South Bend FE SS broken at 1060 miles

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Here is my clutch. It welded itself to the flywheel after doing a burnout at the drag strip. I had right over 1060 miles on it when I pulled in to the track. This happened from dropping the clutch also, there was no slipping of the clutch involved on my part.

You can see the little groove around the whole disk where the material was stuck to the flywheel and is now missing from the clutch.



Here is the flywheel with the material on it.



Pressure plate actually had a little bit too from the other side of the clutch, but very minimal.



disk



flywheel

[AMC]

this happened to me with my southbend stage 3 babied it for 850 miles and then did one launch at 3-3.5k and clutch fused at the flywheel, southbend was very cool enough to repair it for me, the clutch material is a pain to take off of the flywheel tho so goodluck

[Capt. Obvious]

Is there anyone who HASN'T had a bad experience with this clutch?

[Papachristou]

maybe it needed more breaking in... someone had pulled theirs at 1500 miles and said it only looked about halfway broken in...

or you are just making too much power!

[Papachristou]

Is there anyone who HASN'T had a bad experience with this clutch?

me of course im not making 400hp but i drop launch it quite often, ive done donuts and even let my wife learn to drive with it. i showed her what slipping it was and how to do it (so she wouldnt do it and so she could recognize how it felt when you did) it still drives and grabs like day one

[A4ringedONE8T]

My OFE SS is still going strong with almost 40k miles from a K04, GTRS, 3071R, and 3076R

[dougyfresh]

Is there anyone who HASN'T had a bad experience with this clutch?

Me. I haven't launched my car though. So, I guess I baby it... For now.

Pictures of my (SB OFE SS) clutch after about 10k on it:

I've got 10k, or so, on it. Southbend OFE SS.


OEM DM flywheel:


flywheel side of clutch disc:


pressure plate:


pressure plate side of clutch disc:

from this thread: http://audizine.com/forum/showthread...28#post2626428

It now has 15k on it.

[mike-2ptzero]

Is there anyone who HASN'T had a bad experience with this clutch?

LOL, its a "street" clutch not a race clutch and nearly everyone that has an issue with it was trying to launch the car or do a burn out before making a pass at the track.


There is a simple fix, if you want to drag race buy a race clutch.



It isn't hard to figure out, if you rub 2 solid metal surfaces together at 6,000 + rpms they end up producing enough heat to become 1. This doesn't happen with a puck disk because it is not 1 solid surface.

[Don Supreme]

So far, I have been lucky with my stage 4 ss, but I don't slip it -- I JUST DROP IT!

[MikTip]

LOL, its a "street" clutch not a race clutch and nearly everyone that has an issue with it was trying to launch the car or do a burn out before making a pass at the track. There is a simple fix, if you want to drag race buy a race clutch.It isn't hard to figure out, if you rub 2 solid metal surfaces together at 6,000 + rpms they end up producing enough heat to become 1. This doesn't happen with a puck disk because it is not 1 solid surface.

*Ding!*

[A4 TSCHUSS]

So far, I have been lucky with my stage ss, but I don't slip it -- I JUST DROP IT!

I just drop it too. Just like I did with my OFE before this one, never had a problem like this with the OFE though in the 30,000 miles I had it which is weird since it has the same material on the flywheel side and it saw a shit load of lauches and burnouts at the track and on the street.

The clutch is on its way back to South Bend right now. They are gonna replace the disk for free with an 8 puck Ceramic disk, and resurface flywheel for me. I could pay a little for a 6 puck since they would have to use a different center disk but figured I would be ok with the 8 puck. Hope it works out for me.

[mike-2ptzero]

I just drop it too. Just like I did with my OFE before this one, never had a problem like this with the OFE though in the 30,000 miles I had it which is weird since it has the same material on the flywheel side and it saw a shit load of lauches and burnouts at the track and on the street.

