We'll see how it does, the disc looks very nice, the pressure plate looks pretty stock but is supposed to have increased pressure. It's the Southbend FE, full feramic faced on both sides. Price was 515 shipped, it's higher on the website but he said the site is wrong. It has some sort of coating on the pressure plate, that's why it looks dark.

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/008.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/009.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/010.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/011.jpg

Wtf I wish I saw this when I was clutch shopping. How is engagement supposed to be?

Make a review when you get it installed!

Engagement is supposed to be smooth, it's going in pretty soon so I'll let you know.

Looks good.. I ordered a 800+ hp clutch from him last week. still hasn't shipped... But it should by the end of the week... :)

Looks good.. I ordered a 800+ hp clutch from him last week. still hasn't shipped... But it should by the end of the week... :)
ordered whaaaaat?

Do yourself a favor and replace your slave cylinder while in there. I wish I did - battling that now.

In there? Isnt it sitting on the outside of the trans...

Do yourself a favor and replace your slave cylinder while in there. I wish I did - battling that now.

Two easy nuts and its out. No need to drop the trans.

ordered whaaaaat?

They are building me a "super clutch" lol.....

Cryo-treated and everything... It's like thier 600+ hp clutch. But has a more agressive friction compound and a Dual Diafram Pressure plate.. I think that is whats taking so long.. They are taking a Sacs race PP and modifying it to have 3X the clamping force of a normal Sace Race PP...

They are building me a "super clutch" lol.....

Cryo-treated and everything... It's like thier 600+ hp clutch. But has a more agressive friction compound and a Dual Diafram Pressure plate.. I think that is whats taking so long.. They are taking a Sacs race PP and modifying it to have 3X the clamping force of a normal Sace Race PP...

interesting...PM the pricing on that thing if you dont mind..:D

love Southbend.. have a stg 4 w/ lwfw on the A4

In there? Isnt it sitting on the outside of the trans...

Oh its on the outside? :rolleyes

You have to take it off to drop the trans. So, while you're doing it, replace the slave. Trust me it'll be nice to do it all at once and not have the slave throw up about 6k miles later after you make it press against an over-rated pressure plate.

I got the clutch in, I also put a new slave, pivot, and tranny mounts and added a B&M shifter. I'm at a little over 159k miles and the old clutch was pretty much at it's end, you can see how little friction material is left.

I turned the flywheel on my lathe, the finish isn't great but it's a lot better than it was. It was warped in a tri-pattern (3 high spots 3 low spots) and not totally flat across so it definitely needed turning.

The new clutch is pretty nice, engagement is much more abrupt now so it will take a while to get used to. There's pretty much no chatter, sometimes I will get a little pulsation right as it clamps down but I can ride it and take off in 2nd gear with no chattering.

The shifter is quite a bit more precise than the stock one but takes more work to use and isn't as smooth, I'll have to see how I like it after driving with it for a while.

Now I just need to do the oil pump nut and install the turbo.

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/015.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/014.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/016.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/017.jpg

http://www.fivaxis.com/m3/turbo/018.jpg

Appears you didn't surface the flywheel? It seems pretty uneven, how was it actually? Clutch looks pretty nice, I bet engagement is great. I have a ClutchNet 6puck clutch, and engagement is perfect, nearly like stock.

Chris - Seriously, you wouldn't/didn't change your slave while its out? Why the hell not? You're already doing 3/4 the work by pulling it off the tranny, why not change it out? Its like $50, don't be such a cheapass.

He said he turned it in the lathe. Dude, wrong idea! You don't want to make radial machine marks on it! You want a cross hatched or from center outward marks - something perpendicular or varying to the way the clutch will fall against the wheel so you can have friction. Turning it on the lathe you basically simulated a "slipping" (small) clutch over the surface of the disc!

Also, whats with the wave effect between the layers? Nevermind thats the old disc I see, phew!

Oops, missed that. You turned it on a lathe? That sounds like a bad idea for the reasons Jon listed...

The "wave effect" between the layers is intentional. It's there to cushion engagement, so it's not "on/off." It basically spreads the clutch's engagement over more travel of the pressure plate. Makes it easier to slip the clutch when it's partially disengaged, but gets clamped flat when the clutch is engaged.

Here is mine "diy resurfaced" - simple drill press and a turning wheel - wire brush in the press. Then used a 3M pad on a pad on a drill bit to get some cross hatching.

http://blowneuroz.com/mygallery/E34%20525i%20Turbo%20Build/flywheel1.jpg

It ain't perfect - but that's the idea there.

There's pretty much no chatter, sometimes I will get a little pulsation right as it clamps down but I can ride it and take off in 2nd gear with no chattering.
How violent is the pulsation? Enough to shake the whole car?
I turned the flywheel on my lathe, the finish isn't great but it's a lot better than it was. It was warped in a tri-pattern (3 high spots 3 low spots) and not totally flat across so it definitely needed turning.
Others cautioning this lathe-finishing technique: Would this finishing method create a shuddering/pulsation like he is experiencing upon engagement?

How violent is the pulsation? Enough to shake the whole car?

Others cautioning this lathe-finishing technique: Would this finishing method create a shuddering/pulsation like he is experiencing upon engagement?

