MK1 4 speed clutch?

**DNA** · 06-08-2008, 02:24 PM

G'day gents,

Just bought a silver '77 2 door with a strong 1.6 - flat tops, extensive headwork, DCOE Weber etc & 4 speed. Purchased as a club sprint car. I am brand new to the Golf world & as such, are not brilliant at what is interchangeable with these little gems.

Q. The clutch is fried...... should I replace or fit a 5 speed straight off? In other words, is a 5 speed of some model, a straight fit-up to the 1.6.

Q. Best clutch for the 4 speed, $ & where?

Cheers.

**Peter Jones** · 06-08-2008, 09:54 PM

Hi there, where abouts in Melb are you?

I've just started back into racing with my Mk1, It would be good to have some company out there on the track. Here's the build thread on my car.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ad.php?t=13857

and a couple of race threads here

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ad.php?t=17206

and here

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ad.php?t=15029

Now as to your questions,

Opinions differ on the 4 Speed and there are basically 2 options in the 5 Speed , a close ratio box or a 4 + overdrive. Pretty much any later model 5 speed box will bolt up, the ones out of Mk 1 GTIs are the most desirable and the ones from MK 2s and Mk3s also bolt up. Seat Cordobas have the same box as the MK 3 Golf too. Even later gearboxs also bolt up but use a different shifter mechanism which can be adopted but it adds complexity.

Around town top in the 4 speed can be a little short but I reckon it would be fine on the track. The close ratio box would be the other option on the track. My car of course has the tall ratio 5 speed box

For starting off the 4 speed should be fine I reckon, especially with the 1600.

From memory a 1600 has a 190mm clutch disc, the cheapest place to get most part is America for some odd reason.

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volks...it/Clutch/71/3

Although I wouldn't try shipping a pressure plate , the postage would be a killer.

Around Melbourne I'd try VolksBaru in Noble Park for the clutch bits and pieces.

I'm not sure about aftermarket performance clutches, I just hit the track with whatever's in there, I'm not even sure what clutch I've got, I've never looked!

My guess is that the stock clutch should be fine.

Have a poke around this site and read a few of the threads, there's a lot to learn from these pages.

See you trackside.

Pete

**DNA** · 06-08-2008, 10:17 PM

Thanks Pete,

Much appreciated. Live in St Kilda.

Looking at joining PIARC shortly, once I've sorted clutch, a few suspension mods & some stopping up front.

Will read the linked threads you supplied & hopefully have a better idea of setups.

Never raced a front drive. May be a steep learning curve at first!

Which club are you with?

**Peter Jones** · 06-08-2008, 10:30 PM

I'm a Volkswagen Club of Victoria member.

PIARC is a good club to join though, they have some excellent events.

There's an affiliation of Victorian Carclubs called Group5. They run most a lot of the club level sprints. The regs for their races are here http://www.ffcc.asn.au/technical_inf...egulations.pdf

More group5 stuff here http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Track/8345/

VW Club here http://www.vwclub.com.au/

Both PIARC and the VW club are members of Group5.

For front wheel drive racing technique see if you can track down a copy of "The Front-Wheel Driving High Performance Advantage " by Jack Doo. It's been out of print for a while but you can still find second hand copies via amazon. This book was recommended to me by one of the instructors at Phillip Island, Bruce, who also races a Mk 1 Golf. His son is known in these parts by the alias "Waterboy".

Pete

**DNA** · 06-08-2008, 10:43 PM

Excellent help!

Will update progress as it goes along to shake down.

Dan

**ontarv** · 06-08-2008, 11:53 PM

most places will be able to get the 190 mm clutch
clutch industreis do them and repco , bursons and such deal with them
around $140 for a kit from memory