How can a simple clutch cost up to $2K?!? CAR WIZARD explains how they work & why such a big bill

[@dergrunepunkt]

I really love how generous you are, guys, helping Daniel San and Magic Mike promote their channels and being positive about their personal growth, that's a sign of generous and intelligent people.

[@BubblesTheCat1]

I think Magic Mike has left the Wizard's shop😢

[@theobserver1219]

​@@BubblesTheCat1 Yes! He left graciously!

[@tedkeegan4751]

I love this man, been following him for several months now, greetings to all from sunny Scotland.😉

[@an-dr6eu]

Yes, what incredible persons they are dedicating a few words and seconds of their videos to promote their friends... Unbelievable. Surely no one else would do that... Top charitable person of this year!

[@turquoisecat761]

@@BubblesTheCat1 No, look at the link, he's Daniel San

[@frankw7266]

And don't forget all of the "while you're in there" preventative work you should do when you have all of that apart. In the Vette, you may as well do the rear main seal, torque tube bearings, etc, since you've already paid the labor to drop everything.

[@benzina5917]

Excellent explanation. A clutch on a Murcielago is $4K for the Clutch an additional $4K for the throwout bearing (yes that number is correct) and the better part of 40 hours labour to remove and replace the assembly. With some misc 'while you are in there' expenses the clutch bill is often $20K. Fun times. Luckily I turn my own wrenches so I'm only slave to the parts prices.

[@aaryeshg.6526]

That is still better than Murcielagos with a sequential transmission. You can add extra labour hours for re-setting the biting point of the clutch. Also, sequential transmissions usually like to eat clutches because, unlike a human, it acts like a switch (on and off, not a smooth motion that human would do).

[@RealGreyGhost]

Are the parts specific to the Lambo or could you source cheaper alternative that is VW or Audi branded of the same vintage?

[@benzina5917]

@@RealGreyGhost Unfortunately not. There is no cross reference to the clutch and TO bearing to another car. Luckily there is to the coil packs ($35 vs $1600 each) and injectors ($75 vs $1100 each) which mind you, you need 12 of!

[@simontist]

@@benzina5917 Holy moly that's some mark-up!

[@1983dmd]

@@aaryeshg.6526 Totally true....They don't last more than 25-30 000 miles....Did not buy AM Vanquish 1st gen for that reason( and other...), or any F1 equipped transmission

[@willemvandernest3249]

There is a 30 minute clutch change Wizard. In the 80's there was the Opel T cars. You could replace the clutch without taking out the Gearbox. It had a dust cover at the bottom you could remove to take out the bolts on the pressure plate. You then removed the cover on the side of the gearbox where you could losen and slide back the spigot shaft and the clutch would drop out without any issues at all. I once did it in 25 minutes. These cars were front wheel drive and such fun to work on. These cars were the only ones I knew that could do this

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

ferrari 348 clutch is at the back of transmission, near rear bumper. Very quick

[@The_Markness]

@Willem I was just about to comment that! 😁

[@urosslabe8997]

​@@The_Markness calibra

[@georgebettiol8338]

Paradoxically, the Ferrari 308 is also fitted witha a clutch that can be replaced without removing the engine or trans.

[@Richard_AKL]

Must be South African as well - I don't think they were called T Cars anywhere else. I had a 1.3 Kadett that I absolutely thrashed!

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Clutch replacement cost is all about labor...the clutch kit itself is pretty inexpensive. If you REALLY want to keep your clutch replacement costs low buy an old VW Beetle...you can do the swap in a few hours and that's with you taking your time 😉

[@BrainDamageBBQ]

I changed a clutch in my Pontiac Fiero 2M4. In my driveway. In January. In Ottawa, Canada. I got that car down to the point I could yank the engine in 2 hours, and get it back in within about 4 hours. Book time on that job at a GM dealership? Drop the drivetrain cradle; 40 hours. I miss that car, but they are hard to work on.

