MD diesel: Dual mass flywheel?

[AlanM]

I've had a look at the "flywheel" fitted to DCT450 equipped cars too. Just pulled out the transmission on a Kuga. (Avoid THAT job if you can!)

Yeah, there's really no flywheel, similarly to normal automatic transmissions except the torque converter doesn't bolt on, it just dogs in. Makes at least that part of the job easier, I'm hoping putting the box back in isn't a problem.

I guess the damper springs replaces the damping function of the flywheel.

From talking to an expert on these transmissions, the shuddering is likely a symptom of the damper springs' plastic retainers breaking up, which eventually sees plastic fragments finding their way into the valve body. I'm not sure how they get through the internal filter, but they definitely do.

If you're keen and have a spare day, you can pull the valve body out and clean out the plastic bits. It might fix the shuddering for a while. The Kuga I'm working on had a bit jammed in a small plastic orifice inside the valve body, and another piece in one of the clutch pressure control valves. It was giving a fairly violent clutch engagement moving off in first.

Anyway good luck with the cars, they are nice to drive.

Attached a photo of the blocked orifice. It's about 0.5mm.