Has Anyone Used a Valeo Single Mass Flywheel Kit w/ 24v Swap?

[ForcedFirebird]

Since it's apart, check the diameter of the disk against the FW step and make sure the outer edges are not touching the fillet of the step in FW.

Also, I have come across a bent disk when diag a situation like this. The customer installed his own clutch and put too much pressure on the center splines of the disk and made it kinda like a cone shape. That was a pain to find, ended up chalking the disk, installing the trans/hydraulics enough to test, then pulled it all back down to note markings.

EDIT: One other example, the aluminum FW worked loose, bit that was AL, steel shouldn't have that issue.

[318ti808]

Kevin Looks like the two ears on the new valeo TOB are pretty beat up. Is that part of the issue? Could the problem be the TOB ears were not engaging the clutch fork properly? Was the original TOB ears SIMILARLY scrapped up? Or am I looking at it wrong from a diff angle/view? what’s your conclusion at this point? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Aloha Norm

[KIRIEIW]

Since it's apart, check the diameter of the disk against the FW step and make sure the outer edges are not touching the fillet of the step in FW.

Also, I have come across a bent disk when diag a situation like this. The customer installed his own clutch and put too much pressure on the center splines of the disk and made it kinda like a cone shape. That was a pain to find, ended up chalking the disk, installing the trans/hydraulics enough to test, then pulled it all back down to note markings.

EDIT: One other example, the aluminum FW worked loose, bit that was AL, steel shouldn't have that issue.

Those are some good tips man appreciate it!

[KIRIEIW]

So here's what I've concluded.. I have another brand new in box VALEO clutch kit in my garage, I plan on installing that kit and see if it makes any difference. I don't want to fool around and pull this transmission again. I really don't know what's causing the problem, everything looks OK..

New clutch fork, pivot pin, ect. Really no reason this should be happening. I've only driven this car 40 miles and it took me 4 months to build.. I want to drove this damn thing!!!

Will report back with what happens, I got lazy and decided to do the re assembly tomorrow/ install a brand new pilot bearing while I'm at it.

[ForcedFirebird]

Yes, please report back. Bf.c is full thread just like this with no resolve. Let's keep r3v relevant. :)

[KIRIEIW]

Alright guys I wrestled the transmission back in on my own, got 3 transmission fasteners tightened on up, got the driveshaft bolts in place and started this thing up with no exhaust. Removed the rear jack stands and placed the back wheels on the ground (very important step to verify the issue is fixed!!!)

She goes into gear smooth as butter. Going to call the 1(800) VALEO number tomorrow and try to get a refund. I have no clue what was wrong but the kit they sold me was obviously faulty.. Because the new kit I installed is the same identical part numbers (from the kit that was in the car to begin with) and I have no issues now.

Going to remove the driveshaft after lunch and get the rest of the transmission bolts installed plus give the car a real test drive.. but at least she goes into 1st gear fine now at a complete stop! (And for the record, I only installed 3x trans bolts because I was preparing for pulling the trans a 3rd time!)


-Kevin Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





IMG_9631 by Kevin O'Brien, on Flickr


IMG_9632 by Kevin O'Brien, on Flickr


IMG_9633 by Kevin O'Brien, on Flickr

[KIRIEIW]

Fixed guys!! Just finished about 20min ago, took her for a spin around the block and she shifts into all gears perfect. The VALEO clutch kit I was sent was faulty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mjweimer]

Fixed guys!! Just finished about 20min ago, took her for a spin around the block and she shifts into all gears perfect. The VALEO clutch kit I was sent was faulty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great News!

I hope you have some success getting a refund or a replacement from Valeo...did any of the parts look different from one kit to another? I'm curious if the pressure plate springs are even all around where the TOB contacts it or if there are a few that are bent...


Bummer you had to pull the trans (and all the other bits) but it must feel good now that it's fixed.




P.S - Just got my car on the ground and running....the first thing I checked was how it went into first and reverse....and it seems fine.



MJ

[mike.bmw]

KIRIEIW I'm glad you were able to resove this. Sucks that the other kit was faulty!

[KIRIEIW]

Thanks guys, so I never mentioned this part to avoid confusion, but I had this faulty clutch kit in a 91' 318i M50 swap I built as well. Sadly that M50 engine had low compression so the car was parted/ car sold as a complete roller only missing the drivetrain.. anyways, I did drive that M50 318i down the block and it also was very hard to get into gear, especially at a full stop. At the time I assumed the ZF shift pins were worn, man was I wrong.. I sold that ZF for $100 on CL as "faulty", looks like the buyer got a deal...