[@karlos1060]

Also a tip, if the engine has to come out for an other reason then a clutch replacement and the clutch is not almost brand new always replace the clutch set as well. The clutch set usually is not that expensive and the labour is there if the engine is out. The same goes for a head gasket replacement, also always to the timingbelt if there is one on(not a chain one) as the labour also is alomst nothing extra.

[@kellismith4329]

Throw the rear engine oil seal in there too

[@karlos1060]

@@kellismith4329 Very true, forgot that one, and seals for the gearbox as well if the axeles goes out.

[@georgebettiol8338]

Should also include the thrust bearing and the slave cylinder - especially if it's a concentric type.

[@3rdworldgarage450]

I bought my Mini (base model) for relatively cheap because the former owners were quoted $1100 for a clutch due to how hard it is to do. I did it myself for around $100. I found that engine and trans out was the easy way to do it and would charge a gand for labor if I had to do it for someone else. It's about a 10 to 12 hour job.

[@johnharvey9112]

Still about 100 bucks an hour. Where are the competitive capitalists today?

[@RealGreyGhost]

@@johnharvey9112 Busy with people who are willing to pay money to get their cars fixed

[@justso1823]

Did you change the flywheel and throw out bearing.

[@johnharvey9112]

@@RealGreyGhost People with more dollars than sense. And they are always the ones bitching about Biden causing inflation.

[@3rdworldgarage450]

​​@@justso1823 The kit came with the throw out bearing so yes. As for the flywheel, add $40 to have it turned. I also did a rear main seal for around $10 and gearbox oil for $50. It was 4 years ago so I wasn't thinking of all the costs. BTW, always do a rear main any time the engine and trans are separated since its a cheap part that takes a lot of time to do by itself.

[@deanl.henderson8663]

My son had a Subaru WRX all wheel drive that he bought used, had it a couple of months and the clutch was obviously on its last legs, had a warranty from the Subaru dealer but a clutch is a wearable part they told him. Quoted him a price of 2800.00. Told my son to bring it to my garage thankfully I have a lift, bought a new clutch throw out bearing and pilot bearing and had the flywheel resurfaced.all together about 480.00 in parts Took us about 8 hrs to do that job.1st clutch my son ever did so it was a learning experience for him. Good times. I absolutely enjoy watching your videos thank you Mr. Car Wizard .

[@clhagy]

Love your channel - great explanation for those of us who aren’t gear heads.

[@kar4tube]

Until now I only had a general understanding of a clutch assembly. Thank you for the excellent explanation and demo Wizard!

[@CountryFarmBoyUSA]

Interesting fact, my 1978 VW Rabbit has the pressure plate mounting to the engine and the flywheel mounting to the pressure plate, so it was backwards compared to the ones the Wizard showed. Kind of a weird design but it worked great. To disengage the clutch, there was a metal shaft the went threw the input shaft and pressed again the pressure plate.

[@RSx94]

They used that design up to the golf Mk3

[@3.2Carrera]

I have a '89 Porsche 911 and did it. The engine needed to be dropped and then "while you're in there" costs start to pile up. Maybe $1200 in parts with extras like the clutch slave, etc. So the shop time to do the rest assuming it gets done right gets it right in that ballpark.

[@JG54206]

I don’t watch other car channels much anymore, but it’s pretty cool of you to shout out those other dudes and give them some love. I’m assuming they have less of a following than you and if so I’m sure that you’re helping them out a ton with promoting their content. Very classy. I’m actually worried about having to do the clutch on my car. I have a 2018 Impreza and I shudder to think what the price is gonna be when/if I have to replace the clutch.

[@DAVIDALD49]

i have never known how those springs on the clutch worked. Thanks for a great explanation

[@marsgal42]

A few years ago my 1986 VW Jetta needed a new clutch. The path of least resistance was to remove the engine and transaxle as a unit, do the work on the bench, then put the car back together.

[@jaybeemhardscrote7466]

Worked out okay for you? My 01 Jetta has a VR6 and it probably could use a new set of timing chains soon and to do so you need to drop the transmission, while I'm doing that I might as well replace the clutch and throwout bearing. Really looking forward to doing that project 😒😮‍💨

[@marsgal42]

@@jaybeemhardscrote7466 It worked out fine, though removing the engine from an early A2 is a lot less work than your A4. Replaced the disc and pressure plate, machined the flywheel. The timing belt (done another time) was easy with the engine in the chassis. Go in through the wheelwell, as usual.

