The CDV was designed for driver comfort so that no matter how hopeless you are with a manual gearbox you can still have a reasonably smooth gearchange. The clutch as you said is the part that suffers most. When I first got the 330 and tried to launch it from the traffic lights the revs just went though the roof as the clutch slipped. To me that was scary rather than usefull.
You should try telling the dealer that your worn out clutch is a direct result of the CDV when the time comes. I don't think he or she would be able to argue the point much!
I've seen plenty of standard and modified CDV's and the only difference I've seen is the bore inside. There is no mechanism or parts. The way it works is to slow up the release bearing return by forcing the fluid through a restricted opening so that no matter how fiercly you drop the clutch, the mechanism will engage in its own sweet time once it gets the fluid back through the tiny restrictor.
If you don't want metal shavings in the system then clean them out before you fit it. Blow through it with an airline or something.
As for drivetrain wear have you ever driven a CSL etc with the adjustable gear change button? If you set that to maximum the gearchange is brutal. Even on the CSL racecars at Simpsons the settings are always left somewhere around midway. There's no way BMW were worried about drivetrain wear when they fitted that option and bear in mind the SMG is just a manual gearbox with actuators. To date there's never been a single drivetrain failure on the racecars other than wheel bearings.
You should try telling the dealer that your worn out clutch is a direct result of the CDV when the time comes. I don't think he or she would be able to argue the point much!
I've seen plenty of standard and modified CDV's and the only difference I've seen is the bore inside. There is no mechanism or parts. The way it works is to slow up the release bearing return by forcing the fluid through a restricted opening so that no matter how fiercly you drop the clutch, the mechanism will engage in its own sweet time once it gets the fluid back through the tiny restrictor.
If you don't want metal shavings in the system then clean them out before you fit it. Blow through it with an airline or something.
As for drivetrain wear have you ever driven a CSL etc with the adjustable gear change button? If you set that to maximum the gearchange is brutal. Even on the CSL racecars at Simpsons the settings are always left somewhere around midway. There's no way BMW were worried about drivetrain wear when they fitted that option and bear in mind the SMG is just a manual gearbox with actuators. To date there's never been a single drivetrain failure on the racecars other than wheel bearings.
