GTi PP uprated clutch

[Papa John]

Where to start? Well, I guess the with the purchase of a Superchips Blufin back in late May is the best place.

Holly sh!t, what a difference. 

In gear acceleration times as recorded on a straight, dry, quiet, Roman road, late one night.....

50-70mph in 3rd - before 3.1 - after 2.2.
50-70mph in 4th - before 4.8 - after 3.2.
50-70mph in 5th - before 7.4 - after 4.5.
50-70mph in 6th - before 8.4 - after 4.9.

That done we hooned it for fuel and the clutch began slipping badly in 6th. sh!t, better stop and let it cool down. Did that and it was still slipping even in Eco mode, which now has a pretty mental power curve too, even! 

Phoned Superchips and related the issue. Oh right, will revise the map and resend it, sorry about that Mister. Returned the car to the stock map, which now seemed dull and unresponsive, but the clutch could handle it at least....

Revised map loaded and out for a test. Nah, it's still slipping in 4th-5th-6th in or even close to boost. I need to think this over and return the map to stock.

Too fast too much clutch slip, Papa John.

[Papa John]

Having thought about it, my options were to return the Blufin and admit defeat, or go for the OEM+ route and set about having an uprated clutch fitted, but which clutch and fitted by whom and for how much??? I also talked it over with my son and he was supportive of doing the later so that's what was decided upon. 

I then got in touch with AKS Tuning and asked them to quote me happy on the following. Helix organic clutch plate (Made in the UK), *Sachs* uprated pressure plate, LUK throw-out bearing, vertical & horizontal quickshifter from Forge & solid shifter bracket bushes.

* I'd have prefered a Helix pressure plate too but AKS couldn't get stock of those, so we agreed on the Sachs part which they supplied at the same price as the Helix, when it's normally more expensive. Which was good of them. I spoke with Paul on the phone who was great and Alex the owner was consulted too and it was him who recommended the solid shifter bushes as the way to go with the quick shifters.

Parts ordered and ahem, paid for  they would be dropshipped to the Indy who'd quoted me happy on the fitment of the replacement parts 5.5hours labour.

Well passed the point of return, in for a penny and all that, the date was set at Thursday 28th June and they'd need the car the whole day. 

Too fast too much money spent. Papa John. 

[Papa John]

So the other major factor was the fitted by whom? As we're headin' to yon London early July it was possible that we could arrange for AKS to do the work? I ask the question? Their workshop is fully booked out until August..... #Busy.

Okay, the search moves much closer to home begins and ends in Glenrothes, with Falkland Performance, whom I've heard very good things about. They quote me 5.5hours labour plus a couple of quid for clutch fluid and the job is booked in for 28.06.2018.

Weds 27th I phone Falkland and get greeted with, oh aye that's your box of bits that arrived from AKS this morning right enough. Yes all good, see yeh the morrow. 

Thursday dawns early and we're off in convoy me leading in the Transh!t and my son following on behind in the GTi. car dropped off we hot foot it back to work and try not to worry too much about the fact that the car is currently under going open-gearbox surgery.... 

The clock ticks by slowly and it's the hottest day of the year so far, a genuine 30c.

Too fast too sweaty.  Papa John.

[Papa John]

FP were good enough to agree to taking a few photies of the job in progress, (will add these going forward) it's not everyday you get to see yer motors gearbox removed. The lad we dealt with is a real entusiast and GTi specialist. He was impressed with it being the performance model and rates this above the R, as being more fun to drive thanks to the LSD diff' and is looking for one for himself.

Forge quickshifter throw is adjustable front to back, so I was keen to hear how he'd set it up? "How I like it, short & snickety with the travel to suit the side to side shifter, which isn't adjustable, but an 11mm spanner and you can adjust that to how 'you' like it?"

To his surprise, I let my son drive it first from Glenrothes back towards home as I followed along in the Transh!t. Big thumbs up from him on dual carriageway as we came level and we swapped motors so I could have a shot, mister.

