DMF to SMF Conversion on TD4 - Initial thoughts

As some know, I demolished both my clutch and flywheel last sunday, so bit the bullet and went for a SMF conversion with Carbon/Kevlar HD clutch kit(the fact it was £200 cheaper overall also swayed me a little).

Drove it the 80 odd miles back up Norf today, on a mixture of roads, so here's what i've noticed...


Instantly, I noticed how light the clutch was (my previous had been on the car from new, approaching 83k miles over 8.5 years), across the travel of the pedal, it was so light, we're talking small hatchback realms of lightness (SWMBO has a 2011 Fiesta Zetec S, and its as light as that), the old setup used to get wearing on the thigh when using the clutch regularly, in stop start traffic etc. This may have been down to the old clutch wearing towards the end of its life, but i'm pretty sure a std Freelander doesn't have a super light clutch.

When crawling along at barely above tickover and then accelerating there's always been a bit of vibration going through the car, but this was slightly more pronounced with the SMF, as soon as the turbo boosts up though it disappears. If doing say 20mph in 4th gear at around 1000rpm (I have bigger tyres and therefore longer gearing so this won't be the same for all people) there's quite a lot of vibration, but dropping to 3rd first and then accelerating is fine with nothing at all. Would seem its just the fact of very low revs and no boost, as soon as the boost kicks in there's nothing there. It is however happier to crawl along at low rpm on tickover.

When accelerating away, 30-60 for example, it feels smoother and pulls better, maybe even accelerates slightly faster. Gear changes are a lot smoother too, clutch engagement and release is much more accurate and not as sloppy (may again be a sign of my previously worn clutch, but the difference was very noticeable).

At higher speeds, 70 etc, its smoother too, picks up faster when burying the loud pedal too, just seems more refined.


All in all, very happy, got the flywheel, clutch kit and top & bottom hydraulics (master & slave cylinder along with slave bearing) done for £849 parts and labour.

Not a huge saving, but next time you shouldn't need a new flywheel at least...

Spacemonkey... said:

Not a huge saving, but next time you shouldn't need a new flywheel at least...

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as long as you dont snap the crank or bugger transmission , you can get a hell of a lot more damping springs in a flywheel than clutch plate

£849 as opposed to £1049 is big enough saving for me, that £200 will pay for my lift kit fitting.

See, i've read a lot more horror stories on DMF's than I have on SMF conversions, and a lot of the SMF stuff i've read has been personal opinion and not far off scaremongering, guess we'll see how it goes

SES88 said:

£849 as opposed to £1049 is big enough saving for me, that £200 will pay for my lift kit fitting.

See, i've read a lot more horror stories on DMF's than I have on SMF conversions, and a lot of the SMF stuff i've read has been personal opinion and not far off scaremongering, guess we'll see how it goes

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Car engines ran for years without DMFs and very few suffered crank failure The DMF is fitted to add refinement to something that is a bit agricultural.
I'd not worry about it tbh after all when LR fitted the Ford Puma diesel into the Defender they fitted a SMF as folks that buy then like to lug diesels down to low rpms which would destroy a DMF in no time.

Good on you for trying anyway! If successful, maybe more will try. Quite common in the VW world and not many have problems to be honest, and let's face it- they probably had problems anyway before the SMF. If only VWs really were as reliable as the hype. Last year, Alfa beat them on the quality feedback from customers....

Well yeah they wouldn't market the kits if they caused problems! It's not like my car has a mountain of torque like some vw's or bmw's I've had in the past. I had a 123d a couple of years ago, 2 litre twin turbo, with 400 torques standard, and that went through 2 complete clutch kits in the 8 months I had it!

If Alfa come anywhere in the top half of any positive league table you know something ain't right

Well, back in about 2005 they took on a new boss- and he was the German who was the head of M division in BMW. His first task was tro sort out quality issues. I was torn between a Freelander again or an Alfa 159 Sportwagon. Very torn.... but the Freelander came about before I found the Alfa I wanted. I did a LOT of homework on them and they really are quite reliable now. Maybe JLR should poach the guy next..... (although BMW didn;t manage to do much last time they owned JLR!).

I LOVE the 159, shame they're only fwd or i'd have bought one a few years back

I came from a Skoda and quite a few people had changed the DMF to a SMF in Octavia's.

Didn't help me though as I had the DSG gearbox on both my Skoda's, an Octavia & a Yeti. I had to replace the DMF in the Octavia at a cost of about £1200.

Skoda seem to be at the top if the reliability stakes at the moment and they use VW underpinnings etc, but they design the bodies themselves.

I was very impressed, and would still have my Yeti, if I didn't have to keep paying for it!

I quite like the Yeti's actually, always feel like I shouldn't though!

You still after a lift kit? Re done all my costings now they're complete and can offer you a better price than I quoted you the other week.

I like the Yeti too! My current other car (cut down to just 2 cars at the mo', oh and a couple of bikes) is a VW T5 van, which is another work in progress. Now that is reliable.. 171k miles, and one owner from new with full no expense spared VW history. The Alfa 159 comes in 4wd too, but they're hard to find. That's what I wanted....


Yes I will definitely want the lift kit, just gotta sort the important stuff first like injectors and belts. Once it's running smooth and nice then I'll be getting the lift kit, spacers, 16" wheels and the same tyres as you've got. Then look into underbody protection and finally retrim in dark red leather/alcantra and double din sat nav stereo thing. Job done! Then do all of the above to the van too... Every man and his dog lowers then here and put massive alloys on. Not for me- same size and same type tyres on steel wheels and maybe a lift. Gotta be done!

I like the T5 vans too, need a van for work, but they're expensive!

The lift kit post was for Epicuser, as he pm'd the other week asking about the kits, but yes, small wheels and big tyres are the way forward, looks so much better!

I got my T5 for £2500, and I love the look on people's faces when I tell them that at the shows, after they've sunk £6-7k into an old van. I agree, they're well overpriced, especially when someone has fitted windows (£300), insulated and lined (£300), wheels (£500) and painted the bumpers (£400) and then suddenly expects £10k or more for a 8 year old van that's been to the moon and back! The other delight is when I do a VW show (as a trader- my mrs sells hats and sunglasses) I put my working van in the show areas, which horrifies them as it reminds them it's just a bloody van.....




The T5 is a cracking van though! Like Landys, you can get loads of bits for them, but they are hideously over priced on parts, especially mods as most people who buy them have money to throw on them regardless. IMO much more refined than other vans and of course they will hold they're value. One day I'll get a newer style one with the 4wd. Oh yes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cccg1ifsJlE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMXQ_Xrj4fA



Carry's a lot more in the back than a 110 too. Check out that last guy's other vids all over Morrocco.

I've a VR6 T4 209 hp

Hell yeah!!!