[Dan Bilzerian]

Mine is going out so I thought why not just upgrade if it's not ridiculously expensive.

[Phil325i]

Exercise caution. Uprated clutch will probably need a different flywheel and if you ditch the DMF, the resulting vibrations may damage the crankshaft. Make sure you get good advice and consult a supplier who knows his stuff...

[BudVlad]

I installed SPEC Stage2 clutch (kevlar) on original flywheel. I have more than 40K km on the clutch with no problems.

[BavarianMWfan]

Stick with OEM clutch. There is really no need for an upgraded clutch unless you are planning for forced induction.

And while everything is open, also change the DMF Flywheel. Trust me it will be worth it. I am dealing with a worn/glazed flywheel which causes juddering at low RPM take offs. Really annoying to me and passengers. I have to rev it higher for smoother take offs but that increases wear on my clutch.

[justpete]

Originally Posted by Seattle(206)

Mine is going out so I thought why not just upgrade if it's not ridiculously expensive.

Unless you're tracking or racing the car in some way an upgraded clutch isn't really going to buy you much. A performance clutch is useful in reducing the shift time by getting the torque to the road as quickly as possible but it really isn't possible without a billet flywheel. An upgraded clutch could make a difference if the engine torque is so high it's slipping but the stock clutch is nicely matched to the N51/2/3 engine's output and is far easier to drive than a clutch with a billet flywheel.

[Dan Bilzerian]

Originally Posted by justpete

Unless you're tracking or racing the car in some way an upgraded clutch isn't really going to buy you much. A performance clutch is useful in reducing the shift time by getting the torque to the road as quickly as possible but it really isn't possible without a billet flywheel. An upgraded clutch could make a difference if the engine torque is so high it's slipping but the stock clutch is nicely matched to the N51/2/3 engine's output and is far easier to drive than a clutch with a billet flywheel.

Is there a way I could adjust the tension in my clutch so it's a little harder to push in?

[CharleyGFX]

Originally Posted by BudVlad

I installed SPEC Stage2 clutch (kevlar) on original flywheel. I have more than 40K km on the clutch with no problems.

That's the spec d clutch right? I currently have the ACT street clutch with a oem flywheel, it chatters a lot. How are you liking the spec?

[Three_thirty_I]

Generally I think the stock clutch is fine, especially if you have deleted the CDV, that is a disaster item doing all it can to wear the clutch out!

[Dan Bilzerian]

Originally Posted by Three_thirty_I

Generally I think the stock clutch is fine, especially if you have deleted the CDV, that is a disaster item doing all it can to wear the clutch out!

How do you get rid of the Clutch Delay Valve?

[Love The Drive]

Originally Posted by Seattle(206)

How do you get rid of the Clutch Delay Valve?

You get under the car, clamp the transmission fluid line (if I'm not mistaken), unscrew the clutch delay valve (CDV), get an L-key of the CDV hole size and gently hammer out the restrictive inside piece, bleed the clutch after you put the piece back on, and enjoy the drive.

I actually ordered one from online and replaced the one on the car so I have the original as well.

You can do either, whichever you prefer.

I have also heard some people completely remove the plastic CDV all together and just connect the pipes on both sides together. I am wondering if this is more effective than knocking out the plastic restrictive piece from inside the CDV because the clutch still feels like it has a slight minimal delay on release with my setup.

[justpete]

Originally Posted by Seattle(206)

Is there a way I could adjust the tension in my clutch so it's a little harder to push in?

Not that I know of, it's a self-adjusting clutch.

[justpete]

Just a minor warning about doing a CDV delete. It is possible once it's gone to hot spot the flywheel if you accidentally drop the clutch hard. Not a disaster but the flywheel will have hardened spots from the excessive heating and can start to wear unevenly. It isn't enough to worry about but the shock to the driveline can be pretty severe. That's what happened one rainy day last year and I didn't learn about the hot spotting until the clutch and flywheel were swapped out a few months later. Clutch wear wasn't much different than normal but the stock flywheel was toast. Don't let this stop you from doing a CDV delete though, it's well worth the risks.

[BudVlad]

Originally Posted by CharleyGFX

That's the spec d clutch right? I currently have the ACT street clutch with a oem flywheel, it chatters a lot. How are you liking the spec?

