Big news for owners of E46
3-series/M3, E39 5-series/M5, and Z8!
Many owners of these cars
have experienced mushy clutch feel, inconsistent engagement, and
premature wear of the clutch in their manual-transmission cars.
The reason is quite simple - the original BMW (LUK-manufactured) clutch
has a new "SAC" (Self Adjusting Clutch) design. This new
mechanism built into the pressure plate is supposed to keep the clutch
pedal engagement point the same as the clutch wears... but in all
reality, it's a case of "an answer to a question that nobody was
asking." They have added a layer of complexity and feedback isolation,
filling a need that didn't need filling - it is not too often that
anybody notices that their clutch engagement point as moved 1/2" over
50K miles.
The SAC mechanism itself causes
problems; it over- or under-adjusts the pressure plate and therefore
causes the clutch to slip or burn out prematurely. They are also known
to shift, causing the pressure plate release fingers to slip off the
plate, keeping 1/3 of the pressure plate engaged at all times. Bottom
line is that the only fix is a complete clutch job, and your dealer is
likely to claim "driver abuse". We have seen it happen too many times.
The SAC mechanism may not give a clean
release like a standard clutch. Instead of just two sets of springs,
there is an adjuster mechanism that makes engagement feel mushy or slow.
All UUC Performance Clutches for these
models use an all-new design pressure plate that does not have the SAC
mechanism. The resulting improvement in feel is immediate - the
clutch is easy to modulate and is consistent, regardless of
temperature. Additionally, the reliability and lifespan of the
clutch are enhanced. The UUC clutch eliminates the SAC mechanism
and restores traditional clutch feel with predictable and crisp
engagement.
All clutches are "direct fit" and require no modifications.
Normal installation procedures apply.