The clutch is on its way back to South Bend right now. They are gonna replace the disk for free with an 8 puck Ceramic disk, and resurface flywheel for me. I could pay a little for a 6 puck since they would have to use a different center disk but figured I would be ok with the 8 puck. Hope it works out for me.

True, but your are talking about 2 completly different turbo setups so you cant really compare them while using the same type of clutch.

I too have drag raced the Gregs car plenty of times and never had a problem with it, but he also doesn't run a GT3076r on his car.



Well if they are using the same hub they must be just doing it so there are spaces between those 8 sections of material. Kind of like this picture which IIRC this is called a segmented disk.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

What is your opinion of the 8 puck ceramic?

I really dont know what to do. It is weird because the B5 I drove has a Clutchmasters 4 puck and it isnt grabby at all. Think it is the FX400, I dont know if that is due to the soft pressure plate feel or what, but it is always said that the puck disks and less pucks will be more harsh engagement so I wasnt sure if I should do the 6 or 8 puck. And then the clutch is also gonna be ceramic instead of feramic this time.

Only thing is im sure down the road I will end up with a bigger turbo again so wonder if it would be worth doing th 6 puck over the 8 puck both with my current pressure plate or if there would really be a difference between the two.

[AudiA4_20T]

seems like the OFE is a solid choice... doesnt look liek anyone has blown the OFE SS from too much power yet

[A4 TSCHUSS]

seems like the OFE is a solid choice... doesnt look liek anyone has blown the OFE SS from too much power yet

I think Charlie (Audi Skate Snow) said he locked up his OFE with is GTRS back in the day when he had his last avant.

[Don Supreme]

A bigger turbo already! Jesus!!!! People won't even wait to maximize the setup first...

Audi guys are turbo obsessed, I swear.


-------------
Whatever you do, don't go 4 puck. I had 4 puck on another car. I wouldn't go that route again on a street car that will see stop and go traffic.

8 puck option sounds promising. Please keep us updated.

[mike-2ptzero]

What is your opinion of the 8 puck ceramic?

I really dont know what to do. It is weird because the B5 I drove has a Clutchmasters 4 puck and it isnt grabby at all. Think it is the FX400, I dont know if that is due to the soft pressure plate feel or what, but it is always said that the puck disks and less pucks will be more harsh engagement so I wasnt sure if I should do the 6 or 8 puck. And then the clutch is also gonna be ceramic instead of feramic this time.

Only thing is im sure down the road I will end up with a bigger turbo again so wonder if it would be worth doing th 6 puck over the 8 puck both with my current pressure plate or if there would really be a difference between the two.

Well what you will have is basically a solid disk with 8 buttons on it. It shouldn't feel any different then what you had.

6 puck setups are not all that bad seeing that most allow you to slip the clutch and then hold once the pressure plate is clamped down 100%. I have been running a 6 puck for so long that I dont even notice a difference between it and the cars running that have a SB clutch kit. I guess the next time I put my car on the trailer I will have to get it on video.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

A bigger turbo already! Jesus!!!! People won't even wait to maximize the setup first...

Audi guys are turbo obsessed, I swear.


-------------
Whatever you do, don't go 4 puck. I had 4 puck on another car. I wouldn't go that route again on a street car that will see stop and go traffic.

8 puck option sounds promising. Please keep us updated.

I didnt say anytime soon, just down the road. I had my gtrs for 2 years then went bigger. I dont know when but I will eventually want it to be faster. I dont plan on getting rid of this car anytime soon especially since I now have pretty much a brand new engine.

I just dont know if the 8 puck will do for say a GT35 or some variant (HTA or whatever).

And like I said, my buddy with the B5 A4 I drove with GT3071 has a Clutchmaster 4 puck and it pretty much drove like stock. He said it was a puck atleast and thinks it is called the FX400

[A4 TSCHUSS]

So what you are saying Mike is I should get the 6 puck then? Is this what Chris is running from South Bend. Think he said he was running a 6 puck.

