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Clutch Masters FX350 Review

realcyberbob

realcyberbob

Go Kart Champion
I chose this unit because my stock clutch has started to slip under hard acceleration at 40,000 miles and do feel it would be best to replace everything instead of just the clutch disc. I also chose this unit because I drive my car everyday to work (about 70 miles roundtrip) and like to occasionally take it on the track or have some spirited driving on backroads, so I need something that is mild but can also take abuse when having fun. I will not be going past APR Stage II, so my horsepower and torque will be staying the same. Ideally I want something I won't have to replace down the road again.

Link to Clutch Masters product page: http://clutchmasters.com/index.php?module=site&action=GetPage&id=82&nav=leftnav_products.tpl

I bought this unit from CTS Turbo and definitely recommend purchasing from them, you can PM Clay (screename: CTS Turbo) if you have any questions or to purchase.

As you see below, the kit comes with the clutch disc (mixture of Kevlar, ceramic, and organic material), pressure plate, steel flywheel, clutch alignment tool, and throw out bearing (newest revision). Part number for the kit is 17375-HDFF-SHP.

Here are the weights of the pieces, I don't have a scale to place each item so I had to weight myself with the piece then subtract my weight, so weights could be a little off, but not by much:

Clutch Disc: 2.5 lbs.
Pressure Pate: 9.5 lbs.
Single Mass Flywheel: 16.5 lbs.
Total Weight: 28.5 lbs. by adding individual weights, I got 31.5 lbs. when actually weighing everything together, not sure why there is a discrepancy.

You will also need to purchase 8 flywheel bolts which can be found online or at a VW dealer. The part number is N90665001 and it is around $33 for all 8.































 
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realcyberbob

realcyberbob

Go Kart Champion
First drive with the new clutch was great! Pedal feel is probably 10% harder than stock, since I put so many miles on my car and drive 35 miles each way to work, I didn't want anything too hard, this fits the bill perfectly.

The engagement point seems to have been cut in half and it has also moved higher, which feels better, in my opinion. Rattle is minimal and does increase with A/C on, but is very bearable and cannot be heard inside the car with the music at average volume. Overall I feel this clutch is exactly what I wanted and I'm sure others will be pleased with this setup as well.

Installation was $650, they also flushed the fluid because I was changing the throw out bearing, that was approximately another $100 on top.

Below is a video of the chatter, it may sound bad in the video but it isn't as bad in person for some reason.



One thing I noticed is when accelerating from a standstill or less than 2,000 RPMs it sounds a little like a diesel engine but nowhere near as loud. I assume it's because of the single mass flywheel but I'm not sure. Not really sure how else to describe the sound, it isn't loud at all and is not annoying, it just changes the sound of the engine a little bit, and in a good way, in my opinion.

Below are pictures of my stock clutch, dual mass flywheel, pressure plate, and throw out bearing, surprisingly I had the old revision of the throw out bearing but hadn't had any problems with it. The stock components have 5,734 miles of stock driving, 4,166 of APR Stage I, and 32,772 miles of APR Stage II driving for a total of 42,672 miles when replaced. Minor glazing can be seen on the clutch disc and the metal material between each side of the disc looks warped, not sure if that's normal.























Here are the weights of the stock components:
Clutch Disc: 1.5 lbs.
Pressure Pate: 11.5 lbs.
Dual Mass Flywheel: 28.5 lbs.
Total Weight: 41.5 lbs. by adding individual weights, I got 43 lbs. when actually weighing everything together, not sure why there is a discrepancy.

The differences between stock and FX350 kit component weights are as follows:
Clutch Disc: Stock is 1 lb. lighter
Pressure Plate: FX350 is 2 lbs. lighter
Flywheel: FX350 single mass flywheel is 12.5 lbs lighter
Total weight difference (approximately): FX350 kit is 11.5 - 13 lbs. lighter
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Clutch Disc Used With Dual Mass Flywheel: Below is a picture of the clutch disc for a setup using the stock dual mass flywheel, notice there are no springs, this is an unsprung hub. The dual mass flywheel will absorb the vibrations which is why the clutch disk with a dual mass flywheel doesn't need springs. With a single mass flywheel there is nothing the flywheel can do to absorb vibrations which is why the clutch disc has springs, this is called a sprung hub.
(Credit to MaliciousMK6)

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300 Mile Update - It is definitely getting smoother. It used to shudder when you would start rolling but it barely does it anymore. Shifts between gears are also a little smoother.
 
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realcyberbob

realcyberbob

Go Kart Champion
1,500 Mile Update - I've driven approximately 1,500 miles on the clutch already so I think it's safe to assume it's broken in. I really got to push it this weekend and realized how inadequate the stock clutch setup was. Shifts are crisp and you can really feel it clamp down on every shift, it truly makes it more fun to drive. Downshifts are also faster and it seems easier to rev match.

