# BFI - 2.5l Clutch Kits & Lightweight Flywheels



## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

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It’s been our experience that finding a reliable clutch manufacturer is not always the easiest thing to do. Having a kit be “hit or miss” is not ideal for us as a retailer, nor is it something that we want for our customers. In light of this, we have sought out what in our opinion is a supplier who is able to meet our needs and offer us exactly what we, and ultimately our market wants in a clutch kit – reliability, performance, and value. Competition Clutch was able to provide us with specifically what we asked for.

The materials used are tried and true, with a no frills approach. Competition Clutch does not use gimmicks, and they are already a well established name in the import performance industry. With lines and worlds blurring together, and expansion into the European side of things was a natural progression, and one we are looking forward to further cultivating. 


*The Stage 1 Kit* assembly provides an estimated 225-lbs/ft holding capacity and is properly suited for street use. The stock organic clutch disc is matched to a performance pressure plate that will provide smooth engagement and extended life. 

*The Stage 2 Kit* assembly provides an estimated 300-lbs/ft holding capacity and is properly suited for aggressive street use and moderate track use. The organic disc is matched to a performance pressure plate will provide smooth engagement and extended life.

*The Stage 3 Kit* assembly includes a segmented ceramic material with a performance pressure plate will provide the ultimate in street and strip combinations. This assembly provides an estimated 400-lbs/ft holding capacity.

*The Stage 4 Kit* assembly includes a 6-puck clutch disc with a performance pressure plate. This assembly provides an estimated 500-lbs/ft holding capacity and is properly suited for big turbo and strip applications.

*The Stage 5 Kit* assembly includes a 4-puck clutch disc with a performance pressure plate. This assembly provides an estimated 525-lbs/ft holding capacity and is properly suited for big turbo and strip applications.



*Kits Include:*

Performance pressure plate
Performance clutch disc
Lightweight 18.4lbs forged steel flywheel
All applicable bearings
Appropriate alignment tool
All hardware required for installation
*Note:*

These clutch kits fit 2.5L Inline-5 engines with 5-speed manual transmissions only. Does not fit 02M 6-speed equipped vehicles!


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## madbikes (Dec 30, 2010)

Sorry if I'm asking a dumb question. Is this a single-mass kit?


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

madbikes said:


> Sorry if I'm asking a dumb question. Is this a single-mass kit?


Yes. All of these clutch kits include a lightweight 18.4lbs forged steel flywheel.


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## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

You guys gonna be at h2o and have some with you? 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

lessthanalex said:


> You guys gonna be at h2o and have some with you?


We'll definitely be at H2O, but I'm not sure what clutch kits we'll have available and be bringing with us.


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## lessthanalex (Oct 12, 2009)

Okay sounds good. Guess I'll just have to wait and see! Still loving the shift knob I grabbed last year. 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


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## madbikes (Dec 30, 2010)

Out of curiosity, is the sale ending anytime soon?


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

madbikes said:


> Out of curiosity, is the sale ending anytime soon?


Technically the promotion can end at any time. Do I think that's anytime soon? Probably not.


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## Tuga86 (Sep 13, 2013)

*BFI SMF clutch kit review?*

I'm interested in this Kit but is hard to do it without any review on it. I think that would help everyone interested in this if BFI could have somebody already using this clutch give some feedback here! Me personally, wasn't able to find a single person running this setup, and never feels good to be the guinea pig!! Please give us some feedback from a costumer on your clutch


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

Tuga86 said:


> I'm interested in this Kit but is hard to do it without any review on it. I think that would help everyone interested in this if BFI could have somebody already using this clutch give some feedback here! Me personally, wasn't able to find a single person running this setup, and never feels good to be the guinea pig!! Please give us some feedback from a costumer on your clutch


We had one of the Stage 3 clutches in our 2.5l Turbo Rabbit project car (I owned the car) and it was excellent! 
Seriously, it felt _so good_ to have a "real" clutch back in the car. 
The pedal is heavier on the Stage 3 kits, but after a day or two of driving it was no big deal.
Most of our customers will have Stage 1 clutch kits, so the pedal effort is not a concern here.


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## Tuga86 (Sep 13, 2013)

*BFI smf clutch kit*

I'm considering the stage 1, and that's the one I would like to get feedback on!! My questions are the usual on a smf clutch kit: Height of engagement point of clutch pedal? How is the pedal feel with the stage 1 compared to stock? And the most important one, How much smf clatter and gear noise with this kit?
Is there anybody out there running a stage one Pete?


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

Tuga86 said:


> I'm considering the stage 1, and that's the one I would like to get feedback on!! My questions are the usual on a smf clutch kit: Height of engagement point of clutch pedal? How is the pedal feel with the stage 1 compared to stock? And the most important one, How much smf clatter and gear noise with this kit?
> Is there anybody out there running a stage one Pete?


We've sold a few Stage 1 kits since these launched, but I don't have any published feedback to provide you. Hopefully those customers frequent this forum so that they can chime in.