[@ChristopherGuilday]

I just replaced my first “car” clutch on jackstands on a 99 Z3. Took a little time but it was satisfying to do. Replaced the pilot bearing, throw out bearing, pivot pin, pressure plate, clutch disk etc. Took me like 15 hours I think.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Austin/Morris/BMC/Leyland Minis/1100/1300 had a clutch cover which was on the end of the crankshaft and could be removed to access the clutch for replacement without removing the engine or the transmission...since the gearbox was below the engine and it used transfer gears....

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

Ferrari clutches are substantially often cheaper if bought direct from a Fichtel and Sachs dealer rather than Ferrari. I also do this for my 1977 Porsche 911 RSR. Less than half the price of buying it through Porsche Classic.

[@kangzau1006]

Thank you, car wizard. My mechanic keeps telling me not to downshift to save on the clutch on my manual Mazda. now I know why.

[@joet4806]

Yes, good Point. Brakes are cheaper than a clutch.

[@cesartapia610]

So ideally, I would just pull the clutch in and brake when I need to slow down, then shift down when I'm stopped?

[@joet4806]

@@cesartapia610 Yes, leave trans in neutral while stopped, do not push the clutch in, until traffic light turns green, then push in Clutch, shift to first gear then go.

[@mescko]

@@joet4806Traffic lights in Britain are sequenced to facilitate this method. Their traffic lights cycle green-yellow-red-yellow-green. The second yellow means 'put it back in gear'.

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

Because of the age and mileage on my Corvette, a clutch job, to do it right, will cost between $6500-7K. A lot of things will need to be replaced whilst the drivetrain is out. Everything plastic, rear main seal, flywheel, TT rebuild, possibly rear suspension bushings, M/S cylinders...It's not just a clutch and pilot bearing anymore with the higher mileage.

[@DanielJohnson-ec8rk]

You are getting ripped off

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

@@DanielJohnson-ec8rk Probably....My whole area is a rip off. Average labor rates here are now $160/hr plus. Even the indi shops...But, the important thing is everything done where I've gone for the past 10 years is right the first time and stays fixed. Plus, I'm allowed to buy my own parts and bring them in. Saved $$ just doing that. Like buying my coils, wires & plugs at RockA and saving enough to pay for the labor to install them. A good relationship with a shop is vital.

[@user-tr9fy3nl9yro]

It is wise when replacing a clutch, beside the disc and plate, to change also the bearing actioning the diaphragm spring, to avoid another distmantling the whole again for another 50 $ item while whistling worn bearing. Thank you for all your presentations. Excellent ones.

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

any video helping customer understand what is involved in mechanical repairs is a good idea. Educating is never done in vain

[@GeordieDonkey]

The 70's Triumph 1300 you could remove the spigot/input shaft and change the clutch with the gearbox in place, never caught on though

[@Zeem4]

Various GM cars of the 80s and 90s used a similar idea, e.g. various Vauxhall Astras and the equivalent Opels. After removing a cover, a circlip and a bolt, the gearbox input shaft slides outwards into the wheel well, allowing the clutch assembly to be dropped out of an access cover. A few more bolts and the release bearing comes out.

[@bunning63]

Way back in the early eighties my parents were going out for an afternoon stroll, by the time they came back I had removed the engine in my 59 Bug, installed a Kombi clutch and was just about to turn the key when they got back. Doing things like this, and not on a nice smooth drive, would always disturb them with the realisation I wasn't meant for a suit wearing job.

[@hipishipis9481]

You're so good with showing and explaining how things work in a car that you should do it more often please!

