Sachs Clutch Kits Material Options

[Lemon98]

The car is a 1990 320i facelift and I need a new clutch. Engine is stock and no plans on increasing power significantly for the next few years. I want slightly uprated than stock though as I do enjoy giving it some stick and burnouts etc. Gearbox is a 240

I'm happy to go with Sachs but they have different options with different part numbers for the pressure plates. I presume the more expensive ones will have a progressively higher spring rate and therefore clamping force? http://autopartstechnik.co.uk/sachs-clu ... &year=1665

I'm looking at either this Sachs at £125 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/sachs-1221439.html or this LUK at £138 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/luk-623167.html


Please if anyone has any suggestions, experience or reasons why one make is better or worse than the other let me know!!

TIA

[BristolE30]

The car is a 1990 320i facelift and I need a new clutch. Engine is stock and no plans on increasing power significantly for the next few years. I want slightly uprated than stock though as I do enjoy giving it some stick and burnouts etc. Gearbox is a 240

I'm happy to go with Sachs but they have different options with different part numbers for the pressure plates. I presume the more expensive ones will have a progressively higher spring rate and therefore clamping force? http://autopartstechnik.co.uk/sachs-clu ... &year=1665

I'm looking at either this Sachs at £125 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/sachs-1221439.html or this LUK at £138 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/luk-623167.html


Please if anyone has any suggestions, experience or reasons why one make is better or worse than the other let me know!!

TIA

Hey mate

When I did a manual conversion on mine we used this clutch kit from Sachs. Worked a treat, still going strong. Good pedal feel also not too stiff. Take a look at the part numbers

[flybynite]

First of all the three clutch kits on the first web site you list are the same part they are just older part numbers for the same thing. It is a crap web site with random/old pricing as many of them are. For accurate parts use realoem or Sachs website.

3000 950 058 - SACHS.jpg

The LUK is a good clutch but IMHO the Sachs is better (especially the thrust bearing) Often many of these web sites have worse stuff more expensive due to stock levels and the fact some will buy the expensive stuff thinking it is better.

Lastly , unless you are being really daft I would say you are more likely to break something else on a B20/240 sooner than a standard Sachs clutch, but if you try you can burn any clutch out really quickly. I would say attempting to get a standard 320 to burnout may be one of those things.

There is a specific "Sachs Performance" clutch but that will be sold as such and the full kit will be around £500

[Brianmoooore]

A 325 clutch kit is an upgrade for a 320. 325 clutch pedal is heavier than that on a 320, so the cover plate spring must be stronger.
Having said that, with the torque of a 320. you're not going to have problems with the standard item. It's the diff. that'll fail, if anything.

[Lemon98]

First of all the three clutch kits on the first web site you list are the same part they are just older part numbers for the same thing. It is a crap web site with random/old pricing as many of them are. For accurate parts use realoem or Sachs website.


3000 950 058 - SACHS.jpg


The LUK is a good clutch but IMHO the Sachs is better (especially the thrust bearing) Often many of these web sites have worse stuff more expensive due to stock levels and the fact some will buy the expensive stuff thinking it is better.

Lastly , unless you are being really daft I would say you are more likely to break something else on a B20/240 sooner than a standard Sachs clutch, but if you try you can burn any clutch out really quickly. I would say attempting to get a standard 320 to burnout may be one of those things.

There is a specific "Sachs Performance" clutch but that will be sold as such and the full kit will be around £500

This is all really useful thank you!!

I'll try and place an order through the sachs website then. Nice to know about the release bearing.

& you'll be surprised how easily it spins the wheels, I'm still on the standard 195's on 14".

I won't need their performance clutch not a chance, but if there was an option for a firmer pressure plate than complete OEM I would go for it.

[Lemon98]

The car is a 1990 320i facelift and I need a new clutch. Engine is stock and no plans on increasing power significantly for the next few years. I want slightly uprated than stock though as I do enjoy giving it some stick and burnouts etc. Gearbox is a 240

I'm happy to go with Sachs but they have different options with different part numbers for the pressure plates. I presume the more expensive ones will have a progressively higher spring rate and therefore clamping force? http://autopartstechnik.co.uk/sachs-clu ... &year=1665

I'm looking at either this Sachs at £125 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/sachs-1221439.html or this LUK at £138 https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/luk-623167.html


Please if anyone has any suggestions, experience or reasons why one make is better or worse than the other let me know!!

