this is an intresting one.
as the oem clutch was slipping and not badly worn and the replacement is slipping it's makeing me think that the fault lies elsewhere.
the symptoms you've described dont sound like contamination to me. its almost sounds like there is an issue with actuating the clutch as in ether the slave cyl isn't fully returning or pressure is been held in the system.
not done a clutch in that exact model of car but it's usally nigh on inpossible to get a friction disk in the wrong way round just dosent fit ,
hydralic clutches are auto adjusting by nature and in theory cannot over adjust ( unless something is broken )
isn't going to be the bolts to long or seated wrong - give your mecanic some credit.
Hi Danny
Mechanic has just had the car back for a week (mainly waiting for the right bits to come in) and we've eliminated all of the external hydraulic side. The slave/release bearing was new (supplied with clutch) so should be OK. Cant see how the pressure could be held in system now. However; you are right it does seem like it. Symptoms are not unlike leaving your foot on pedal!
I take your point about both old and new clutch slipping. Mechanic and I have both been concerned about this. Especially as old clutch not badly worn! Hence why we have been checking/replacing the hydraulic side. That said the old clutch was just 'giving in' and if I floored it in fifth and it started slipping it would just carry on until I backed off and I could just flick the Tacho round the dial by blipping the throttle. The new clutch on day one was jumping up 500 rpm and then sort of holding until the clutch caught up with the engine then (engine now at 2500-3000 rpm) I can put foot down again and it's OK. It's a bit mysterious! At present we think the old clutch just wasn't man enough to cope with the remap whereas the Sachs is (almost).
I am pretty certain disc is in right way. It was put in with the longer boss facing the gearbox which Sachs confirmed was correct. On the SRE Sachs the longer one is short enough to allow it to mount the wrong way but, again Sachs, say even so it would hardly make any difference. You can't mount the plate the wrong way on the LUK clutch we took out - the boss is too long!
I doubt the bolts were too long. I've used mechanic for years and he is meticulous but he is cocerned that pressure plate might not be properly mounted or adjusted. This is because when the clutch kit arrived it was part assembled, with the clutch disc sandwiched between the pressure plate and DMF. The bolts were pinched up. He was worried that the auto adjustment would automatically move to its max (worn pressure plate) position when he separated the parts and, if so, would need winding back with a special tool. Darkside assured us that this was not a problem and the cluch could be made to auto adjust by pressing the clutch pedal 10+ times before turning the engine on. He is still concerned that this is not good practise and that the clutch cover may have readjusted itself unevenly, or not at all. I note, from this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp5KeAQntGM&feature=related from ZF Services that they recommend a special tool to pre load the clutch during installation otherwise the self adjuster may render the clutch inoperative. Obviously we are both keen to photograph the position of the adjusters etc when he pulls it apart next week.
Obviously; any more thoughts would be welcomed.
