Hello there forum.

I'd like to introduce myself first.
My name is Jason Dale. I used to run the Salt Lake dealer long ago, but left before they went away. Moved back to the Western NY area in '04, and have since then opened a European repair and performance shop. However, I'd would like to say that I'm not trying to use this forum to promote business. I've been on for too many car forums, and beat down far too many spammers to do anything underhanded like that.

With that said, I do have a few exotics in and out of here, but our primary market is Audi/VW (about 50% of our business), with the rest of the Germans accounting for most of the other 50%.

Anyway, I've got a customer's '97 VT Roadster that will be coming in here in about a month. Currently, the shifter, when in neutral, sits very much rearward in the gate, so an engine/gearbox pull is on the list of items to deal with so that we can realign the shift forks.

Now we get to my question. Is there a reliable upgraded clutch/plate/flywheel setup that's somewhere in the $3-5K range that's not a total PITA to drive? I've seen a few posts referencing Evan's kevlar setup. Real world opinions of this unit?

Thanks

Hi Jason, and welcome,

I talked to you back in the day, when I was working on importing my Diablo from England. Was trying to track down the service manuals and such, to try and fufill all the DOT / EPA rules. Turns out I did not need them. Sorta smuggled the car in in pieces...but thats another story.

Anyways...

The late model Diablos use a Valeo clutch. You should be able to cross it to someone elses, or have one made up for less than that. I know clutch masters charges about $1K to rework a clutch in kevlar. Probobly not much more to have a set made....

Its just a clutch. Not rocket science. Once you get it pulled down, you can take measurements and talk to different clutch shops about what they can do.

My Friction disk was a 10 spline, chevrolet center spindle, like 10 3/4 in disk. The P/P was a Sachs truck piece. I know its not the same as the late models but its still a generic clutch.

I have not tried to cross the flywheel to anything else, but I suspect it does cross to probobly a Fiat or other Italian Truck.

I had a clutch shop locally refab my clutch setup, rebuild the T/O bearing, and resurface the flywheel for $ 250.00. Not with kevlar, but I was shaking down all the other issues on the car and did not want to sink a fortune into the clutch right away.

If the clutch effort is a bit much, you can always go with a bigger slave cyl, that should reduce your clutch effort, and remember the late models use that goofy POS dogbone clutch rod.

Look on LamboWeb for info on it. Might as well replace that POS while you are in there, and spare your client the headaches of the broken rod. John has some pretty good info on the clutch stories over there too.

I miss my days a tech...now I bend keyboards instead of wrenches...

Good Luck.

Don Smith
NLA12714. (Bond Car)