$1295 TO REPLACE CLUTCH!?!?!?

[jsmarcus]

OK. Here's my frustration with wrenches:

I had a talk with the "aprentice" that works in the shop where I take my car. We discussed the time it takes to drop a motor. He said that he can do it in about an hour. So, if it takes 1.5 to drop and another 1.5 to put back, we're at 3 hours. How long does it take to remove and install the new clutch/pressure plate and t/o bearing once the motor is out?

I ask because the parts from Pelican are $395. Do the math and that means that you pay $900 in labor. If you figure $70/hour that's 12.85 hours to do a clutch. Now, I've never done it before, but from the seasoned wrench, does it really take this long? My P is a daily driver, and I don't have the space to do the job myself right now. Any suggestions? If you go with the full kit for $645, that would still mean it takes the wrench almost 9 1/2 hours to do the clutch job less the 3 for removal and installation is 6 1/2 out of the car!!!

Help, what should I do?!?!

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Josh
Black on Black '84 Carrera

[This message has been edited by jsmarcus (edited 08-29-2001).]

[MarkY]

You're usually charged by "book time". How long the job actually takes doesn't make any difference.

[John Rogers]

We had the clutch replaced in our 1987 Turbo and it was about $1500. That included removal and cleaning of the flywheel and replacing the engine and trans seals. This was less than the dealer wanted by about $400 or so as they did not drop the engine, just pulled the reansmission. price sounds about right I'd say, but I live in CA and don't know what east coast shops do. Good luck.

[campbellcj]

Sorry, but IMHO that's a pretty standard charge for a full clutch job on a 911. I doubt you'd find any wrench who would do it for much cheaper, unless they're a close friend/relative etc.

Chris C.

[dhaines]

Many shops actually replace the flywheel rather than turn them. Also must replace the flywheel bolts, around $70

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Doug '67 911 2.2

[89Targa]

Mosy shops charge $1,500 or more for a clutch replacement. $1,250 sounds like a bargain.

[Rick Lee]

I've priced out this work at a few places and those numbers seem a bit high to me. Where are you on the East Coast? I know of two places in NJ that will do it for under $1000.

[john walker's workshop]

$1100 in seattle. non-dealer of course.

[Ted Stringer]

I was looking at a sachs power clutch, it was going to cost about $920 for the Pelican clutch kit and a new steel flywheel. The flywheel was $220, the clutch kit was $615 and I forget what the upgrade to the power clutch cost. An alum. flywheel was $650.

Your wrench isn't charging much labor

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Ted Stringer
nuke3@juno.com
'84 911 Targa aka pocketrocket

[jsmarcus]

Another shop quoted me $600 for labor only if I supplied the parts. No warranty obviously.

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Josh
Black on Black '84 Carrera

[orbmedia]

I think it's funny when mechanics get a few beers in them and brag about how fast they can remove an engine, etc. Because then later you can ask them why they are charging so much to work on your car. Of course once they sober up the jobs gets much harder - blah blah blah. Also I love when the mechanics change the tranny gears in a couple of hours and then once it's time to work on yours it's 5 days and 14 hours.

[tsniu]

$1,400 in East Bay of Northern California for an SC -- pressure plate, disc, seal, new release fork. Don't forget that your mechanic doesn't pay retail for the parts as you would; but also remember that your mechanic needs to pay the rent, put food on his family's table, etc.

My typical experience is that, once they have the car apart, no matter what the original estimate, they will almost always recommend that some additional work ($$)should/must be done. I don't think that it is worth the effort to supply your own parts to the mechanic since you are effectively reducing their profit on those parts which they will then need to recover in some other fashion. Good luck. Tom

[jsmarcus]

That's a nice thought but what about the mechanic that wants to charge 2x the amount that I would pay for the parts if I bought them myself? Case in point. I was just quoted the Sachs kit from a reputable mechanic for $664.63. The same kit presumably that Pelican sells for $395. Even Automotion sells the kit for $588! So the question remains. To do it right, what do we really need?

