Okay.... About three months back I decided that It might be a good idea to go ahead and replace the factory clutch assembly in my 110,000 SVTF. I went ahead and replaced it with the LUK Rep Set kit. After a long frustrating weekend of tearing apart my sweet little car it was finally put back together (Not a project for a novice!!!).

Now it's August, and I have about 10,000 miles on the clutch since replacing, and the GD flywheel is rattling again. I thought that they revamped the design on this???? Well WTF. Among other things this car is really becoming a pain in my butt. It seems like it's been a constant struggle with this car [:(].

If any of you out there have constant issues with your SVTF, feel free to rant along.

i heard all aftermarket clutchs rattle?

Yea? I really should have spent the money on the dual mass *delete flywheel. I guess I will be doing that next.

oh i do. wrecked an 03 last year never had any issues with it, bought an 02 and its the biggest piece ever created. lets see it got me stranded cause the shift cables broke so i was stuck in 4th gear very far from my town. Fixed that, bought $600 tires, springs and alignment since then. Now the car wont run at all, wont even start. the car has 90k on it, so now im goin to swap my 03 engine into my 02...

when these cars run they run strong, but when they break (which is often)i hate em, and i wanna sell it lol

ford replaced mine with the revised unit, it rattled again about 400 miles after the swap.

i bought it used and it had an aftermarket unit in there, it felt a lot quicker and burned the tires thru second gear with that lighter unit

just wasnt very streetable and had a big shudder

ford replaced mine with the revised unit, it rattled again about 400 miles after the swap.

i bought it used and it had an aftermarket unit in there, it felt a lot quicker and burned the tires thru second gear with that lighter unit

just wasnt very streetable and had a big shudder

I can see the dark side to the after market flywheel, but I hate this noise... It sounds like the damn car is knocking.

how loud is this noise, i was thinking about getting a lightweight flywheel but maybe not anymore...

how loud is this noise, i was thinking about getting a lightweight flywheel but maybe not anymore...

Well mine (OE replacement) is pretty loud. I will take a video of it tonight (if I can remember), but I think the broken catalytic converter bracket is right up there with it.

I broke my shift cable 3 times :( I have under 60k miles on the car, bought it new Aug 2002 (2003 model) :-/ First clutched lasted 28k miles or so, next one until the 38k mark or so... Last one has lasted until now and still ok (knock on wood)...

oh i do. wrecked an 03 last year never had any issues with it, bought an 02 and its the biggest piece ever created. lets see it got me stranded cause the shift cables broke so i was stuck in 4th gear very far from my town. Fixed that, bought $600 tires, springs and alignment since then. Now the car wont run at all, wont even start. the car has 90k on it, so now im goin to swap my 03 engine into my 02...

when these cars run they run strong, but when they break (which is often)i hate em, and i wanna sell it lol

Did you re-use the 6 main flywheel bolts?

if so, that's your problem........

double post.

Did you re-use the 6 main flywheel bolts?

if so, that's your problem........

Did I? No. I bought them new from Ford.

On another note... I replaced the master cylinder when the clutch was put in, and about a month later it was leaking again! I'm on my Third (second in 3 months).

Oh, and the Ford Racing struts that I have put maybe 20,000 miles on are shot? This car is fun, but is more of a money pit than my fox body. I think the total in cash in the past year and a half is about 4000-5000 on top of my payment each month + insurance!

This thread is just my way of venting to fellow focus owners. I do like my car, actually I love it, but it's has been a ride on a very jerky wooden roller coaster. Sometimes it's fun, other times it hurts, but in the end I had a damn good time.

i rarely have problems with my car. my clutch never rattles. but, my steering rack does leak.

I love my car! no problems aside of the usual rattles.

I have a spec 2 clutch and it never rattles, thats wierd.

I have a spec 2 clutch and it never rattles, thats wierd.

I have the LUK Rep Set Kit. It's supposed to be the revised edition.[???:)] I did not go after market because it's a DD not a racer. I figured I would be safe.

In my experience the lightweight single piece flywheels are the worst as far as rattle, but I deal with the noise while I idle just so I can take off faster when the light turns green;)I never liked the dual mass setup myself but they are more forgiving.

this is probably a good thread for someone to sell me their SVT [hihi]

I agree with the rants. I love my SVTF when it works, but it has been a pretty expensive car to own. Insurance alone is roughly double that of a base focus. I have had Geico, progressive and now statefarm, all 3 companies reps have asked if its turbocharged from the factory, that 30-40 hp over the base focus is pricey for insurance! My 2005 Mazdaspeed miata is factory Turboed and insurance is actually about 10 bucks cheaper vs my 2003 SVTF!