Nah - the way he machined the flywheel will create more likelihood that the clutch might slip down the road. It's hard to explain verbally but imagine taking a washboard and putting a ceramic tile and sliding the tile in the direction WITH the rippled. Lots of valleys not doing much good. Turn the washboard 90 degrees, now you're going against any imperfection, and the cross hatching is creating bite at the surface of the disc.

He's experiencing pulsation because of an unsprung ceramic clutch. It's like a "grabby" shutter going forward. Unavoidable with an aggressive clutch.

It's hard to explain verbally
Apparently Not....
Imagine taking a washboard and putting a ceramic tile and sliding the tile in the direction WITH the rippled. Lots of valleys not doing much good. Turn the washboard 90 degrees, now you're going against any imperfection, and the cross hatching is creating bite at the surface of the disc.
Excellent description!
He's experiencing pulsation because of an unsprung ceramic clutch. It's like a "grabby" shutter going forward. Unavoidable with an aggressive clutch.
I guess thats the nature of the beast, but I really hate it on my ceremetallic...:(

I guess thats the nature of the beast, but I really hate it on my ceremetallic...:(
Yeah it really is toned down though with a full face clutch surface. You should see what happens when you slip a 3 - 6 puck at low RPM!

Got a link where you sourced that, my 2002 ( at 26psi ) is having a bad time with clutches.

I got it from here http://www.dxdracingclutches.com/home.html

I've never heard of a flywheel being purposely warped before, but it was pretty bad regardless of the built in warp so I probably needed a whole new flywheel. I'm not worried about the directionality of the machining, it will either slip and wear in or hold and right now it's definitely holding.

The pulsation is pretty light, you can feel it but it's not bad. It's rated to 660 ft lb so it's going grab much harder than stock.

I'm not sure But I think SouthBend Clutches is going to offer a group buy on here If it is approved by admin...

:)

to the OP did you order from John, or Andy?

Not that I'm supporting cutting a stock dual-mass flywheel on a lathe, but....

He said he turned it in the lathe. Dude, wrong idea! You don't want to make radial machine marks on it! You want a cross hatched or from center outward marks - something perpendicular or varying to the way the clutch will fall against the wheel so you can have friction. Turning it on the lathe you basically simulated a "slipping" (small) clutch over the surface of the disc!

According to that explanation, turning/cutting brake rotors on a brake lathe makes them totally useless and the brakes will slip and not work. Right?

:confused

Not that I'm supporting cutting a stock dual-mass flywheel on a lathe, but....



According to that explanation, turning/cutting brake rotors on a brake lathe makes them totally useless and the brakes will slip and not work. Right?

:confused

Nick - you know I shouldn't have to explain this, and you're just prying to play advocate.

Turning rotors is not an attempt to renew the surface. You're trying to re-level the disc (typically warped or out of level) so that a new set of pads can be fit without conforming to a previously F'd up surface. Brake pads bed into the surface of a rotor. If you have a rotor with humps and bump all over it, the pad WILL conform in a matter of miles. Clutch discs only slip across the disc when you shift - otherwise they stay planted - or try to. If your flywheel is so f'd up that it needs to be thrown in a lathe, you need a new flywheel.

I see VERY VERY VERY few people "bedding" their clutch discs, slipping them for a few hard miles, don't you?

And, likewise, have you ever actually seen a turned rotor? Have you seen the final finish on it? You don't turn the rotor, then slap it on the car.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/4Runner/maintenance/brakes/IM000232.JPG

Doesn't it look like they cross-hatched the surface?

;)

Oh, and don't forget...

http://www.flexhone.com/ah1.gif

Got me good, boy!

Chris - Seriously, you wouldn't/didn't change your slave while its out? Why the hell not? You're already doing 3/4 the work by pulling it off the tranny, why not change it out? Its like $50, don't be such a cheapass.

No I wouldn't. I'd replace it when its bad. I don't want to spend $50 if I don't need to, then hassle with the hydraulics, then have to bleed the fucker.

Cheap-ass? How bout you don't be a fucking idiot.

Fine, but if you have an original slave, why not? Bleeding takes under 3 minutes. Including hookup, pressurize, bleed, and disconnect.

Because ITS NOT BAD!!!! Also, how do you know its original?

who the hell turned those rotors!?!?!? that thing is hideous....rotors are supposed to be smooth after you turn them, they should look like thinner versions of new rotors...minus the rust of course

Because ITS NOT BAD!!!! Also, how do you know its original?Because I have complete records for the last 100k, more then likely its original. Thus replaced. In all of ~5min.

Regarding the CLUTCH topic......... I am needing a clutch that can handle a butt load of power (although I doubt as much as Jordan's), but for my E46 tranny.

Should I assume Southbend can do one of these as well? I am guessing they can considering the only thing different is the input shaft.

I know I could call them, but its Saturday night :), plus I want to subscribe to this thread to see the satisfaction with Southbend.

Regarding the CLUTCH topic......... I am needing a clutch that can handle a butt load of power (although I doubt as much as Jordan's), but for my E46 tranny.

Should I assume Southbend can do one of these as well? I am guessing they can considering the only thing different is the input shaft.

I know I could call them, but its Saturday night :), plus I want to subscribe to this thread to see the satisfaction with Southbend.

I sent you a PM :)