My zafira is in for repair/replacement of its “dual mass flywheel”
Could the damage have been caused by my anachronistic habit of double de-clutching?
Do wagons have dual mass flywheels?
Well this threads a real disappointment 
Yep.Was going to ask for pics too…
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
If your going to carry on double d’ing consider changing the DMF for a solid one.
the other d d is going to be well cheesed off worse than me after having to look in here for a oxy clutch queston…
The Zafira has an evil obstructive shifting box without double de clutching.Which as expected miraculously seems to give it a slick fast shifting Fuller like quality.While the resulting accurate matching of road and engine speeds during shifts can obviously only help the durability of the whole driveline.
On that note I’ve ran all the Zafiras from the first to the present as usual instinctively double de clutching all of them with no resulting detrimental effects to any of them.With just the aforementioned improvement in shift quality and which can only help transmission life.But yes,like many things on modern cars dual mass flywheels are a pointless unnecessary liability regardless as the things get older.
While the Jag has the best of all worlds modification of an alunminium flywheel with a replaceable steel insert as part of its manual box conversion. 
Duel mass fly wheels are ■■■■. They only used them cause it was to experience and to heavy to use a solid steel. And to say rhe lest double D wont be any reason why its ■■■■■■ at all
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
I know nothing about Zafiras other than they have a tendency to self combust. Equally I have never fitted a DMF, but I do know what they are designed to do which is to dampen any violent variation in torque or engine revolutions. There are several external factors which can cause a DMF to fail all of which introduce an extra vibration for it to absorb. One could argue that blipping the throttle during a gear change is making the DMF worker harder than not doing so. Equally one could argue that an obstructive and baulking gearbox is having the same effect upon the DMF. One will have a clockwise moment, the other an anticlockwise moment of force upon the DMF. Certainly the double declutch upchange if timed correctly should give the thing an easier life.
What to do as always depends upon your intentions regarding how long to keep the vehicle. If you are intending to keep the vehicle you should ask why it has failed. There are some aspects of driving style or the type of actual driving conditions which will be relevant, but equally an engine with a slight misfire, deteriorated Crankshaft damper, soggy engine mountings, or transmission vibrations could all have been responsible. Unless you are outing it immediately do not skimp on parts quality. That doesn’t mean that dealer parts are essential, it just means stick to well known brands, Valeo being one for clutches (and also a solid flywheel conversion kit for that matter) and LUK another for the DMF. You will need to research the wisdom of fitting a solid flywheel KIT to a Zafira should it appeal for cost.
cav551:
One could argue that blipping the throttle during a gear change is making the DMF worker harder than not doing so. Equally one could argue that an obstructive and baulking gearbox is having the same effect upon the DMF. One will have a clockwise moment, the other an anticlockwise moment of force upon the DMF. Certainly the double declutch upchange if timed correctly should give the thing an easier life.
The advantage of a well matched downshift when the clutch is re engaged against the flywheel surely outweighs any arguable inertial loads on the flywheel when the engine speed is increased ?.Especially if that increase is more of a gentle lift in rpm rather than a ‘blip’.Which is more a case of necessity anyway with the laughably delayed fly by wire throttle being another joker to add to the mix with the Zafira.As for any damping between the trans and the engine that’s already supposed to be carried out by the springs in the clutch plate so why the need for more ?.
While I’d guess many of the problems with DMF’s are likely to be damage done in their early life every time the clutch is re engaged.By people who drive like girls by over reliance on the synchros and downshifting the thing against a totally unmatched engine and road speed.While the dealers and garages obviously like the idea because that means £££’s for them to carry out the resulting repairs. 
On that note if the OP intends to keep the thing,rather than treat it as just another throw away modern type car with a strictly limited lifespan,then the obvious solution would probably be to convert it to solid flywheel if possible.Not replace it with just another expensive one to go wrong down the line again.
Driving in too high a gear while attempting to try and save fuel tends to destroy DMF’s due to the vibration, diesel engined car based taxis tend to suffer from that more than most. A DMF should last at least the life of a clutch, however another side effect is starter motor problems due to friction material from the DMF getting into the bendix. A lot of starters are replaced when they are not actually faulty and the replacements don’t last long unless the DMF is also replaced.
Pete.
get yourself an automatic from now on. go with the flow
It’s an item to expect to replace, unless it’s lived a short life I wouldn’t think you’ve caused it to die any quicker than it would have anyway.
Which gearbox is in your zafira, the M32 or F40? Or a different one?
A.
windrush:
Driving in too high a gear while attempting to try and save fuel tends to destroy DMF’s due to the vibration, diesel engined car based taxis tend to suffer from that more than most. A DMF should last at least the life of a clutch, however another side effect is starter motor problems due to friction material from the DMF getting into the bendix. A lot of starters are replaced when they are not actually faulty and the replacements don’t last long unless the DMF is also replaced.Pete.
I used to work for a company which specialised in vibration damping/shock absorbing products: everything from the original Mini crankshaft dampers to six ton dampers for multi thousand horsepower ship diesels. When it was concluded that DMF’s were necessary to protect gearboxes from the high torque variations of car turbodiesels, the engineers spent a lot of time and effort testing various designs which met their targets for long life. They eventually politely declined to undertake supply contracts as long term durability could not be assured.
Buckstones:
I used to work for a company which specialised in vibration damping/shock absorbing products: everything from the original Mini crankshaft dampers to six ton dampers for multi thousand horsepower ship diesels. When it was concluded that DMF’s were necessary to protect gearboxes from the high torque variations of car turbodiesels, the engineers spent a lot of time and effort testing various designs which met their targets for long life. They eventually politely declined to undertake supply contracts as long term durability could not be assured.
All of the ones I’ve had have been the 1.8 petrol and the information suggests they are all solid flywheels anyway.
But numerous historic examples show that big torque engines and solid flywheels aren’t mutually exclusive. 
My Jag puts out around 400 lb/ft from around 2,500 rpm and runs a racing paddle type clutch and is just as smooth,probably smoother,through the drive line as the original torque converter auto.DMF’s seem like just another expensive unnecessary modern day solution to a non existent problem.
Many thanks for your kind replies, a real education
The double entendre of double D hadn’t occured to me
Unfortunately I am too late to specify a replacement solid flywheel
I await the bill,gulp!
Optimum:
Many thanks for your kind replies, a real education
The double entendre of double D hadn’t occured to me
Unfortunately I am too late to specify a replacement solid flywheel
I await the bill,gulp!
Around 750 for DMF and clutch including labour.
Unless of course you’ve taken it to Vauxhall…
A.
Thanks, cav. I remember it well!
dieseldog999:
the other d d is going to be well cheesed off worse than me after having to look in here for a oxy clutch queston…