TIA

Hey mate

When I did a manual conversion on mine we used this clutch kit from Sachs. Worked a treat, still going strong. Good pedal feel also not too stiff. Take a look at the part numbers

Thank you dude!! sounds good

[flybynite]

A 325 clutch kit is an upgrade for a 320. 325 clutch pedal is heavier than that on a 320, so the cover plate spring must be stronger.

A lot of places are selling that 320i kit for the 325i as Sachs seem to have stopped making a separate clutch for the M20B25 according to the latest catalogue

Extracted pages from SX_CAT_EBook_Clutches-PC_12481_V02_IN.jpg

I'll try and place an order through the sachs website then.

Order it anywhere, but use a part number from a better place to cross reference

[Lemon98]

A 325 clutch kit is an upgrade for a 320. 325 clutch pedal is heavier than that on a 320, so the cover plate spring must be stronger.
Having said that, with the torque of a 320. you're not going to have problems with the standard item. It's the diff. that'll fail, if anything.

Ahh I'd hadn't seen this thanks, I thought that the diameter or something would be different between the two. I'll do some searching for a 325 kit as well.

[Brianmoooore]

Same part # for flywheel, clutch plate and release bearing. Different part # for cover plates.

[flybynite]

Same part # for flywheel, clutch plate and release bearing. Different part # for cover plates.

Any idea what the difference is between the part numbers for pressure plates for cars with and without airconditioning?

[Brianmoooore]

I don't actually know, but if pushed for a theory, I'd suggest that the air con. cover plate carries more weight around its outer edge, adding to the mass of the flywheel, helping to damp out the surge when the air con. compressor switches on and off.
Now, there's also a different cover plate for cars with a cat. Any suggestions for why that is are welcome!

[Lemon98]

I don't actually know, but if pushed for a theory, I'd suggest that the air con. cover plate carries more weight around its outer edge, adding to the mass of the flywheel, helping to damp out the surge when the air con. compressor switches on and off.
Now, there's also a different cover plate for cars with a cat. Any suggestions for why that is are welcome!

I have a cat... Do I really need a different pressure plate for it??

[Brianmoooore]

Not if you knock the innards out of the cat.
E30 clutch variations are simple compared to the variations in road springs for different markets and spec. levels.

[Lemon98]

Not if you knock the innards out of the cat.
E30 clutch variations are simple compared to the variations in road springs for different markets and spec. levels.

I'm going to get some straight pipes welded in place of it soon. For the time that the clutch is in as well as the cat it won't be much of a problem will it??

[Brianmoooore]

Don't weld in straight pipes if it extends the length of the two pipes from the manifold to the point where they both enter a single box. This would delete or move the cross pipe to the back back, and will adversely affect the torque of the engine. Best solution is simply to smash up the brittle contents of the cat. with a rod, and pour the debris out. Apart from anything else, it keeps MOT testers happy.
Whatever differences there might be between air con. clutches, clutches for cats., clutches for air con. and cats and clutches for neither, they are all minor and insignificant, an I doubt if any variations have been available for a long time.

[Lemon98]

Don't weld in straight pipes if it extends the length of the two pipes from the manifold to the point where they both enter a single box. This would delete or move the cross pipe to the back back, and will adversely affect the torque of the engine. Best solution is simply to smash up the brittle contents of the cat. with a rod, and pour the debris out. Apart from anything else, it keeps MOT testers happy.
Whatever differences there might be between air con. clutches, clutches for cats., clutches for air con. and cats and clutches for neither, they are all minor and insignificant, an I doubt if any variations have been available for a long time.

Ahh yeah that makes sense I hadn't thought of that but totally see your point!! As a studying motorsport engineer I should've picked up on that, was too focused on wanting noise lol. (that and being out of uni for a year)

Thanks for always being helpful Brian