[@kc4cvh]

I made the mistake of taking my simple Ford Ranger to an independent service center when I should have taken a day off work and changed the clutch myself. $1200 later, I had a new clutch and a soft spongy clutch pedal, likely because he didn't cap the hydraulic line and allowed the fluid to drain out. When I complained of this, he said "I bled it, so you must have a bad master cylinder, that'll be another $400". So I went home, jacked up the truck, removed the LF wheel, fender liner and inverted the master cylinder, as required to get the air out. I used the Bluepoint bleeder, reassembled and had a solid clutch pedal again. That's why I avoid mechanics. The price is outrageous and they rarely get it right the first time.

[@timewa851]

Always better when you do it yourself. Of course that means five / seven hours. : l

[@TheRetarp]

I had an F150 that had a slave cylinder go bad at 60k. Took it to a local trans shop and $1000 later I had an all new clutch system. Fast forward several years. My brother bought the truck from me and guess what? That stupidly designed terrible Mazda clutch system (edit: M5OD) failed again at 100k. Only this time whatever local repair shop where my bother lived managed to pinch the wiring harness between the engine and bellhousing!

[@sanman1188]

I love this series. Really helpful in understanding the costs of car ownership. I would love a comparison of costs among different sports cars.

[@tempest411]

I did the clutch on my Porsche 924S, which like the Ferrari and Corvette, has the engine in the front and the transmission in the back. It wasn't that bad of a job, just time consuming. The only tough part was getting the release pivot shaft out. They tend to get stuck in the bellhousing.

[@Richard_AKL]

On the late 1980s front wheel drive Opel/Vauxhall Kadett (also known as Pontiac Lemans in USA), you could change the clutch without splitting the engine and gearbox. There was a plate on the side of the bell-housing which you could remove, then loosen the pressure plate to flywheel bolts, and pull a cover off the back of the gearbox, and pull a shaft out and the clutch and pressure plate, replace clutch and put it back together in under 30minutes. Unfortunately GM decided this was saving their customers WAY too much money so discontinued it, even on later models of the same car.

[@jamesglass5402]

I understand what makes it so expensive, the amount of labor to take it out and put it back together. Of course it has been a long time ago but I have changed many a clutch on my old Fords. Most of the GMs I had were all automatic transmission cars. I was just amazed that the engine was out of the car on the video. After listening to it I understand why it was removed. With the old Fords I took it from underneath the car. My wife never learned how to drive a clutch and after the third clutch we got a different car. I have a great advantage with being raised on the farm but that was over 60 years ago. I love your show and hope you keep it going.

[@komradkolonel]

My shop teacher back in high school had an F-150 with the 300 straight six and a manual transmission. He loved it and said it was the easiest truck to work on and maintain. I remember him saying that an experienced mechanic could replace the clutch and have it running again in about 30 minutes.

[@georgebettiol8338]

No argument from me. However those vehicles don't exist in today's motoring world.

[@johnvender]

I know this is mostly a car channel but every now and then there is some motorcycle content and it would be interesting at least to some to compare the clutch in cars and trucks to the traditional wet clutch used in many motorcycles and why these are generally much easier to get to.

[@volvofreak86]

My 2008 xc70 has a 2k clutch job, the parts aren't expensive but the labor is, it takes 8 hours to pull the transmission and the driveshafts, once i do it i will change the pressure bearing and the trans fluid aswell while we are there...

[@tombob671]

Just a note, in 1977 I had the Chevy dealer put in a clutch kit. It was on a 67 Bel-Air 6 banger, 3 on the tree. It cost me $350 or $1872 in todays dollars. Now that was a barebones car not q Ferrari so I can see $4k for your job.

[@georgebettiol8338]

In comparison to a modern tightly packed turbo engine - e.g. 4-wheel drive turbo VW-Audi, the replacement of a clutch assy in a 67 6-cyl Bel-Air would be a doddle - could almost do it blind folded.

[@5hogg23]

A classic Saab 900 or 99 clutch can be done in 45 minutes or less. Its right by the radiator and drives a chain down to the transmission, so you can pull the shaft and take it right out. I think there were some old Datsuns that had a removable cover on the bellhousing and you could slide the input shaft back with the transmission in place and change the clutch pretty quickly.

