ccramerusc
New member
- Location
- Milwaukee, WI
- Car(s)
- 17' GTI SE
I bought a 17' SE about 2 years ago which now has 33k miles. Only mods are JB4, drop in filter, and dogbone (upper and lower). I also did the three normal clutch mods: assist spring delete, flow restrictor delete, and stopper/bumper on the floor. It felt good for about 18 months, but then one day when my wife was driving it, she said that when she went to pull away from a stop sign, the clutch petal stayed stuck to the floor. She hit it a few times and then it came lose and felt normal, but there was a horrible amount of burned clutch smell that lingered for a whole day. I can only guess that there was an air bubble in the slave cylinder that I must not have gotten out when bleeding it after the restrictor delete. Now I notice that the friction point is further out that before, and a bit of slip as the turbo kicks in in 4th or 5th. Obviously time for an upgrade. After much research, I've decided on a Sachs Performance Clutch Kit. I don't plan on increasing power beyond what the JB4 can offer, and I want to keep it close to stock feel and sound, so the Sachs sounds like the best choice for me. Here are my questions:
- Should I also replace the flywheel given the current slipping and clutch smell from the incident mentioned above, or was all that wear just on the friction disk and pressure plate?
- I was considering doing it myself, as I am a pretty decent shade tree mechanic, but I've never done a clutch. It seems pretty involved with the VAQ diff. Is this something I should attempt with only jack stands and two jacks, or do you really need a lift? If so, I would need to take it to a shop...
- Assuming I decide to have it done at a shop, would you recommend a VW dealer, or an independent shop? Would a dealer even do it with aftermarket parts? I'm in Milwaukee in case that matters. In all my years (and cars/motorcycles), I've never taken a car to a shop or dealer other than for recall issues. I've never really trusted them, but if this is over my head, then I guess I'll have to.
- Anything else I should consider? I do plan on replacing the central slave cylinder as a part of this.