Feedback on Vantage clutch upgrade?
Discussion
So, I finally got my V8V back last week-end with a brand new twin plate clutch.
First, the mechanics told me that the old clutch was worn at 85%, so anyway fitting a new clutch would have improved the situation
Then when I first pressed the clutch, my foot almost got through the floor At last I have a clutch as light as in any "normal" car!
I did not really notice the improvement brought by the lighter flywheel, but I need to drive it more to see if the engine revs more freely.
In conclusion, I am very please with the new clutch and now I can enjoy driving the vantage, which was not the case previously.
First, the mechanics told me that the old clutch was worn at 85%, so anyway fitting a new clutch would have improved the situation
Then when I first pressed the clutch, my foot almost got through the floor
At last I have a clutch as light as in any "normal" car!I did not really notice the improvement brought by the lighter flywheel, but I need to drive it more to see if the engine revs more freely.
In conclusion, I am very please with the new clutch and now I can enjoy driving the vantage, which was not the case previously.
konrad.holl said:
So, what was the place you had it done at (120 km from Zürich) ?
A Garage in soultz specialised in luxury cars , in particular Ferrari (they had an old one insured for 3.5MEuros)It is a kind of "secret" garage as they want to keep it confidential and be able to select their clients. Not all garages can do it 😂😂😂
I was pleased with the service and the prices (compared to Switzerland of course)
Happy to provide more infos if needed 😁
ChilliWhizz said:
Hi Fred, can you say if this was an externally sourced clutch kit that they fitted or an in-house jobbie? My clutch is on its last legs... just hit 55k miles and still on the original!!
Cheers,
Richard
How do you know its on its last legs? is it slipping ? I thought similar and still got to 73k miles before it was slipping a bit and changed it. If you drive 5k miles a year, you could have another few years left yet Cheers,
Richard
bogie said:
ChilliWhizz said:
Hi Fred, can you say if this was an externally sourced clutch kit that they fitted or an in-house jobbie? My clutch is on its last legs... just hit 55k miles and still on the original!!
atchchin:
Cheers,
Richard
How do you know its on its last legs? is it slipping ? I thought similar and still got to 73k miles before it was slipping a bit and changed it. If you drive 5k miles a year, you could have another few years left yet atchchin:
Cheers,
Richard
Maybe it's just me Thanks for the info Fred..
ChilliWhizz said:
Only guessing bogie but it's properly heavy and I've had clutches go on me before so a bit of 'gut' feeling too... Very 'sticky' gear change, and I'm a bit concerned that it might do some damage to the synchro's if it's not disengaging properly... That said, sometimes it feels fine Maybe it's just me
Thanks for the info Fred..
Mine was not slipping at all, but the stiffness was ruining the experience. I am sure I could have kept it many thousands of miles, but I am happy to have replaced it as now I can finally enjoy my car Maybe it's just me Thanks for the info Fred..
fvert said:
A Garage in soultz specialised in luxury cars , in particular Ferrari (they had an old one insured for 3.5MEuros)
It is a kind of "secret" garage as they want to keep it confidential and be able to select their clients. Not all garages can do it ??????
I was pleased with the service and the prices (compared to Switzerland of course)
Happy to provide more infos if needed ??
Looks like I found them. A bit further (+40 km) for me than Koch's Garage in Brühl (Cologne), but definitely looks like an option. Thanks!It is a kind of "secret" garage as they want to keep it confidential and be able to select their clients. Not all garages can do it ??????
I was pleased with the service and the prices (compared to Switzerland of course)
Happy to provide more infos if needed ??
When I had my early Vantage cluth changed just to the later OE clutch versus the original 2005 clutch, it was a revelation. So much lighter. Combined with the later spec gearbox oil that was already in there, it was lovely to use.
The clutch in my 2012 4.7 Roadster manual, which was replaced at 28k miles by previous owner, now 41k miles, is nowhere near as nice to use as my 4.3 was. 1st to 2nd shifting from cold is not so good.
I also drove a 12 month old Vantage S manual recently and it was like a rifle bolt in comparison to my 4.7 clutch
There have been quite a few tweaks I guess over the 12 years of Vantage so far, and have improved all the time. Perhaps if the factory are fitting twin plate an lighter flywheel as OE now, it proves the solution that the aftermarket have been offering for a few years...