[@itsoffsideref5849]

I got a quote for a replacement clutch on a 2014 W204 Merc C250 CDI this morning, over here in Belfast, Sachs OE is £380 for the kit and labour is going to be £60 an hour with a Merc Indy specialist. All in I’m looking at around £750 all in. It varies but maintenance costs certainly sound a lot higher in the US.

[@TheMailmanOfSteel]

"How can the clutch cost so much?" *standing next to a Ferrari* That's probably how, chief.

[@georgebettiol8338]

The Wizard was using the Ferrari as a prop. A clutch change on that Ferrari would be north of 5k.

[@hamishcruden7623]

Thanks for update, I do enjoy the simple explanation you give us for these items. I know a lot of it is labour, but is this kit used in many cars or is it just for the F?

[@bvqbvq]

The GM Vauxhall Cavalier Mk 2 from the 1980s had a clutch that could be replaced in less than an hour! I did several myself including the release bearing. The assembly was cleverly engineered such that the removal of a small plate under the bell housing exposed the clutch. With an assistant pressing the clutch pedal, you placed 3 special clips onto the pressure plate to hold it away from the friction plate. A small cover on the gearbox was unscrewed allowing the input shaft to be withdrawn from the clutch. It was then just a case of rotating the clutch and removing the bolts and the whole assembly dropped out of the bottom. I've never seen anything similar since. This was on a transverse mount front-wheel drive car so there is no reason why this couldn't be used on many other popular models of vehicle. Some things clearly don't improve with time.

[@jaypence332]

Semi truck you can do a clutch just be separating the engine and transmission by 8 inches. Got so I can do them in two hours. Having enough extensions to go the length of the transmission to the flywheel was a huge help.

[@aussie2uGA]

I wonder why the clutch disk doesn't have more material? When you think about how much material is on the brake pad, twice the thickness on the clutch could really extend it's replacement interval. Ahhhh, maybe that's the plan after all...?

[@revinot]

interesting point, double the thickness ideally would mean double the life of your clutch disc.

[@TheRetarp]

A good clutch costs money. We can't have that. Plus we need the consumer to have a reason to visit the dealer for expensive services! (if a wet clutch were used instead of a dry one you'd never have to change it!)

[@kristiankulseng3948]

interesting. My Honda cr-v manual got a quate for 2500 for a clutch replacement. Third gen, diesel in Norway. The reason was because the transmission and the subframe had to come down. I decided to it myself for 150 dollars, entire clutch kit, including throwout bearing. It took me a month and was awful but i learnt alot. Thats 10 000 miles ago and it still works fine, so i guess i didn`t mess it up.

[@CollinMac96]

What year crv do u have? I never new they came with manual transmissions

[@kristiankulseng3948]

@@CollinMac96 2007. They did come with a manual in Europe all the way untill the fifth gen

[@rossadair2512]

Back in the day, four of us replaced the clutch in my friend's 1959 Ford pickup in about 15 minutes. My son's first car a VW Scirroco we got for nearly free from the VW dealer because it needed a clutch and struts. If you make your kid work to get a car, he takes care of it. The clutch replacement took an afternoon using the boards on the fenders method of removing the engine. The clutch in my stepson's Exterra was impossible for me without a lift or engine hoist. It was $1200 at a trusted indy shop. I can't imagine what it would be for something newer than 2010.

[@matthewrooke386]

In Europe the GM Vauxhall/Opel Nova (4cyl transverse engine) the clutch could be changed in less than 1/2hour. Gearbox stays in,Once the input shaft was pulled and a cover removed the clutch was removed as per normal with a few bolts. I think the record fastest change was 8 mins with someone passing the mechanic the right tools/parts at the right time.

[@worldhello1234]

@1:21 Yeah, a clutch swap on a P1 Volvo S40 costs about €1400 including taxes.

[@Parknest]

Labo(u)r is always the biggest cost involved when changing a clutch. It gets worse if the job involves removing the engine. On the other hand if the engine has already been removed for another reason it makes sense to replace the clutch at the same time. My mechanic quoted me £500 to replace the clutch on a 2005 Renault Clio. I did the job myself with the help of the owner for the cost of the clutch kit. On some of the GM J cars, the clutch can be changed without separating the transmission from the engine.

