Don't forget the tube
Clutches from Borg & Beck
Published: 11 November, 2014
The Borg & Beck range of clutch products from First Line has reached 2,000 part numbers, covering traditional 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 clutch kits, concentric slave cylinder and solid flywheel kits and a growing range of clutch master and slave cylinders. The manufacturer offers the single mass flywheel replacement kit for models that have suffered a worn or failed DMF. This uses a long travel clutch damper technology to give similar performance to that of the original DMF but with an increased lifespan. More than 50 kits are available, the latest of which replace the DMF and clutch on the Vauxhall 1.3 CDTi diesel engine, used in the Corsa Mk II and II, Meriva, Tigra and Combo vans. A number of clutch master cylinders and clutch slave cylinders also join its clutch programme. The firm says that although the clutch guide tube is not officially part of the clutch kit, it recommends replacing the guide tube when a replacement clutch is installed. If not, it can cause the release bearing to become misaligned which can cause slipping or clutch control issues.
- Original material
The AP brand of clutch parts from SMPE covers 95% of the aftermarket, offering clutch systems, solid flywheels, clutch cover assemblies, drive/friction plates, concentric slave cylinders and clutch/cylinder kits. The range is made up of over 1,300 kits for more than 80 vehicle manufacturers. During the manufacturing process, only original equipment-approved suppliers are used for materials, for facings, castings etc. to ensure high quality parts that are interchangeable with original equipment fitted to the vehicle by the VM.
- Gold star for clutch data
Over 7,500 part numbers are available from British distributor Comline, including braking products, CV joint kits, water pumps, oils, wipers, steering & suspension parts and clutch kits. The firm focuses on single mass flywheel clutch kits as it believes these are more reliable than dual mass flywheel variants. Ensuring customers have all the relevant data they need to source parts is a big undertaking and a large team of data handlers at Comline compile the extensive application and cross-referencing data. This effort has been recognised as the brand has again been classified as an 'A' rated Certified Data Supplier by TecDoc.
- New tech for aftermarket
Long Travel Damper (LTD) Dual Mass Flywheel technology is being introduced into the aftermarket by Valeo which divides acceleration input to the gearbox by more than two at all engine speeds. This technology is important for fuel-saving engines which have a higher torque so generate more vibrations, especially at low speed. The LTD DMF absorbs these, making for a more comfortable ride. It can be adapted on manual, hybrid and wet dual clutch transmission applications. Valeo's OE quality range includes more than 1,900 references and comprises traditional clutch kits, high-efficiency kits, self-adjusting clutch kits, dual mass flywheels, master cylinders and concentric slave cylinders. The parts are supplied under a film to prevent components from moving during carriage.
- An overview of DMF
The dual-mass flywheel is fast becoming a mainstay on a number of new vehicles. Here, ZF explains how it is broken down into its key components
- Toyota Aygo service bulletin
There are more than 830 part numbers in Blue Print's clutch kit programme, covering nearly 2,200 Asian and American applications. Clutch cables, hoses, master cylinders and slave cylinders are also provided. Clutch kits are covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty against manufacturing defects. The firm keeps a close eye on vehicle recalls and service bulletins and one part that has been identified to fail prematurely is the clutch on the 1.0 Toyota Aygo, which also fits the Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1. Drivers began to complain about clutch slip and noise, a funny smell and a total failure of the OE clutch at around 40,000 miles. Toyota issued a bulletin saying that all clutch replacements should be conducted using a larger clutch assembly, replacing the original 180mm clutch with a larger 190mm unit, which can be sourced as a kit from Blue Print. A further bulletin from Toyota stated this would not solve the whole problem and that clutch pedal free play must be checked and adjusted at every 9,000 mile service interval as the amount of free play in the pedal reduces, so does the amount of pressure applied by the clutch cover, which speeds up wear.
