I've recently done a remap to my 156 at AHM, which increased power from 150bhp to around 180-185 bhp. As it's not the first car I remap, I knew that the clutch could potentially go... And indeed the clutch has started to show signs that it needs replacing: it's started to slip sometimes (on hard accelerations in high gears specially).
I've booked a clutch replacement with Avanti, an Alfa specialist in Ipswich. I have been assured that the kit will be a Valeo, they'll let me know if the DMF needs replacing and they have given me a quote including that too (I am really crossing my fingers about the DMF...)
My question is: Valeo is pretty much the standard clutch, should I get an up-rated one of some sort or will the Valeo cope well with the remap? Is there anything else that people recommend to replace/check at the same time? I have been thinking that they could replace the bush(es) underneath the slave cylinder as the pedal can be a tiny bit notchy at times (specially after a long drive in town with lots of stop/start) although it could be due to the clutch being worn I guess...
I've recently done a remap to my 156 at AHM, which increased power from 150bhp to around 180-185 bhp. As it's not the first car I remap, I knew that the clutch could potentially go... And indeed the clutch has started to shown signs that it needs replacing: it's started to slip sometimes (on hard accelerations in high gears specially).
I've booked a clutch replacement with Avanti, an Alfa specialist in Ipswich. I have been assured that the kit will be a Valeo, they'll let me know if the DMF needs replacing and they have given me a quote including that too (I am really crossing my fingers about the DMF...)
My question is: Valeo is pretty much the standard clutch, should I get an up-rated one of some sort or will the Valeo cope well with the remap? Is there anything else that people recommend to replace/check at the same time?
Remap is fun isn't it? My old 147 Q2 ran fine on the stock clutch and DMF (which the previous owner paid £900 for), Dan at Autolusso Penrith did the remap for me and it was around the 200bhp mark. Of course it helps if the clutch etc is fairly new. It would be interesting to know how cars on the standard diff respond to this extra power. I'm not sure about the JTDs but the V6s occasionally destroy their own standard diffs so I would entertain the idea of the Q2 or Quaife diff and this would probably give you the best all round package following the remap. The difference between cars fitted with the standard and those with a limited slip differential is very noticeable. Saying that, it is between £650-£750 to have one fitted but it is a cracking mod. Plus, the fact you have a 156 means you don't have a JTD fitted with swirl flaps so that's a £300 saving right there :thumbup:.
Well, had it not been for this issue, the first mod I would have done would be fitting Eibach ARB's. I will consider the Quaiffe differential, thanks for the suggestion! ☺
I have the Autolusso standard remap (195 I think Loz said it would make..), standard clutch, standard diff, standard suspension (not gonna count Powerflexed upper wishbones), and performance friction brake pads.
Goes great in a straight line, nice and progressive on windy A-roads.... Big washes of under-steer when pushed though, e.g. giving it a boot full on the exit of a roundabout see it drifting right over as it struggles for traction. I'll at some point be looking to get eibach ARBs and the Quaiffe fitted.. But for the moment it's not too disappointing to drive for me!
The 3.2 Busso does seem to kill the standard diffs, but there's not anywhere near as many reports of the 1.9 JTD's (remap or not) causing similar carnage... Still a worthwhile upgrade, but perhaps less high priority from a reliability point of view.
Thing is if you just go for the SMF and GTA clutch option straight off it will be around the same price as a standard clutch and DMF but with the advantage that if you decide to go further you won't have to do the clutch again.
a 170 dimpled clover clutch will hold anything that the standard turbo can push out but its ''rated '' to 170.
if at some pint in the future you decide to hybrid the turbo and go for 225bhp and over 500nm then you will know the clutch is up to the job.
Thing is if you just go for the SMF and GTA clutch option straight off it will be around the same price as a standard clutch and DMF but with the advantage that if you decide to go further you won't have to do the clutch again.
a 170 dimpled clover clutch will hold anything that the standard turbo can push out but its ''rated '' to 170.
if at some pint in the future you decide to hybrid the turbo and go for 225bhp and over 500nm then you will know the clutch is up to the job.
Thanks for the advice joey, it makes perfect sense to make it upgrade-proof but I am fairly sure I won't be trying to get more power; I'm happy with 185 so I think I will stick with standard (Valeo + DMF). What I want to focus on once my funds recover, is the handling.
Yup...
I did exactly that.
The result..?
2 clutches during my ownership.
If you are sure you are happy then all good.
But honestly I don't see a down side to the upgrade when the price is practically the same.
Your buck though mate..
185 will be fun.
250 is def "funner"
;-)
You definitely spoke to my "evil" side there... Your comment almost got me thinking "you know what?... he is actually right, I want more power!" :wink_org:
Remapping is almost addictive as once you get used to the "new" power/torque, you end up wanting more.. but this time, I'm fine :biglaugh:
Thanks for the suggestion though and for taking the time to reply!
Hi joey,
By the time I read your post it was too late. I have now replaced the clutch with a Valeo kit + dmf. Many thanks for the offer though! ��
It's so nice to have that "new car" clutch feel and being able to enjoy the remap again... I actually am not based in the south anymore but decided to go to AHM as I go around that area with relative frequency.
Regarding the clutch fitting, for the record, I took my car to Avanti in Ipswich and they were really good. The owner Mario has a lot of experience working with Alfas and has even been an Alfa Romeo trainer. Pretty good price and good service. ��
well done and at least now you can get on with enjoying the remap!
plenty more mods you can do to harness the power, I would start with eibach ARB's and a quaife..will transform the handling in corners, the car stays flat and the LSD just drags it round provoking just a little lift off oversteer if you want it..
glad you had a good resolution..:smash:
Now I just need to go through all the parts I have and stick em up for sale!!!
I have a 156JTDM 150 remapped to about 190BHP, 140,000 and I have done about 40,000 with the remap. The car is on the original clutch/DMF but the clutch is beginning to slip slightly.
Just wondering if I should go with the Autolusso Solid Flywheel Conversion Kit or just replace the clutch ? Logically I suppose I should get the flywheel done when the clutch is out....
Also as my local Alfa Indy will be doing it, is the clutch a big job on a 156 diesel ?
Another question... where is the best place to get 2 new front wings for my 156 ? Rest of the car is solid but the wings are not ! And is that an easy DIY fix ?
Fancy coming over to Autolusso Penrith at getting it done? Its a reasonably big job, all day. We can order in some new original wings with a fairly chunky discount off list price.
If you drive the car hard most of the time then the GTA clutch & solid flywheel might suit you better - its not as nice in slow moving city traffic but feels great on the open road, makes the engine feel revvier. If you sit in traffic a lot or do a lot of 'crawling' then you'd be better off with a new original clutch and a new dual mass flywheel if it needs one.
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