bmacb

My son's 1995 90 quattro has what sounds to me like a noisy clutch throw out bearing. The clutch does not slip. As the car has 165 K on the original clutch it probably makes sense to replace that as well.

I was talking to a mechanic and he told that these cars have a dual mass flywheel which according to him can't be resurfaced. His recommendation was to replace the flyweel. That seems to add at least $600 to the job.

I have three questions. Does any know if this model does in fact have a dual mass flywheel? Is it true that a dual mass flywheel can't be resurfaced? Given that the clutch isn't slipping what are the chances we can get away with using the existing flywheel?

Thanks for any suggestions

CrazyCab

You do not have to have the flywheel resurfaced, but if your paying someone all that labor then having the flywheel resurfaced and the rear main seal replaced would make some sense.

90/90Qs

The common wisdom seems to be: replace the flywheel. They can in fact be resurfaced, and if you do re-use it then certainly have it surfaced.
On the other hand, apparently these flywheels have a sprung hub of sorts, much like the clutch disk. The springs tend wear out and once this happens it can lead to clunks and jarring of the drivetrain.
I suppose weather or not it should be replaced, as it is now, depends a lot on how gently the car was driven, and weather or not the pending problems are of any concern to you. -Unfortunately, I have no idea how much damage can result from a failed part...
You may also be able to replace the dual mass flywheel with a solid one, but I can't tell you if there is one available for the B4 tranny models. This would be much cheaper, and way less prone to failure if one exists. the ride would be slightly more jerky, but that can be adapted by the driver.
Any B4 folks know about solid flywheels? I'm guessing they do not use the 01A transmission(?)