Here's my anecdotal account of the OE 2.5l clutch kit vs our kits which should help answer your questions..

I bought my MK5 new from the dealer and up until that point I had only owned MK1, MK2 and MK3 vehicles. I loved everything about the MK5 except the clutch. It was way too soft, had a weird engagement point and just didn't feel like a "real" clutch. Slowly I got used to it, but I still hated the way it felt.

Fast forward to 2012; I went turbo and needed a new clutch because the stock unit was constantly slipping. Upgrading the clutch not only resolved the slipping issue, but it felt like a "real" clutch again! Engagement point was exact and pedal feel was much improved; albeit heavy since I needed a Stage 3 kit, but even still, it was much better than stock. The SMF chatters a little bit, but it is tolerable for daily use and the performance benefits far outweigh the slight increase in drivetrain noise.

tl;dr Our clutch kits feel like a "real" clutch and provide performance benefits over stock.


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## WhatNoGarnish (Jul 6, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> We've sold a few Stage 1 kits since these launched, but I don't have any published feedback to provide you. Hopefully those customers frequent this forum so that they can chime in.
> 
> Here's my anecdotal account of the OE 2.5l clutch kit vs our kits which should help answer your questions..
> 
> ...



Hey Pete,

This is good to know, but I am still on edge about the chatter as well. I sat in a GTI with a forged aluminum flywheel with the AC on, and the chatter was horrible (I live in Florida so this is kinda important since its my daily).....

I heard that forged steel flywheels don't chatter as bad, but if I invest in parts and labor go get a stg1 on and the chatter is unbearable, I would be bummed  Has any 1.8T or VR6 dudes chime in on the kits yet?


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

WhatNoGarnish said:


> Hey Pete,
> 
> This is good to know, but I am still on edge about the chatter as well. I sat in a GTI with a forged aluminum flywheel with the AC on, and the chatter was horrible (I live in Florida so this is kinda important since its my daily).....
> 
> I heard that forged steel flywheels don't chatter as bad, but if I invest in parts and labor go get a stg1 on and the chatter is unbearable, I would be bummed  Has any 1.8T or VR6 dudes chime in on the kits yet?


There's really no comparison between an aluminum flywheel versus a steel unit. 
The aluminum wheel is going to transfer a lot more drivetrain noise.

We've sold plenty of 1.8T and VR kits and the consensus is the same; there's some chatter, but it's tolerable for daily use. 
How much is or isn't tolerable is hard to quantify because opinions can vary from person to person.


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## madbikes (Dec 30, 2010)

Just received mine yesterday. Looks great!


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## WhatNoGarnish (Jul 6, 2007)

madbikes said:


> Just received mine yesterday. Looks great!


Sweet, please review when you install it :beer::beer::beer:


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

madbikes said:


> Just received mine yesterday. Looks great!


Looking forward to your feedback. :thumbup::thumbup:



WhatNoGarnish said:


> Sweet, please review when you install it :beer::beer::beer:


Make sure you properly break it in first!


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## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

Also received the stage 4 kit last week or so (FSI). Will install when the 02q goes in, and will definitely leave a review here or in my build thread.

The BFI and Competition Clutch components do appear to be nicely built.


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

TrillyPop said:


> Also received the stage 4 kit last week or so (FSI). Will install when the 02q goes in, and will definitely leave a review here or in my build thread.
> 
> The BFI and Competition Clutch components do appear to be nicely built.


No more 02G, eh?


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## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> No more 02G, eh?


Eh, there's been some valve body/electrical related issues going on ever since it was 'built', and I/nobody can't figure it out. It's holding the car back significantly. So yea, opting out and going to the 6 speed.


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

TrillyPop said:


> Eh, there's been some valve body/electrical related issues going on ever since it was 'built', and I/nobody can't figure it out. It's holding the car back significantly. So yea, opting out and going to the 6 speed.


Damn, bummer. Well, three pedals are better than two anyway. 

Let us know how it feels once the clutch is broken in! :thumbup::thumbup:


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## Tuga86 (Sep 13, 2013)

Nice to finally see people coming forward installing a BFI clutch kit on 2.5's, I'll be watching closely for reviews, specially on stage 1:thumbup:


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## madbikes (Dec 30, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> Looking forward to your feedback. :thumbup::thumbup:


On top of the clutch kit, strage 1 transmission mount and dogbone insert, I'm trying to save up to get the stage 1 engine mount, the Stabilia sway bars (both front and rear) and the labor to put everything in all at once. It'll take a while, but I'm looking forward to it.


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## Tuga86 (Sep 13, 2013)

*BFI Clutch Kit*

Bump... Sill looking for some feedback on these kit's from a customer... anyone???:wave:


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

Tuga86 said:


> Bump... Sill looking for some feedback on these kit's from a customer... anyone???:wave:


We've sold many 2.5l clutch kits. Now we just need people to step forward with some reviews!


