clutch job

[TERRIBLEHONDO]

I am getting conflicting opinions on turning a flywheel. Does anyone have first hand knowledge can they be turned or not? In the clutch article here it says to turn it. I will need to do mine in the next few months and I am on a fact finding mission.

[Manolito]

A '97 came with a dual mass flywheel. It cannot be machined the way a solid flywheel can be machined. You can take some emery cloth and take the glaze off it if you like, but you cannot machine it.

If you take it apart and find that a PO replaced the dual-mass flywheel with a solid one, then you can machine it.

Dual mass flywheels are a cool idea for street cars, and they work quite well until they fail, at which point they are rather pricey to replace.

[TERRIBLEHONDO]

Thanks I had not been budgeting a flywheel. But from what I read and your answer I guess I will need to rethink that one. I have a hard time believing that a flywheel with 150,000 miles can be cleaned up without turning it. From what the previous owner said I have to believe it is original. It sure does increase the cost of doing a clutch! Thanks again.

[Manolito]

You are correct that it is probably not very smooth any more. I replaced my first clutch at about 175k and I kept the old flywheel. Got about 230k miles on it now.

If you notice a little chatter sound after you turn off the key as the engine stops, you definitely want to replace the flywheel while you have it apart. If it is still quiet, then it is up to you whether you want to drop the extra $900 as preventative maintenance.

[TERRIBLEHONDO]

It is quiet no chatter or slipping but the pedal is very high. I guess it will be a take apart and evaluate what to do. If I could get 60,000 miles out of it. It would probably make sense not to replace the flywheel.