1. New Pressure plate
2. New Clutch Disc
3. Throw out bearing
4...
5...
6...?

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Josh
Black on Black '84 Carrera

[BRAINIAC]

It probably costs Porsche 50K to build a 911. So why don't they just sell them to us for $50,100 ? I mean, that's still profit right?
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO STAY IN BUSINESS!!!!!!!!

Don't want to pay that much? Do it your damned self then!!!!!!!

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Tyson Schmidt
72 911 Cabriolet
92 C-2 Cabriolet

[dtw]

Werd.

Go Tyson!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by BRAINIAC:
It probably costs Porsche 50K to build a 911. So why don't they just sell them to us for $50,100 ? I mean, that's still profit right?
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO STAY IN BUSINESS!!!!!!!!

Don't want to pay that much? Do it your damned self then!!!!!!!

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Dave
'72 911T to '73 RSR Replica Project

[jsmarcus]

Hey, don't get me wrong, I know they are there to make money, and I would do it myself, but you see, this is my daily driver. If I could get a second car I would absolutely do it myself. I have nor the time or the space. I'm simply trying to find out why there are such discrepancies in times and $ for parts! The same guy that quoted me 664 for the ket also quoted me $80 for the pedal cluster bushings....$12 at Pelican? That's my point. I didn't mean to offend you, Tyson.





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Josh
Black on Black '84 Carrera

[john walker's workshop]

so shop around.but all shops are going to be in the same ballpark if they want to stay alive. it's the price you have to pay for not setting yourself up in your own shop and paying your dues in the business for years and years as you perfect your craft. the suppliers like vertex are a wonderful thing if you do it yourself, but the reality of life is that auto repair businesses generally go by universal book time established by professional researchers so everyone can be fair in their pricing. the parts pricing is the only variable. if you are lucky enough to find someone willing to let you supply the parts and just charge you labor, either the labor will be increased to cover what he didn't make on the parts, or he will be out of business soon for being stupid enough to do the same job for less money. why should a shop want to deal with a cheapo customer when it's so easy to send him on his way and get into the next money making job on the schedule?

[This message has been edited by john walker's workshop (edited 08-29-2001).]

[jrdavid68]

East Bay CA - $1250 would be a bargain! (Assuming it is done right, flywheel etc...).

I sent a fellow 911 owner to my mechanic for a clutch job and was quoted $1500. This guy goes to somewhere in Fremont and gets a quote for $700. I told him it couldn't be done right for that price based on parts alone - he did it anyway. Ended up spending something like $1300 there and several hundred more to get it done right after they went out of business and his new "$700" clutch went out a few weeks later. If only he would have listened......



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jrdavid68
1986 Carrera (166K Miles)
1980 911SC (176K Miles)
2001 VW Passat (< 4000 Miles)
1972 Chevy C10 (40,300 Miles)

[John Brandt]

Yes, shops need to make money. That’s understood, but dammit I think it’s underhanded for them to say that their labor rate is $50 or $60 an hour when its really more like $100+

When I, as a shade tree, ham ‘n egg mechanic, can do a lot of jobs, having never attempted them before, in the allotted “book rate” time, I can only conclude that “book-rate” represents sanctioned deception.
I rarely let anyone touch my car and this is largely the reason. This practice gives the whole industry credibility problem.

[Rick Lee]

I want my wrench to make good money and be able to stay in business to help me and others down the line. But I also know the value of the dollar and will shop around for the best price by a competent mechanic. I have a very competent place that will install any parts I buy for $57 an hour and I think that's pretty good. He quoted me an hour per side to replace my front shocks. That's probably less than Chilton's. If not, it's still pretty good. A lot of these guys can do it faster and some may take 3x as long as the book says, because they're training an apprentice. Whether he spends the whole time or not on the job, as long as the final price resembles the estimate, then I have no problem. Some wrenches also know the value of referral business and I've recommended my guy to a lot of people.