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## TrillyPop (Jan 27, 2010)

So here's a few words on the fsi stage 4 kit, now that it's broken in to about 750 miles. It's quite drivable, pedal feel is slightly more than I would expect stock to be (never drove it stock), but not too heavy at all. I actually quite like it. First gear engagement can be pretty shockingly stuttery if you do it wrong. Not really a big issue once you get the feel for it, but the clutch definitely wants to feel some power and slip a little; it's very grippy which is why you buy the stage 4 6 puck kit. The rest of the gears feel great. No slippage, nice engagement, although I haven't done anything crazy with high boost yet  As far as the flywheel...I was excited to see how the steel flywheel would sound, and I have to say it still chatters quite badly. Not 90s mercedes diesel loud, but it's noticeable over soft-medium music. That's probably the most annoying thing about single mass flywheels, but I don't think the extra 2-3lbs for the steel flywheel makes a huge difference in the noise department.

Overall, would buy again so far. Maybe the noise will quiet down with time. And hopefully it holds the power.


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## HollisJoy (Dec 26, 2011)

Whats the expected power output?


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

HollisJoy said:


> Whats the expected power output?





Sorry if this was directed at me - I just dug this up to bump it and realized there was an unanswered question. 

Holding capacities are published in the first post. :thumbup:


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## EcuaDUBinFL (Feb 12, 2008)

So has anyone had any issues or complaints about noise. Need to get a clutch asap, and the BFI stage 1 looks promising. But if its noisy to the point that my radio is on, blasting some jams, and i can hear the flywheel, then i may go a different route. But if you can hear it slightly with the radio off, windows up and in a quiet parking lot. Then that's bearable.


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

EcuaDUBinFL said:


> ... But if you can hear it slightly with the radio off, windows up and in a quiet parking lot. Then that's bearable.


This is precisely when you'll hear the SMF chatter. With the radio on, or under load, the SMF will just blend in with the other sounds.


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## EcuaDUBinFL (Feb 12, 2008)

One Click away from buying one....


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## madbikes (Dec 30, 2010)

EcuaDUBinFL said:


> So has anyone had any issues or complaints about noise. Need to get a clutch asap, and the BFI stage 1 looks promising. But if its noisy to the point that my radio is on, blasting some jams, and i can hear the flywheel, then i may go a different route. But if you can hear it slightly with the radio off, windows up and in a quiet parking lot. Then that's bearable.


Going from the stock dual-mass to any single-mass flywheel is going to make noise/chatter at idle, but will stop when you clutch-in. The best way to find out if you can bear with the rattle is to find somebody near you who runs single-mass flywheel.

Have the stage 1 flywheel/clutch kit installed since November. So far so good. Slight increase in clutch pedal stiffness from stock is nice.


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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

@mk3tim is excited to install his BFI Clutch Kit!


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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

We are installing a Stage 2 BFI Clutch in a MK6 today at the shop!


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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

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## le0n (Jun 12, 2013)

[email protected] said:


> We've sold many 2.5l clutch kits. Now we just need people to step forward with some reviews!


I just got my Stage 1 kit from ECS and will install it next week when the rest of my parts arrive.

My OEM clutch needed to be retired. However, with 192k miles on it, it still has enough medium on it to go another 20k miles with my driving style. It's getting mighty close to the rivets though 

I'll report back.


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## le0n (Jun 12, 2013)

combined weights (clutch/pressure plate/flywheel)

VW OEM setup: 32.5 lbs
BFI stage 1 setup: 31.5 lbs

perhaps my bathroom scale is not very accurate, but over all, the whole setup seems to weigh the same.


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## le0n (Jun 12, 2013)

i got my clutch kit installed today and as other have stated, there's a little chatter at idle. if you clutch in, it vanishes, sometimes it stays quiet even when you release the clutch in neutral.

it was rather loud when i first fired it up after the install, however, after a 5 minute drive, things were a little quieter.

if this is normal noise from the SMF, then i'm completely ok with it. i don't believe it is louder than my injectors, hah hah. 

i don't get any weird vibrations or anything from the kit, so that's a good thing.

anyway, i'll report back after the 600-800 mile break-in period. i do a lot of highway miles, so i'm extending it out a bit.

first impressions of the kit are really good though.


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## le0n (Jun 12, 2013)

ok, it's been a little over 600 miles. i'm really liking this setup.

i've leaned into it in a few times in second and third gear today and everything seems really, really smooth.

the bite is quick and secure; definitely a keeper.

on a side note, i got my yearly inspection yesterday. while it was idling in the bay one of the inspectors walked out of the office to ask if it was a diesel rabbit :laugh:


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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)

le0n said:


> ok, it's been a little over 600 miles. i'm really liking this setup.
> 
> i've leaned into it in a few times in second and third gear today and everything seems really, really smooth.
> 
> ...


We are super happy to hear that you are enjoying your clutch!


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## [email protected] (Aug 5, 2015)




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## black forest ind (Oct 1, 2004)




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## black forest ind (Oct 1, 2004)




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