clutch question '95 90q

[Tom Leppke-Hennig]

George asked:

<<I am working on a friend's '95 Quattro 90 V6.

We have removed the clutch and bolted up the new clutch plate and noticed something
I haven't come across before. the plate that is bolted to the flywheel and forms the
friction surface closest to the engine will rotate about 10 - 15 degrees in relation
to the flywheel after the flywheel is torqued tight. The pressure plate bolts to
this surface with the clutch plate in between, so the whole mess will rotate a bit
with the drive shaft etc.

What is the purpose of the built in rotation? is it to act as a shock absorber
similiar to the springs built into some clutch plates?>>

George, in many places, I see Audi refer to the clutch in our V6 manual cars as having a
"dual mass" flywheel. I have never had one apart, and nobody who has has ever given me a
good run-down on what is in there. I presume it is that mechanism that you are seeing in
your buddies car. I have heard that it is to make the engine run smoother, and I have heard
that it is to make the clutch up-take smoother. I do not know which is correct.

Ti, this sounds like something you may know the story on. (bad grammer...sorry)

I will say that our cars are smooth - and that must be why they have done it, but I am
afraid that dual mass also means twice-as-much mass, and I hate it. They have managed to
tune all the rev-ability out of that car and the flywheel could be part of the problem. If I
ever have to do a clutch on mine, the dual mass flywheel is going to become a dual mass door
stop.

Re parts pricing. For dealer-only items, I have given up on being upset about the prices.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason. Some things are reasonable and normal, and other
things are not.

Tom LH
1995 90q