the skirt.



See how low the exhaust is.

[rocket280]

I'm pretty sure you can use a 180mm vw clutch and it's only the 200mm that requires the flywheel to be machined. you might need to do a bit of research but 180mm vw clucthes are cheap and available for both guided throw out bearing or not.

[louis356]

Thanks, That's what I was after. will a VW one fit and work OK?

Prices are looking like £550 - £880 for what I'm after! That seems a lot for a basic clutch to me. (but not if it's unique to just a small batch of 356's)

The dreaded Porsche tag seems to upping the price if it's the same as a VW one.

Just don't want to go cheap and have to redo it.