That said, this past spring I rolled over 112k miles and caved for timing belt, all the pulleys, water pump, new idler on the serpentine, replaced the Spec Stage 2 clutch (the stock died on me at 45k miles so 45k miles to 112k on the spec stage 2 in DC traffic for much of that I was pleased, I could have stretched more miles by babying it but I just had McNews do everything at once for me)

Next is a full suspension rebuild in the next month, the SVT kit from ford, full Prothane bushing kit, ball joints, outer tie rod ends. New Tires should be on my porch today, need to get those mounted/balanced and alignment once the suspension is done (sale at tire rack so i picked the tires up first)

On the upside my friend just bought a impact wrench good for 625 ftlbs, so between pbBlaster and 625 ftlbs I hope to get all the rusty nuts off! [:p]

It is a great little car, but it has been a love-hate relationship. In it's defense, the clutch and flywheel debacle is really the only major gripe. I rolled over 120k miles this weekend, so I am not bitching about my suspension job as any car would need it after 120k miles.

It just sucks to put so much into a car worth so little now, especially when I really want to put my money in gofast bits for the mazdaspeed miata or towards a track bike. But with this work I hope to get it to last 3 more years and then pick up a used MS3 or maybe the new SVTF after 2012.

I have the spec stage 2 and 12 lb Al flywheel mine rattles.

But I like the rattle, it doesn't bother me at all. Course I am used to a dry multiplate clutch with an open cover on a Ducati, so the rattle on the SVTF is nothing [:p]

this is probably a good thread for someone to sell me their SVT [hihi]

Mine could be yours!

I agree with the rants. I love my SVTF when it works, but it has been a pretty expensive car to own. Insurance alone is roughly double that of a base focus. I have had Geico, progressive and now statefarm, all 3 companies reps have asked if its turbocharged from the factory, that 30-40 hp over the base focus is pricey for insurance! My 2005 Mazdaspeed miata is factory Turboed and insurance is actually about 10 bucks cheaper vs my 2003 SVTF!

That said, this past spring I rolled over 112k miles and caved for timing belt, all the pulleys, water pump, new idler on the serpentine, replaced the Spec Stage 2 clutch (the stock died on me at 45k miles so 45k miles to 112k on the spec stage 2 in DC traffic for much of that I was pleased, I could have stretched more miles by babying it but I just had McNews do everything at once for me)

Next is a full suspension rebuild in the next month, the SVT kit from ford, full Prothane bushing kit, ball joints, outer tie rod ends. New Tires should be on my porch today, need to get those mounted/balanced and alignment once the suspension is done (sale at tire rack so i picked the tires up first)

On the upside my friend just bought a impact wrench good for 625 ftlbs, so between pbBlaster and 625 ftlbs I hope to get all the rusty nuts off! [:p]

It is a great little car, but it has been a love-hate relationship. In it's defense, the clutch and flywheel debacle is really the only major gripe. I rolled over 120k miles this weekend, so I am not bitching about my suspension job as any car would need it after 120k miles.

It just sucks to put so much into a car worth so little now, especially when I really want to put my money in gofast bits for the mazdaspeed miata or towards a track bike. But with this work I hope to get it to last 3 more years and then pick up a used MS3 or maybe the new SVTF after 2012.

Ahh doesn't feel good to rant? Now when you get back in the car all the little inconveniences seem to faaaaaaade away!

But I like the rattle, it doesn't bother me at all. Course I am used to a dry multiplate clutch with an open cover on a Ducati, so the rattle on the SVTF is nothing [:p]

I think i need to invest into something like that!

I'm irritated at all the nagging stuff among the expensive stuff that is going out on a car with only 67k miles.

If I ever get this car paid off I might as well keep it just to not lose the money I spent getting it tip-top again.

I've put about 250 miles or so on my new flywheel, clutch and pressure plate and I don't notice any odd noises or rattles. And I am driving it like before, hard and fast. lol But, that is what the car was precisely designed for.

This thread is just my way of venting to fellow focus owners. I do like my car, actually I love it, but it's has been a ride on a very jerky wooden roller coaster. Sometimes it's fun, other times it hurts, but in the end I had a damn good time.


[thumb] same here

I'm irritated at all the nagging stuff among the expensive stuff that is going out on a car with only 67k miles.

If I ever get this car paid off I might as well keep it just to not lose the money I spent getting it tip-top again.

I've put about 250 miles or so on my new flywheel, clutch and pressure plate and I don't notice any odd noises or rattles. And I am driving it like before, hard and fast. lol But, that is what the car was precisely designed for.

Now I drive the crap outta mine, but when I first installed the clutch assm I drove the thing like it was a Rolls Royce (Not as if I stole it, like I owned it and was an extremely tight rich old hill billy who just got his first expensive car).

Who's clutch kit did you get?

[thumb] same here

Yea budddddy [woot]

A lot of people that run aluminum flywheels have that raddle, i had it on the last car.

