AVOID this clutch UPGRADE!

Hey guys.... I'm posting this to prevent someone else from learning this the hard way. I replaced my clutch about 6 months ago. Went with the FVD clutch kit the one with the "Performance" clutch and the lite-flywheel. Well about a month into it the clutch started to act funny.. Well it turns out this clutch material generates too much heat and distorted some of the parts. THis is NOT the RACE clutch, it is the upgraded Performace clutch. FVD claimed they had never had any problems.....offered very little help. They did allow me to send them back the fly wheel to be "machined" back to smooth.....(at a cost and it was a 3 week ordeal)..... So bottom line would be to avoid the Performance clutch in a street car. Just one of those things I wish would have been posted before I did my clutch replacement. Happy Driving Armando

Wow what a bummer. Did you make sure to bed the clutch like brakes? I was told that this is important for normal wear. That sucks about the cost from labor

Yep...it was not an early wear issue it warped the flywheel and caused the bearing to stick a lot. Not just the cost of LABOR...had to replace everything except the flywheel which I had machined. My grip was really that FVD.....really just said, oh that is just too bad...want to buy another clutch kit. Their other products maybe ok but this one is one to avoid....again they have (3) kits, regular clutch, Performance clutch, Race Clutch. All with the lite-flywheel and extra LBS preasure plate. Avoid the Performance one....

good advise..thanks

Good to know. I'd write a leter to the company and tell them what you think of the product. Then mention that you are going to pubish it in this forum. I wonder what their response would be. Jim

...that their lack of customer service will result in bad "reviews" being posted in numerous high-volume Porsche bulletin board/discussion forums... Screw em. Bastards.

Sounds as though FVD should be avoided, more so than the product itself. Sad, really sad..

Thanks for info. I will avoid that company.

Not to lessen the problems that you may have had with FVD, but I think it is a little premature to draw such encompasing conclusions about FVD. I have had good dealings with them. I bought the PSS9s for a great price and during install, I believe they were quie helpful and responsive with my mechanic's questions. Are you sure the clutch was installed correctly? BTW I have no affiliation with FVD...just think you should try to work things out before your post turns into a bashing that is not deserved...like the HRE fiasco and it wasn't even their wheels...oh the internet.

I made it a point NOT to bash them too hard in my original post and even said their other products maybe ok.... However, the customer service experience was very poor for my particular case. My main point was to let everyone know to avoid that CLUTCH KIT. Number two, was to express my dis-satisfaction with the service after the fact. If the clutch had just been worn out in 6 months they could have claimed it was me dumping the clutch at every corner......this was an obvious problem with the product and they should have handled it in a fashion other than the one they selected. Maybe, by offering me a discount on a new clutch, preasure plate and assorted bearings.....But they choose to say, we never had this problem would you like another...it was too recent for them too pull that, especially with the damage that was done due to the exessive heat... If you get treated badly some pleace you tell your friends that is all I'm doing, let everyone choose for themselves.......I doubt I would buy from them again.

Be assured that they are following this thread. I know of at least one poster here that is a FVD member

Porsche parts are too expensive to take any chances. I for one, will not do any business with these guys until I see many more posts regarding a higher level of customer commitment than you were given. Sorry to hear that you have had such a poor experience.

for those of you looking to replace go with the SACHS clutch (makes of Porsche OEM clutches)... Sachs also has a "sport clutch" kit which will definitely work with your STOCK flywheel... for those of us who don't want the lighter flywheel and all the extra noise and maint issues that come with it... very good products.

I agree - Porsche parts are so expensive that there is no reason to take a chance with a company with iffy customer service. I will avoid FVD too. You should post this same message over at 6 speed, renntech.org and flat-6.

I had my clutch upgraded by EVO to "stage II" and I must say, it's excellent! I have had no problems with whatsoever, and it's very "street" driveable