When I bought the GTi, it already had an uprated RS7 (Sachs Performance) clutch kit which was overkill for the Stage 1 tune the previous owner put on the car but I did like the fact that he cared enough to put in some good stuff. Well that clutch was good for up to Stage 2 power but when I turned the wick up with the IS38 turbo and Stage 3 Tune well, let's just say it wasn't going to cut it anymore.
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| South Bend Stage 2 Endurance Clutch - 5-18-2020 |
I couldn't use the power. It simply wouldn't hold. Clutch slip was pretty bad if I really went into boost. The limit of the RS7 clutch is just around 400ft/lbs of torque which is roughly around with an IS38 with tune at full boost can generate at the flywheel. To give myself a little extra headroom while still having streetability, I dropped off the GTi when I picked up Scarlett last week so the Euro specialist team at
Speedsport Tuning could install the clutch kit for me which includes everything (flywheel, throwout bearing, etc). This clutch is rated to 465 ft/lb so it should hold sufficiently but just in case I'm going to make sure to properly break it in before I give it a real test. The pedal feel with the new clutch setup is actually a really nice improvement. In fact, it's much lighter and more streetable than the RS7 clutch which required quite a bit of leg muscle. It's closer to what a stock clutch would feel. It's pretty cool South Bend was able to do that while having a stronger bite. There was a bit of clicking in the clutch pedal initially during engagement as it broke in but now it's perfectly quiet.
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| Dropping off the GTi - 5-15-2020 |
While they had the car, I had them look into why my AC suddenly wasn't working. It was definitely working last year so I figured maybe the AC compressor or relay failed. What they found was when the IS38 was installed with the Wagner intercooler, the bolt for the front bumper going into the hood latch release went too far and actually punctured the AC condenser because the condenser sits more forward now due to the thicker IC.
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| That looks close - 5-18-2020 |
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| Yea, that screw should not be going into the condenser - 5-18-2020 |
A new condenser, shorter screw, O-ring and more R143A refrigerant later and the AC is now fully functioning, ready to provide ice cold air for the hot summer months and beyond.
Maintenance Updates:
Mileage: 56,219
- New South Bend Stage 2 Endurance Clutch and Flywheel
- New OEM condenser and refrigerant refill