The clutch in my 2012 4.7 Roadster manual, which was replaced at 28k miles by previous owner, now 41k miles, is nowhere near as nice to use as my 4.3 was. 1st to 2nd shifting from cold is not so good.
I also drove a 12 month old Vantage S manual recently and it was like a rifle bolt in comparison to my 4.7 clutch
There have been quite a few tweaks I guess over the 12 years of Vantage so far, and have improved all the time. Perhaps if the factory are fitting twin plate an lighter flywheel as OE now, it proves the solution that the aftermarket have been offering for a few years...
My service is due in March, and I am currently thinking I need to get the clutch done too. It doesn't slip, but if I let the clutch out slowly (which I don't usually), it will sometimes make a bit of a graunching noise, which I'm pretty sure it shouldn't.
So I will need to decide where to get it serviced, and what clutch to have fitted.
In the ~18 months I've had the car, it's gone to Spellbound in Farnham a few times. They are quoting ~£2,185 for a clutch and another ~£400 for a flywheel if I need one (which I assume I do) - both plus vat, so ~£3,100 plus the service. Oddly, they will only fit OEM clutch.
I went to see AHM in Hartley Wintney today since I've seen them mentioned on here before - they quoted ~£2500 for OEM and ~£2900 for twin plate, both plus vat but those prices include the flywheel. So either £3k or £3,500. I asked who's the twin plate was, and I was told it's an Aston OEM part adapted to fit the Vantage.
My inclination was to go back to Spellbound, but I must admit the "we will only fit OEM" from an independent was a little annoying. I don't really need twin plate for the way I drive the car but I was expecting to have the choice.
So I need to decide within the next few weeks. I have been happy with Spellbounds work to date, but they did feel a little "main dealer" at last years service, and the refusal to fit anything other than the OEM clutch has reinforced that feeling.
I didn't come away from AHM thinking "I must have my car serviced here" but at the same time, they were very helpful and I didn't find anything that would stop me having my car serviced there - even if it was mostly Alfa's there when I visited, but there were a couple of Astons there.
Decisions, decisions.....
ETA : Just called BR : £2850 for OEM, £3,600 for twin plate (Inc vat and flywheel). It's less convenient - 90 miles away - but given their reputation, it's tempting...
So I will need to decide where to get it serviced, and what clutch to have fitted.
In the ~18 months I've had the car, it's gone to Spellbound in Farnham a few times. They are quoting ~£2,185 for a clutch and another ~£400 for a flywheel if I need one (which I assume I do) - both plus vat, so ~£3,100 plus the service. Oddly, they will only fit OEM clutch.
I went to see AHM in Hartley Wintney today since I've seen them mentioned on here before - they quoted ~£2500 for OEM and ~£2900 for twin plate, both plus vat but those prices include the flywheel. So either £3k or £3,500. I asked who's the twin plate was, and I was told it's an Aston OEM part adapted to fit the Vantage.
My inclination was to go back to Spellbound, but I must admit the "we will only fit OEM" from an independent was a little annoying. I don't really need twin plate for the way I drive the car but I was expecting to have the choice.
So I need to decide within the next few weeks. I have been happy with Spellbounds work to date, but they did feel a little "main dealer" at last years service, and the refusal to fit anything other than the OEM clutch has reinforced that feeling.
I didn't come away from AHM thinking "I must have my car serviced here" but at the same time, they were very helpful and I didn't find anything that would stop me having my car serviced there - even if it was mostly Alfa's there when I visited, but there were a couple of Astons there.
Decisions, decisions.....
ETA : Just called BR : £2850 for OEM, £3,600 for twin plate (Inc vat and flywheel). It's less convenient - 90 miles away - but given their reputation, it's tempting...
Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 31st January 14:17
Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 31st January 14:18
davek_964 said:
My service is due in March, and I am currently thinking I need to get the clutch done too. It doesn't slip, but if I let the clutch out slowly (which I don't usually), it will sometimes make a bit of a graunching noise, which I'm pretty sure it shouldn't.
So I will need to decide where to get it serviced, and what clutch to have fitted.