Sachs pressure plate is heavier in use than the OEM, noticably so, but in a very positive way and after a few miles you soon adjust. The gear change is completely amazingly massively different also in a good way. Really quick, naturally, and the 'stick travel is reduced hugely, side to side and front to back. Clutch bite point is also much lower than the OE (which was becoming quite high and more vague), so that also takes a wee bit of getting used to but it is very smooth and progressive in use.

According to FP as the clutch is an organic plate there's no beading in period required, it's ready to rock! - which's good!  It will make sense to let things bed in a bit, so will be exercising restraint for the first few hundred miles gearchanges at least. 

Was impressed with the set up at Falkland and the young lads knowledge and infectious enthusiasm was clear to see. Having admitted that it was the tune that had brought us down the road upgrading the clutch, he looked up the last GTI PP they had on their rolling road with the Blufin tune and passed on the power graph.  According to FP's dyno, the Blufin is good for 310hp and 462Nm overstock. Beat that turbo dieselers. Little wonder the OE clutch was struggling/slipping !   

So the deed was done and I'd wait for a proper spirited drive on Saturday morning to adjust to the improved performance parameters of the vehicle. 

Too fast too happy. Papa John.

[Papa John]

Was so nice this morning a wee run towards Aberdeenshire was had.

From twenty miles west of me to outer Aberdeenshire and back, Sport mode engaged, air con off! Fuel computer said 22.4mpg. Actual mpg over 101.6 miles, from 21,75L = 22.75mpg. Car drives like a stabbed rat now, much more fun and the gearbox is an utter joy to use. Had the traction control cut in under mid-throttle in third, got it slightly sideways under braking entering one of the many cracking left handers and had an actual lock up from the front left under heavy braking avoiding a head-on with a rather silly motorbiker going for an overtake of a bus which wasn't really on: on a cruiser of all things. No worries mate. Full boost is now much more of an event! which makes overtaking much quicker and therefore safer. The way the car hangs on in corners has always impressed and yon electronic diff now has a proper job on its hands slingshoting the car around the bends and off into the distance.

Having enjoyed what is a brilliant bit of road with very little traffic, I head home, sweaty, but smiling ear to ear.

Keen to see just how much I've ruined the run about fuel economy? I cruise back towards home the last twenty miles, with the air con on now while firmly in Eco mode and only one overtake of a dawdler, on the cruise mostly at 60mph, until I run up behind the usual 6 car mobile chicane doing 38mph who clearly should be on the bus!

Fuel computer reads 46.1mpg, as I roll into the driveway. While this may not be 100% accurate due to the remap? it's still pretty bloody good and the first proper mpg figure was very close to the fuel computer, so I'm hopeful, that in general driving, the car will return better mpg than stock?  Man I love ma new improved, Golf. 



Too fast 200bhp (to go before I reach the limit of yon upgraded clutch).  Papa John.

[Papa John]

Posted in error.

[Papa John]

Linkage.

Clutch & parts = https://www.akstuning.co.uk/

Fitment of clutch & parts = http://falkland.co.uk/

I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. I'll try and answer any questions as best I can.

Cheers the noo. Papa John.

[Watts]

Great write up Papa John! Does the increase in pressure on the pedal feel like it could be a pain in heavy traffic.

Did you upgrade any of the bushes on the gear linkage? I've got a s/h TT metal bracket and some solid bushes on order to go with my short shifter. Hoping that will make an improvement but I'd also like to upgrade the bushes on the cable ends as I reckon there's a fair bit of slop there.

[Exonian]

There are write ups and there are write ups!
Excellent effort Papa John 
This thread will be a great reference point for others.

[Papa John]

Great write up Papa John! Does the increase in pressure on the pedal feel like it could be a pain in heavy traffic.

Did you upgrade any of the bushes on the gear linkage? I've got a s/h TT metal bracket and some solid bushes on order to go with my short shifter. Hoping that will make an improvement but I'd also like to upgrade the bushes on the cable ends as I reckon there's a fair bit of slop there.

I saw that and yes, these were fitted too.

https://www.akstuning.co.uk/aks/142-aks-solid-shifter-bracket-bushes.html

Cheers.