Kagor 0 Posted September 7, 2020 Hi, 1989 205 GTI 1.9L Phase 1,5 Gearbox: BE1 (lift up reverse) Clutch was worn when I took over the car, changed it for a new one. The dealer I bought from said that the clutch would fit my car as well as some Citroen, don't know which Citroen though, but comparing the parts, the new clutch had only four clutch plate springs and the old one had six smaller sized. The release bearing was also changed. Since the change, the car has behaved extatic, especialy in first gear. Taking off from stand still often makes the whole car shudder and vibrate. I have to get the engine up to almost 2500 rpm to get a smooth take off, or be extremely slow with the pedal release to avoid shudder. I have also noticed some rattling noise coming from the underside of the engine bay/drivetrain, this dissapears when the clutch pedal is depressed. Have been reading different answers on the forum about this, don't know if it is related. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,661 Posted September 7, 2020 how badly worn was the old clutch? I have recently had a flywheel that was so badly damaged with heat spots that the surface was not flat, in my case it was cheaper to find an used flywheel than to have the original one refaced. the noise from the transmission is concerning, have you checked the transmission oil and confirmed it is the correct specification? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kagor 0 Posted September 8, 2020 8 hours ago, welshpug said: how badly worn was the old clutch? I have recently had a flywheel that was so badly damaged with heat spots that the surface was not flat, in my case it was cheaper to find an used flywheel than to have the original one refaced. the noise from the transmission is concerning, have you checked the transmission oil and confirmed it is the correct specification? The grip of the old clutch was almost non existent, and the new one feels intermittent. Feels like it is skipping in scenarios when high torque is required. Never questioned the flywheel to be honest. Underside chatter noise wise, the gearbox oil was changed to Redline MTL 75W-80, should be fresh, at 500 km, but can try changing it to something else recommended, if it is known to solve the issue. In addition, the pedal ended up in a very low position, in non-depressed state, after the clutch change. Drove it for a while and then adjusted the cable letting the pedal have more travel, like it should. Noticed the chatter after the cable adjustment, perhaps the slackened cable let the tension off and the chatter made itself clear? I have read that the clutch/gearbox chatter at idle when clutch not pressed in is a common thing of BE gearboxes. Some say it is a bearing issue, hmm? Otherwise, the gearbox is smooth, no whining or any other strange things at load. All gear changes are good. The car is at 90 000 km and the service history is good. I just wonder who manages to wear out a clutch at that milage Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ozymandis 97 Posted September 8, 2020 The number of springs can just be a different manufacturer and not be a problem. "The flywheel" as Welsh says, can cause this, also a poor clutch cover surface can do the same, ie the opposite side of the "sandwich" to the flywheel. Or the wrong clutch friction plate material can cause this. Petrol and diesel BE clutch plates are different friction material formulations and are identical to look at, some cheaper brands only have one formulation for both, which wear out on diesels within a couple of years. What brand and part number was the new clutch? I have had a car with a new "snatchy" clutch that turned out to be an engine breather pipe leaking oil into the clutch and contaminating the friction material. Crankshaft oil seal leaking? No idea with the noise Id have to hear it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