In the ~18 months I've had the car, it's gone to Spellbound in Farnham a few times. They are quoting ~£2,185 for a clutch and another ~£400 for a flywheel if I need one (which I assume I do) - both plus vat, so ~£3,100 plus the service.
Oddly, they will only fit OEM clutch.
I went to see AHM in Hartley Wintney today since I've seen them mentioned on here before - they quoted ~£2500 for OEM and ~£2900 for twin plate, both plus vat but those prices include the flywheel. So either £3k or £3,500. I asked who's the twin plate was, and I was told it's an Aston OEM part adapted to fit the Vantage.
My inclination was to go back to Spellbound, but I must admit the "we will only fit OEM" from an independent was a little annoying. I don't really need twin plate for the way I drive the car but I was expecting to have the choice.
So I need to decide within the next few weeks. I have been happy with Spellbounds work to date, but they did feel a little "main dealer" at last years service, and the refusal to fit anything other than the OEM clutch has reinforced that feeling.
I didn't come away from AHM thinking "I must have my car serviced here" but at the same time, they were very helpful and I didn't find anything that would stop me having my car serviced there - even if it was mostly Alfa's there when I visited, but there were a couple of Astons there.
Decisions, decisions.....
ETA : Just called BR : £2850 for OEM, £3,600 for twin plate (Inc vat and flywheel). It's less convenient - 90 miles away - but given their reputation, it's tempting...
Not all flywheels are created equal and not all twin plate clutches are created equal. Look for balancing and quality of materials...So I will need to decide where to get it serviced, and what clutch to have fitted.
In the ~18 months I've had the car, it's gone to Spellbound in Farnham a few times. They are quoting ~£2,185 for a clutch and another ~£400 for a flywheel if I need one (which I assume I do) - both plus vat, so ~£3,100 plus the service.
Oddly, they will only fit OEM clutch.
I went to see AHM in Hartley Wintney today since I've seen them mentioned on here before - they quoted ~£2500 for OEM and ~£2900 for twin plate, both plus vat but those prices include the flywheel. So either £3k or £3,500. I asked who's the twin plate was, and I was told it's an Aston OEM part adapted to fit the Vantage.
My inclination was to go back to Spellbound, but I must admit the "we will only fit OEM" from an independent was a little annoying. I don't really need twin plate for the way I drive the car but I was expecting to have the choice.
So I need to decide within the next few weeks. I have been happy with Spellbounds work to date, but they did feel a little "main dealer" at last years service, and the refusal to fit anything other than the OEM clutch has reinforced that feeling.
I didn't come away from AHM thinking "I must have my car serviced here" but at the same time, they were very helpful and I didn't find anything that would stop me having my car serviced there - even if it was mostly Alfa's there when I visited, but there were a couple of Astons there.
Decisions, decisions.....
ETA : Just called BR : £2850 for OEM, £3,600 for twin plate (Inc vat and flywheel). It's less convenient - 90 miles away - but given their reputation, it's tempting...
Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 31st January 14:17
Edited by davek_964 on Tuesday 31st January 14:18
JohnG1 said:
Not all flywheels are created equal and not all twin plate clutches are created equal. Look for balancing and quality of materials...
Thanks, interesting to know.BR are probably my first choice but the practicality of getting there and back (twice) Monday to Friday means they probably are not really am option.
I remember I discussed clutches with BR about a year ago, and just found the update I did in my 'V8 Vantage - what's it really like' thread.
At the time, BR told me that if I didn't track the car / take part in lots of traffic light GPs / heavy clutch user then OEM was probably the right choice. So that may well sway me to OEM.
Technically, that means there is no reason that Spellbound couldn't do it, but they are £250 more than BR for OEM. I imagine that's likely to pretty much covered collection / delivery (90 miles each way) - if that's the case it will probably go to BR in March.
At the time, BR told me that if I didn't track the car / take part in lots of traffic light GPs / heavy clutch user then OEM was probably the right choice. So that may well sway me to OEM.
Technically, that means there is no reason that Spellbound couldn't do it, but they are £250 more than BR for OEM. I imagine that's likely to pretty much covered collection / delivery (90 miles each way) - if that's the case it will probably go to BR in March.
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