I've been stop and go traffic for an hour a few times and my leg does not get tired. The pedal feel has either gotten a little softer or maybe I'm just used to it, but like I said earlier, its' no more than 10% stiffer than stock.

I have noticed at times there are more vibrations when you get going in first gear from a stop. It happens more often with the A/C on, so I assume it's just based on the engine load. It may also be that I don't give it enough gas, but since it doesn't happen often, I have yet to really master it.

Clutch chatter and gear rattle has either declined minimally or stayed the same from the day of the install, doesn't really bother me much.

I'll post another update when I actually get to autocross or race on road course, I'm definitely looking forward to it with this setup.



3,500 Mile Update - I was able to really enjoy it this past weekend, went driving on some twisty roads together with my friend and his FRS. I really got to push the clutch and although I've said it before, if feels awesome. The clutch really grabs hard at full acceleration and shifts are easy. The best part is being able to drive it hard, then get stuck in traffic on the way home and not have your leg get tired because of a hard pedal.

There are 2 things I have noticed that I need to look in to:

1. Every now and then going from 1st to 2nd the shifter takes quite a bit of force to shift, I think I just need to reset the shifter cables, easy fix and I will report back once I do.

2. Sometimes when stuck in traffic there are instances where I have to fully push the clutch pedal in and leave it that way for a few seconds because I'm not sure when I need to get rolling, when I start to let go to get the car rolling the engagement point seems to move very close to the floor. If I double-clutch when going into first it solves the problem. This doesn't happen often and I think it may be due to air in the system.

Overall, the clutch is great, I plan on keeping the car for over 100,000 miles so hopefully the clutch holds up as well. I will definitely update the thread if I ever begin to feel it slip. I drive so much that I'll probably be the first one on the forum to have it slip.



20,000 Mile Update - I've had the clutch for approximately 10 months with no problems. The grab is still as tight as the first day, and most importantly, it has not slipped. The pedal pressure seems a little easier, but it's probably because I'm now used to driving it. Since our cars run better in the cold and clutches seem to start slipping more in the winter, I've done some hard pulls on cold days and there's absolutely no slip.

Another thing to mention, I've had the stock all-season tires on my car up until about 4 months ago. Now that I have sticky tires I don't lose any traction on hard pulls, which should create more stress on the clutch, yet it still hasn't slipped. I have no regrets so far!



40,000 Mile Update - I've had the clutch installed for approximately 2 years so far, no problems with the clutch yet, still clamping strong and no change in pedal feel. For the past year my commute has been cut in half (from 35 to 16 miles each way) and is now more city than highway driving, I would assume this would put more stress on the clutch but no issues as of yet.



60,000 Mile Update - No issues after 3.5 years until yesterday when I got in the car it wouldn't shift in to any gear while the engine was on but had no issues shifting with the engine off. I assumed the clutch or pressure plate was probably broken so I had it towed on a flat bed to a shop and when they started it the next morning there was no shifting issues with the car, they drove it various times as well. No idea what the issue was, shift linkages were fine too. Other than this issue, it's been running perfect and holds just like the first day, even with more city driving now and version 2.0 of APR Stage II.


71,000 Mile Update - So after approximately 71,000 miles with the FX350 (car has 114,000 miles) I noticed what I think is the clutch slightly slipping in 4th/5th gear. The car will be in storage most of the next 3 years and I'm guessing I will only drive it max 2,000 miles per year, mostly highway, so I have plenty of time to figure out what I want to do next. Still need to rule out if it's a boost leak but I don't think so.
 
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allset

allset

Go Kart Champion
nice.

really unique looking disc.
 
realcyberbob

realcyberbob

Go Kart Champion
Lou Maiuri said:
This clutch was recommended to me by Mike Hood at www.ringer-racing.com for k04 power levels. Can't wait to get it installed next week.

What persuaded you to go with the Single Mass Flywheel?
Click to expand...

Clay at CTS Turbo has been running this setup for a while and really likes it. Also because my car has 40,000 miles I didn't want to replace only the clutch and then have to replace the pressure plate down the line.
 
Lou Maiuri

Lou Maiuri

Banned
realcyberbob said:
Clay at CTS Turbo has been running this setup for a while and really likes it. Also because my car has 40,000 miles I didn't want to replace only the clutch and then have to replace the pressure plate down the line.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, damn you guys got lucky with running stage II setups for 40k. Mine lasted all of 2000 miles on stage II.
 
realcyberbob

realcyberbob

Go Kart Champion
Lou Maiuri said:
Makes sense, damn you guys got lucky with running stage II setups for 40k. Mine lasted all of 2000 miles on stage II.
Click to expand...

Most of my miles are highway so I assume that is a big part of why my stock clutch lasted so long.
 
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