Fender0122

Well, supposedly ECS has sold 160 of these exact setups and have had no returns. The disk and PP are the OEM company, LuK, so I know the quality is there on that part. It looks like this one just slipped through quality control. I have a hard time distrusting ECS bc they seem to be a great company, but this is not the first time they have disappointed me, either. It took them 4 days after christmas to ship out a timing belt kit, resulting in me getting the parts a week and a half later. They are located 2 hours from me...

600whpA4

I have seen clutch kits from other companies end up being the wrong stack height. Had a big issue on a 240mm Spec clutch that went into a B6 and seen other A4 owners have the same issue.

Not always the case, I have even seen the slave rod pop right out of the fork because the rod end was not in the dimple.

It was a change Audi made on the B6 cars. I have one out of a B6 and have seen plenty other B6 A4 1.8t owners post up pics of their stock clutch showing that it was a sprung disk with a dual mass flywheel.

It is the RA4 kit which is a 240mm Cast flywheel and either a OEM S4 or RS4 240mm clutch kit and a S4 2.7t throw-out bearing. So the clutch is not going to work on the stock A4 1.8t dual mass flywheel which is only 228mm.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B5_A4-...Clutch/ES5485/

Here is a picture of the flywheel on their site.


It is a cast stee flywheel. Spots that are machined down are to center balance it.

Here is a picture of the Billet Steel flywheel that is included in the Clutch Masters A4 1.8t 240mm Kit so you can compare it to the ECS cast flywheel.



If he has the surface machined down he also needs to grind down the lip(surface where the PP bolts down) so that the height between the 2 stays the same. If you only machine the surface down the amount of clamping load on the disk changes.

He can just check the stock clutch/pp/tb for height and check to see if the ECS kit is the same.

600whpA4

They are OEM parts but those OEM parts have had their issues. Feel free to do a search about the SAC issue on those clutch kits posted by S4/A6/Allroad 2.7t owners. Exactly why SB started using Sach Racing pressure plates for their 2.7t kits and decreased the RS4 pressure plate to just stage 1-2. Also why Clutch Masters does not use those Stock pressure plate and only uses Sach for their 2.7t kits.

Fender0122

Does anyone have the specs on the height between the top of the FW and the contact surface for an S4 clutch? I just got back from the machine shop and he said everything looks like it should be clamping hard enough, but didnt have the specs on the S4 clutch for some reason to make sure. The guy seemed to think it could be something else like excess slop in the crank, which I have checked and it has no movement at all. Could it be something in the tranny, like the center diff or something?

Btw, sometimes when it was slipping really bad, if I put the clutch in and dead revved it, it would squeak at me when it had a slight bit of load when I blipped the throttle. Seemed like it wasnt disengaging all the way or something.

600whpA4

None of those things are going to cause the clutch to slip. Either there is a issue with the clutch or the clutch just cant handle the power you are making.

The squeak could be the throw-out bearing. If the clutch isn't disengaging all the way you would notice it since the car would want to creep forward.

Fender0122

Well I am only chipped on an s4 clutch, so power is not the issue. I did somewhat notice some noises if I'm coming to a stop and I go and put it in 1st with the clutch all the way in, but I dont notice it creeping forward any. I think thats somewhat normal for the transmission to do that, but the clutch does grab immediately when I start to let out the clutch with it all the way down to the floor. That almost makes me think its still grabbing at full disengagement, but doesnt make sense to not have enough clamping force then bc of too much stack height.

600whpA4

Make sure you check the SAC while the PP is out. If it is not set correctly it can cause the clutch do engage right at the bottom of the pedal. The tabs should be sticking out of the openings.

HBAudi

I believe this is regarding a B5 A4, not a B6. The 'stack height' can be compared when both assemblies are on the bench to determine the overall thickness.

When the gearbox is bolted to the engine and the clutch slave cylinder is correctly installed into the opening in the clutch housing, the rod will engage the release fork in the dimple just as it was designed to do. The accordion-shaped rubber boot holds the rod in place when the cylinder is inserted into the housing.

I have still never seen one on a B5 A4 with an OEM clutch assembly fitted.

Given the use and purpose of this vehicle, I believe it is best to retain the OEM clutch assembly and release bearing unless the vehicle is being raced or has an unusually high torque output, not to mention the time spent assembling and disassembling the drive line.

Fender0122

Well I got it back from the machine shop. I had them resurface the contact area and match what they took off and then a little more on the outer edge as well. I'm hoping this will increase the clamping force. Now time to reinstall and hope for the best...

Fender0122

So I figured I'd update since I have about 500 miles on it. It still seems to squeal and jump a little, but it is better. The only thing is the pedal feel seems to be inconsistent. It is definitely more grabby most of the time, but seems to take a long time to engage sometimes. I've replaced the slave cylinder and ordered a master cylinder so maybe thats causing the issue.