Okay.... About three months back I decided that It might be a good idea to go ahead and replace the factory clutch assembly in my 110,000 SVTF. I went ahead and replaced it with the LUK Rep Set kit. After a long frustrating weekend of tearing apart my sweet little car it was finally put back together (Not a project for a novice!!!).

Now it's August, and I have about 10,000 miles on the clutch since replacing, and the GD flywheel is rattling again. I thought that they revamped the design on this???? Well WTF. Among other things this car is really becoming a pain in my butt. It seems like it's been a constant struggle with this car [:(].

If any of you out there have constant issues with your SVTF, feel free to rant along.

Thats really weird man. I bought the LUK for my SVT and I have put probably close to 30k on mine and I haven't had a single issue. Is doesn't slip or rattle or anything.

They are supposed to have a lifetime warranty on them too....

I bought my SVT as a project car and it was barely running so I signed up for replacing just about everything, and believe me I friggin have. Any car that gets up in mileage is going to have to have money put into it to keep it going.

But honestly it could be worse. Here's how my mazdaspeed6 ownership has gone. Replaced under warranty at UNDER 50K miles.

1)thermostat
2)cd player
3)timing chain guide
4)Turbo
5)Entire motor, threw a rod
6)CV boot
7)transfer case seals and half shaft

I am now outside of the warranty by 400 miles and now the stock turbo is smoking again, turbo seals, the car pulls left despite 4 alignments, and the right front suspension creaks like crazy. Love the car when it's running but damn.

NO RANT - JUST RAVE!
I just turned 120,000 miles, original clutch and suspension.
Did the timing belt last year along with the mastercylinder.
New booties this spring.
Looking at a suspension refresh soon!
Love the little beast, but I knew it would be more to maintain that a regular Focus.
Thermostat fix - EZ!
Heat Shield fix - EZ!
Like my dad always said, there is no such thing as a factory lemons any more, just lemon makers!

I agree with the rants. I love my SVTF when it works, but it has been a pretty expensive car to own. Insurance alone is roughly double that of a base focus. I have had Geico, progressive and now statefarm, all 3 companies reps have asked if its turbocharged from the factory, that 30-40 hp over the base focus is pricey for insurance! My 2005 Mazdaspeed miata is factory Turboed and insurance is actually about 10 bucks cheaper vs my 2003 SVTF!.

That's odd. My SVTF cost less to insure than my wife's ZX5. I pay about $630 per year fully comp.

I have no complaints about my car. Then again it gets pampered a lot, I suppose to compensate for the abuse it took under the previous owner.

Now I drive the crap outta mine, but when I first installed the clutch assm I drove the thing like it was a Rolls Royce (Not as if I stole it, like I owned it and was an extremely tight rich old hill billy who just got his first expensive car).

Who's clutch kit did you get?

Whatever the Ford dealer had on it's shelves. ;)

Whatever the Ford dealer had on it's shelves. ;)

They had to of rapppppppppppppped you on that!! How much did you pay?!

Thats really weird man. I bought the LUK for my SVT and I have put probably close to 30k on mine and I haven't had a single issue. Is doesn't slip or rattle or anything.

They are supposed to have a lifetime warranty on them too....

I know it's got a lifetime warranty, and my doesn't slip at all. It only rattles. I do sales for a trans company, and we can get OE/OE after-market stuff cheap so I think I am going to just pick up a Sachs OEM replacement. It still has the dual mass flywheel, but it's a different design. It has planetary style gears in it to help with rotation..

Typical Dual Mass:
http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae252/cam-perftransparts/dual20mass.jpg

Sachs Dual Mass:
http://i977.photobucket.com/albums/ae252/cam-perftransparts/sachs.jpg

[QUOTE=bradshsi;3408201]That's odd. My SVTF cost less to insure than my wife's ZX5. I pay about $630 per year fully comp.


I pay about the same as I did for my 93 Exploder, which was less than my 87 Wrangler!

I love how this thread continues to go on... keeeeeeeeeeep em rollin'!
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Ive had a few problems with my SVTF, but all were cheap, easy, quick fixes *knock on wood*. Ive had to replace the typical t-stat plug o-ring, driver and passenger sway bar end links, and a TPS. Other than that, the car has been rock solid and is the most fun vehicle Ive ever owned, and one of the most fun Ive ever driven. This thing handles so benign and the chassis is stupendous. Add in good looks, comfort, wicked sound system, nice tranny, etc, etc, and Ive got what I consider the perfect car. Oh, I currently have 113K miles on it (03).

Well... Nothing about what I am going to say next is bad... I went to Nelson's Ledges Race Course yesterday, and went through 3 20 min sessions... 60-80 laps. The SVT held its own and ran extremely well. Drove in then Drove out. It finally showed some grunt, and showed me that it could take some abuse!