6 months later I start this S50 swap on the new coupe I purchased, since I have so many left over parts from the 318i M50 project.. I used that same VALEO clutch kit I had in the 91' 318i with roughly 250ft of driving (not miles, feet!! I only drove that M50 down my street and back). Seeing the S50 coupe had the same problem, hard to shift into gear, I made this thread wondering if it was even possible to use a VALEO kit with a 24v swap, or if other members had had success. The new S50 coupe build has a different transmission, different master cylinder, different slave cylinder, driveshaft, the list goes on/ on.


I've been to hell and back with this VALEO kit. If I had to take a guess, I believe the pressure plate was faulty brand new out of the box. I really did debate only replacing the pressure plate but no way in hell I wanted to pull the trans a 3rd time so I just installed yet another brand new VALEO clutch kit (And I can't stress this enough, same part numbers on the box, pressure plate, clutch disk's and throw out bearings when I compared the two kits!).. The new kit fixed my issue.

No way in hell this kit would be bad on two cars and still be "installer error". Not to mention I work on BMW's for a living.. I'm certain that kit I was sold is bad in some way, shape or form.. And like I was saying I truly believe the pressure plate has something to do with it.


-Kevin

[KIRIEIW]

Great News!

I hope you have some success getting a refund or a replacement from Valeo...did any of the parts look different from one kit to another? I'm curious if the pressure plate springs are even all around where the TOB contacts it or if there are a few that are bent...


Bummer you had to pull the trans (and all the other bits) but it must feel good now that it's fixed.




P.S - Just got my car on the ground and running....the first thing I checked was how it went into first and reverse....and it seems fine.



MJ

Congrats!! I was thinking about you/ your car the other day. Glad to hear you got her running, and I'm even more happy to hear that damn VALEO clutch kit didn't give you any trouble

[mjweimer]

Congrats!! I was thinking about you/ your car the other day. Glad to hear you got her running, and I'm even more happy to hear that damn VALEO clutch kit didn't give you any trouble

Appreciate it! Need to update my build thread...much has happened since January.


MJ

[KIRIEIW]

Just to update everyone, I called VALEO. I will never deal with them again. The service agent was very disrespectful over the phone "pointing the finger at me".. It's just sad VALEO can't stand behind a faulty product they manufactured. Basically they want me to call rockauto to warranty the kit, they have no interest in taking the kit back to inspect it like I requested. What I expected to happen was they'd email me a shipping label so I could send the faulty kit to them and in return, they would send me a new kit. This way they can see what went wrong, I'm not out of my money, ect.

Currently I'm out $482.38 cents. I purchased the kit in 2019 and they're giving me lip for that fact. Will rockauto give me a refund from 2019? Doubtful but I sure will try. This is a word for word quote the agent AND manager when I requested to talk to the manager, "Anything could have happened in that time frame, its your fault you waited close to a year to install the kit. You could have dropped it in that amount of time, we don't know".

I'm sorry but when I build a car, I order all my parts at once to save on shipping/ install them when needed. I explained I'm a BMW technician for a living and I'm certain the kit I was sent was faulty, more then likely an issue with the pressure plate.



__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________



Also I'd like to touch on the fact I said earlier, I had this same kit in my 318i M50 project IN 2019 when I ordered it. The engine had low compression so I couldn't drive the car really more then in/ out of my driveway. It was extremely hard to shift into gear,, at the time I thought it was a transmission issue. Fast forward after parting that car out I used this kit in my S50 swap/ with a completely different transmission.. I had the exact same exact result.. Hard to shit into gear. I purchased another identical VALEO kit brand new (same part numbers) and that fixed my issue. I can now shift into all gears great with no issues. Installed improperly on two different cars? Yea no chance. I'm a very meticulous mechanic.



If this thread brings me anything, I hope the BMW community (not just e30 community) can read this and find my thread. I hope when someone else in the future has this problem, and I'm sure someone else will especially since someone on FCPeuro took the time to write a review/ had my identical issue, that they don't waist countless hours bleeding the slave cylinder, purchasing both new slave and master cylinders and bleed the system 5 or 6 times. All in all I hope whoever reads this saves TIME and MONEY.


All I asked of them was to pay for shipping to take this stupid defective kit back, and send me a replacement. They couldn't even do that for me. Now I'm out money, many hours of labor and diagnosis time, and not to mention no longer a customer of VALEO products.




End of rant.

[mike.bmw]

That is terrible. With a review like that they've now lost 2 customers.

[mjweimer]

Man that is really unfortunate. Good customer service is hard to come by these days....thanks for sharing with the group so we can all be aware of the issues. Concerns me how they would support any warranty or even spare parts.

I hope you can work something out through Rock Auto.



MJ