[@LazBOG593]

Actually the easiest clutch I have ever done was a 1980 Datsun 310. You removed an access plate and an external gear assembly and your clutch is exposed and ready to come out. I did 2 at the same time in 4 hours.

[@martinrowland2593]

I had a Rover 75 bmw 2ltr diesel.. year 2000 bought new. After 5 years the clutch master cylinder failed its in the bell housing oil everywhere needed a new clutch Took it to a place in Chester UK called One hour clutch... Thats all they did was clutches When i went to pick it up few hours later The analogue clock was 1 hour 10 minutes slow, close? had the car for 18 years without any problem cost £500

[@evanvevan]

Really enjoy this format. The technical breakdown of how the systems work is really interesting.

[@VanWinger]

The 04 Siverado I bought in 2021 had a bad hydraulic on the integrated slave/throwout, and the 'since you were in there anyway' parts were the clutch and pressure plate!

[@williamhurt5245]

I bought a 2011 Porsche S 6sp manual with a weak clutch at only 34k miles. All parts including flywheel & labor at my local Porsche dealership was about $4,000. Other than that the car has been perfect since. Engine didn’t have to come out, only the transmission. All bearings & seals checked fine.

[@Gabbe751]

There are actually one car where you can change clutch under 30 min. SAAB 900 year 1979-1993. That car has the clutch in the front of the engine. You could say that they have mounted the engine backwards from factory. Its very easy to get access to. It is odd, but its true.

[@J.B-is8fb]

Also probably common sense but make sure your clutch plates are facing the correct direction before installing. Sometimes they’re marked wrong unfortunately.

[@SuperDirk1965]

Saab 99/900 actually had a clutch assembly that could be replaced without separating the engine from the transmission. The transmission sat under the engine.

[@michaelmarkofski4073]

I had a triumph spitfire n the trans came out the top n a clutch was a 1 hour job since you could do it on the ground did need a friend to help

[@kellymorgan3783]

Good video I have done clutches be for so I am aware of the time but most people wouldn’t have a clue. Good video, sir good video.

[@kmath50]

I once changed a clutch on a Datsun B-210 in my HS auto shop class. I was able to remove and lower the transmission without a jack. It was very light.

[@scopez1197]

noticed the shirt half way through the video. i’m from north dakota but have been staying in panama city for the past 6 months. love your videos wizard!

[@IIGrayfoxII]

The throw out bearing went out recently on my impreza. Was fine the day before, no noise. Started the car in the morning, horrible sound when pressing the clutch. Went to my mechanic during lunch. Explained my cars throw out bearing has failed.he confirmed. Before he even gave me a quote I knew it would be expensive Gave me 2 quotes $1,200 or $1,500 depending on which clutch kit I chose. The flywheel also was surfaced at the same time. I went with the $1,200 kit as it was good enough. But yeah, most people don't know how involved it is. It would obviously be more expensive on a sports car and a super car.

[@richceglinski7543]

15 Nissan Versa . Powertrain has to come out and separated, AC Evac and recharge too. 13 hrs @ 130 per hr was over 1600 labor. 62000 miles. Parents bought teen a manual trans for 1st car

[@joshpinchuk7061]

I am having master and slave clutch cylinders replaced on 2012 cayenne. NOT the clutch itself. Also having break and clutch fluid replaced. Job will cost $1600 plus tax from local mechanic (not dealer)

[@nucleargrizzly1776]

That sounds down right reasonable.

[@joshpinchuk7061]

@@nucleargrizzly1776 perhaps, but why is it even necessary. On my japanese cars, I never had the clutch cylinders go bad, especially due to bad clutch (brake) fluid. I thought the clutch hydraulics were a closed system and the fluid should be left alone?

