Solid flywheel for TD5 opinions please...

[Billy]

So the clutch and possibly dual mass flywheel are on the way out on my recently purchased defender, I've preen looking into solid flywheels and DMFs, general consensus on the landy forums seems to be that if you are working them hard a solid flywheels the way forward but it makes the vehicle louder and increases vibrations which doesn't seem great...

[gensetsteve]

Go for another dual mass. The vibration can damage the gearbox and some vehicles especially the transit suffer from clutch judder. Not sure about the disco

[treequip]

Go with a solid and have no more problems, dual mass is the motor industry’s way of cosseting girlies who have yet to master the art of letting the clutch in.

 

If you are using the vehicle for towing solid is the only way

[Spruce Pirate]

We changed from Dual Mass to Solid flywheel and didn't notice any difference in performance. Only did a few thousand miles before the vehicle was sold, but no noticable increase in vibration or rattles.

[monkeybusiness]

I was going to fit one to a 3 litre Iveco Daily and was told not to as it could lead to a damaged crank shaft - apparently the DMF provides cushioning to the crank shaft as well as smoothing the drive take up. This issue was apparently specific to my particular engine however. I know a few people who have successfully fitted solid flywheels to transits and Navaras with no ill consequences. If I were you I'd go for it.

[combined tree services]

not a good idea , you will get more vibration and there is a certain drone the occurs that i found unbearable , i discussed this at length with the fitter at western power and they agreed that it was a foolish idea to go to a solid flywheel , they did a few but found in the long run there were further problems . they now only do this conversion to mwb-lwb tansits !!

[Shane]

From my experience of transits and what of heard from owners of newer Landies,

dual mass flywheels were introduced because the technology is there rather than the need for them.

When my transit DM flywheel blew up after 55k miles I was advised by all Ford experts to fit a single mass flywheel. I did and it is just as good (just my opinion).

If dual mass is so good why do so many people offer single mass upgrades?

 

They are th McCulloch of the transmission world

[nick channer]

had 3 fitted over last 6 yrs in 3 diff transits no diff what so ever and one i put in my old X reg is still going 70000 miles later..

also put one in ab 03 plate SWB shogun with no diff..

[Treewolf]

There seem to be arguments for and against, but with no clear overwhelming case one way or the other.

 

It is interesting to bear in mind that when LR fitted the transit-derived Puma engine into Defender they reverted from the DMF (Transit) to solid flywheel and sprung clutch (Puma), this must have been for a reason.

 

OK, so they messed it up and the early clutches were rubbish, but there is no doubt at all that the clutch and gearbox on my Puma Defender is infinitely nicer to operate than the clutch and gearbox on my TD5 Disco 2.

[Dean O]

replace a dmf with a solid on td5 defender approx 18months ago.

van is worked V hard towing and carrying every day

no noticeable difference in actual performance except an annoying rattle from the clutch release bearing (I think) - ie rattles when sat in traffic at a stop in neutral without the clutch depressed.