It’s much better than the oem clutch. I will use it again.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by Seattle(206)

Is there a way I could adjust the tension in my clutch so it's a little harder to push in?

no. essentially, the tension is set by the pressure plate clamping force. if you want a stiffer clutch, you need a stiffer pressure plate.

[chris82]

Originally Posted by BavarianMWfan

Stick with OEM clutch. There is really no need for an upgraded clutch unless you are planning for forced induction.

And while everything is open, also change the DMF Flywheel. Trust me it will be worth it. I am dealing with a worn/glazed flywheel which causes juddering at low RPM take offs. Really annoying to me and passengers. I have to rev it higher for smoother take offs but that increases wear on my clutch.

How low of RPM were you having the juddering? I usually have to rev to ~1000 to get a nice smooth take off. Idle take offs are possible, but I get juddering doing that.

[Three_thirty_I]

There are loads of well documented DIYs showing exactly how to delete the CDV. Basically it entails getting under the car and removing the lower engine/gearbox covers, then pinching the hydraulic line to the clutch. You then remove the CDV by releasing the metal clips (does not unscrew like the older ones). You can either just connect the two ends of the hose together without the CDV, or you can fit a modified CDV to retain the stock look (good if your car is still under warranty or service plan), but I think trying to modify the CDV by pushing or drilling the inner bit out is a bit too risky. You will then have to bleed the line, and then you are good to go.

Originally Posted by justpete

Just a minor warning about doing a CDV delete. It is possible once it's gone to hot spot the flywheel if you accidentally drop the clutch hard. Not a disaster but the flywheel will have hardened spots from the excessive heating and can start to wear unevenly. It isn't enough to worry about but the shock to the driveline can be pretty severe. That's what happened one rainy day last year and I didn't learn about the hot spotting until the clutch and flywheel were swapped out a few months later. Clutch wear wasn't much different than normal but the stock flywheel was toast. Don't let this stop you from doing a CDV delete though, it's well worth the risks.

Yep, the whole reason why BMW introduced the CDV was to protect the drivetrain from abuse - typically dumping the clutch will want to break something down the line. Then again, this is the first car that I have owned that has this horrible thing, and while I have never damaged or burnt a clutch in the past, this thing has definitely caused more clutch wear than I reckon would have been the case if it didn't have the CDV. I also don't launch or race the car, so for normal use I just find the CDV makes the clutch feel a bit vague (that's the other general issue).

So yes, definitely consider that by deleting the CDV you are adding a certain risk factor that you may cause damage if you are doing things like dropping the clutch with the engine revving. But this counts for any other car that does not have this stupid thing...

[Three_thirty_I]

Originally Posted by chris82

How low of RPM were you having the juddering? I usually have to rev to ~1000 to get a nice smooth take off. Idle take offs are possible, but I get juddering doing that.

Both my E90 and E46 have always been prone to a shuddering clutch if the revs are a bit too low on the first few starts of the day. If you just increase the revs a bit (as you say ~1000 rpm) and do everything gently, then it's easily avoidable. After a few minutes of driving the clutch is then fine and far less prone to suffer from this problem. At least this is what I have noticed with both cars.

[chris82]

Originally Posted by Three_thirty_I

Both my E90 and E46 have always been prone to a shuddering clutch if the revs are a bit too low on the first few starts of the day. If you just increase the revs a bit (as you say ~1000 rpm) and do everything gently, then it's easily avoidable. After a few minutes of driving the clutch is then fine and far less prone to suffer from this problem. At least this is what I have noticed with both cars.

Oh I see what you're saying

[631twentyeighteye]

Yeah the clutch is very similar in my 128i.

Keeping an eye on this thread because i'd like to move to a clutch that can take more abuse once the stock clutch wears out. No signs of that so far at 71k miles though.

[Dan Bilzerian]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

no. essentially, the tension is set by the pressure plate clamping force. if you want a stiffer clutch, you need a stiffer pressure plate.

So basically if I want that I'm looking at a new clutch entirely then?

[hassmaschine]

yep

[Dan Bilzerian]

Gotcha! Thanks