[@nucleargrizzly1776]

@@joshpinchuk7061 I don't know enough about it. But my friends that have or have had Cayenne's are constantly complaining about the high costs. Infrequent but still very high. Never heard of one as low as $1600. My newest Porsche is a '97 and doesn't have those sorts of issues. Just the secondary air injector needing cleaning out every 20k miles.

[@jaybeemhardscrote7466]

What!? You could get a Cayenne with a manual up to 2012?

[@joshpinchuk7061]

@@jaybeemhardscrote7466 technically up until 2014 or 15, but only with the base VR6 engine

[@LilYeshua]

I got an eighteen hundred dollar quote for the clutch in my Nissan. On my former employer's concrete trucks back when they still had manual transmissions it took the shop mechanics 10 hours to replace the clutch. Those manual transmission trucks would average 5.5 miles per gallon compared to the newer auto trans models today which average 3.5 miles per gallon

[@krzysztofjarzyna3194]

I remember that in my first car changing a clutch was almost no challenge for my mechanic guy. But as I got newer and newer cars - the price for the clutch replacement went up, as the third of it was to remove an engine itself to get into the clutch. And now you even have more expensive dual mass flywheel even in petrol engines.

[@glennet9613]

I had a Triumph Herald in England in 1972 and I could change the clutch in an hour or so whilst sitting in the driver’s seat.

[@1mlb704]

I had my 2007 Corolla's clutch replaced last year at 210k miles. It was about $1000. Still, even a $2000 clutch replacement is much more palatable than a $5000 automatic transmission rebuild/replacement

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@1mlb704 well also if you drive carefully not gunning it all the time, the clutch can last almost the whole life of the car. My mom used to have a ‘95 Plymouth Neon 5 speed manual, and she sold it in ‘07 with 350,000 km (approximately, the odometer broke at 230K), and she never had to replace the clutch once, it was still on the original one working fine. It’s all about how responsible and careful the driver is.

[@CollinMac96]

Owning both a manual transmission and an automatic car I can say that I’ve never had to replace transmission components on any auto I’ve owned. I cannot say the same with my mx5 6mt. That and my Buick lacrosse both get driven like I stole it off the lot and I’ve put 40k miles on both within 5 years

[@oak6845]

Wizard your teaching demonstration of the explanation of repair cost is the perfect analogy of the true expression "Make it hard on your vehicle and your vehicle will make it hard on you!".

[@robme3660]

I never needed to replace the clutch on my pior car. My 13 civic 5spd seemed fine after I sold it w/ 168k miles 2 yrs ago. I'd imagine that my 21 Corolla hatch 6spd's clutch will last that long.

[@andrewallen9993]

Changing a complete clutch assembly IS something you can do in ten minutes! Providing you own an Opel Monza FWD! I personally have done it myself.

[@kclefthanded427]

Whenever there's A clutch job on a high mileage vehicle. Might want to check the rear main seal to make sure it doesn't leak

[@kellismith4329]

Definitely replace that too while you are in there

[@coreycohen6160]

Had the release bearing eat itself in my Ferrari, needed the whole setup including a new flywheel, and a new hill engineering bearing. Had some other stuff done with the "while you are there" attitude, but I think the clutch part of the bill was about 10K or 11K, this was at an independent and not a dealer. I think the OEM clutch kit itself was almost 4.5K not including the flywheel which couldn't be refinished.

[@gauravvij67]

You don't need a Ferrari though, the whole point is you've won socitys game and not giving a crap what your wife or kids think of you being rich enough to throw your money on a toy that is in reality artwork rather than a serious means of transport

[@walter.bellini]

Just curious, would not removing transmission on the Ferrari be easier since less connections surround it? Thank you great video

[@timewa851]

that clutch housing was 'air cooled' for a reason. The transmission is at the rear differential, fed by a torque tube. At least in that 12 cylinder 456. : )

[@georgebettiol8338]

Removing a trans-axle and torque tube is not a trivial task - a point made by the Wizard at 2:50. Far easier to remove the engine.