[7speed]

when i look in clutchmasters site the only cluch that they have available for the b6 is FX600 and FX700

[mike-2ptzero]

A standard clutch is going to have a hard time holding while launching a GT35r pushing 400-500whp. Been down that road.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

when i look in clutchmasters site the only cluch that they have available for the b6 is FX600 and FX700

The others are listed under just A4 not A4 quattro. For some reason quattro only has the two crazy expensive big time dual disk clutches.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

A standard clutch is going to have a hard time holding while launching a GT35r pushing 400-500whp. Been down that road.

So you are calling the 8 puck a standard clutch?

[mike-2ptzero]

The others are listed under fwd. For some reason quattro only has the two crazy expensive big time dual disk clutches.

That isn't even FWD, its just listed as "A4". There is no difference between a FWD and quattro clutch for the A4 1.8t.

[7speed]

That isn't even FWD, its just listed as "A4". There is no difference between a FWD and quattro clutch for the A4 1.8t.

Dont you have a better price for the fx600 clutch ? on the site it is lised a t 1600.00

[A4 TSCHUSS]

That isn't even FWD, its just listed as "A4". There is no difference between a FWD and quattro clutch for the A4 1.8t.

That is what I meant, I corrected my post.

[mike-2ptzero]

Dont you have a better price for the fx600 clutch ? on the site it is lised a t 1600.00

Yes. Make that 6 into a 3 and free shipping.


BTW guys there is another option which is what we are going with on Jakes dads B6 2 liter GT3076r which is getting a Spec 240mm stage 3+ setup.

[7speed]

spec clutches are great and hold like no other

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Dont know what stage spec it was but what was the one with all the problems in the past? Very little mileage and they were tearing apart.

[7speed]

I used spec on my boosted Ford Probe 290wheel on 7psi -

[mike-2ptzero]

That was just a bad batch clutch material that was separating. That was a long time ago.

[sean1.8t]

I think Charlie (Audi Skate Snow) said he locked up his OFE with is GTRS back in the day when he had his last avant.

so did i.

gt28rs + 6k dump =



now im on the FE.

but im scared as hell to launch it. got probably 3k miles on it with no launches and 2980 of those miles are easy babied driving

[Redgoat]

my FE took a lot of abuse before it welded itself to the flywheel. had about 30k on it. I have been happy with Southbend. Especially for what it has handled up until the point it went.

[sean1.8t]

seems as the SB is hit or miss on the BT setups

and strait up miss on the BAT setups.


which really makes sense if you think about it

[B6Lovin]

my FE is holding up just fine. Multiple street launches and 18 @ the track plus burnouts

[rxrep]

I'm so torn as to what to get when I pull the block this winter. I know people with VW's with horrible luck on the specs. I was steering away from OFE and towards FE because I assumed there were less problems.
What to do, what to do....
I like SB's customer service, however yanking that bitch if something goes wrong ain't fun on jackstands in my garage.
Stock clutch and Stage 3+ FTW, lol.

[Redgoat]

I'm so torn as to what to get when I pull the block this winter. I know people with VW's with horrible luck on the specs. I was steering away from OFE and towards FE because I assumed there were less problems.
What to do, what to do....
I like SB's customer service, however yanking that bitch if something goes wrong ain't fun on jackstands in my garage.
Stock clutch and Stage 3+ FTW, lol.

kinda hard to tell how many problems have been had and how many clutches havent had any problems at all. People dont post when they dont have problems.. just when they do

[AudiA4_20T]

Its basically Clutchmasters twin plate or nothing at this point

[317ssayzarc]

Its basically Clutchmasters twin plate or nothing at this point

Eh, until Pac or Johnny post up some more vids of the clutch in chatter, f that

[A4 TSCHUSS]

my FE is holding up just fine. Multiple street launches and 18 @ the track plus burnouts

Yeah but you havent even trapped what I did with my gtrs yet