[@tonylam9548]

I used to have a 95 Sidekick for 20 years, the clutch is expensive for you got to remove 2 gearboxes to get at it, you get change for $1000 I was careful and got over 200,000km out of the OEM clutch. $2 Gs for one of those exotic Italian sports car is nothing unusual. Just think of them as aircraft and you have to pay aircraft prices for parts.

[@seraphimvalkyrin4543]

I feel like 80% of the time the reason something cost so much to do is not necessary the part itself. It's the work it takes to get to the part and you also have to take into account that you have to put everything back together. I remember one time it was gonna cost about $1000 just to replace the axle boots on my Jeep (500 for each side) just because of the amount of things that they have to take off and disconnect. All for a part that costs about $10.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

That's why they made split boots.....

[@matthaegele]

My 2015 Dart was the worst on this. I paid $1,800 due to a slave cylinder failure. It corrupted the clutch assembly and fed off the brake master and according to the dealer, corrupted that as well. I sold it a month later for an Outback.

[@bh2155]

Why would you pay 1800 dollars for a repair then sell it? You just lost money

[@matthaegele]

@@bh2155 that is a valid question. The main reason was the mileage at the time it happened. It was only at 65k when the failure occurred. I started crunching some numbers and found this was going to cost too much in the long run. Also, a tech friend of mine told me a was lucky as this was a known failure point and has caused some owner to spend over $4000 to have the transaxle rebuilt due to the fluid contaminating the seals and fluid in the transmission. After finding this out, it was time for something more reliable.

[@TheRetarp]

@@bh2155 This is the definition of the sunk cost fallacy. That $1800 is gone and never coming back. Look forward and decide if you want to send good money after bad repairing a lemon or get something where the odds are more in your favor. I'm sure the worth between an immobile broken car and a working car is far more than $1800.

[@julesandersen3659]

I Can tell you as a mechanic myself that it’s absolutely possible to take the clutch out on some older OPEL KADTTEs with out removing the gearbox from the engine

[@kimwinthernielsen9434]

Brilliant system. Inner and outer shaft. 20 minutes job😊

[@julesandersen3659]

@@kimwinthernielsen9434 du har ret 😆

[@kimwinthernielsen9434]

Der var flere genistreger på kadettE. Varmeapparat F.eks. To skruer under intrumentsbrædtet så kunne det trækkes ud. Ikke noget med at hele instrumentsbordet skulle skilles ad. Men der var også et par upser. Den vandbaserede lak og sandwichkonstruktionen af bunden ved befæstigelsen til forreste bærearm. Men den fik da nogle år ekstra som Daewoo Nexia😀

[@julesandersen3659]

@@kimwinthernielsen9434 Ja de kørt lang tid på den platform, fordi tyskerne kunne finde ud af at lave biler den gang

[@sunbeam8866]

A few years ago, my '96 2WD Tacoma needed a clutch. It was the hardest RWD clutch I've ever done! My 2WD Tacoma's crossmember, holding the tranny-mount, is WELDED to the frame. So the tranny needs to come way back, get flipped on it's right side, then tipped forward & down at a 50 degree angle. This is the alternate KZbin & Haynes manual method. The original Toyota factory manual says to first remove the engine! It took me several days, using multiple jacks & blocks of wood, with my truck up on ramps in the driveway. Parts & fluid only cost $140! 🙂

[@mescko]

A *welded* crossmember?? WTH were they thinking?!

[@sunbeam8866]

@@mescko Not something I investigated before I bought the truck seven years ago. According to my repair manual, the 4WD and Automatic models did have a bolt-on crossmember. I've replaced many RWD clutches in driveways, and in the shop where I worked, with the luxury of a lift. My Tacoma was probably the worst. (One jokester suggested cutting the crossmember, then welding it back on - yeah, right!) But at least I didn't need to remove the engine, which would've been a real pain, as I'd just installed AC the previous year. But it's not all bad. Many recent trucks require hoisting the cab off the frame for major engine work! Anyway, my Tacoma's clutch is working just fine today!

[@kronos0316]

If when u was a kid back in the 80s my auto shop teacher would have explained things like this man I probably would have been a mechanic.

[@karstenkrause8737]

I changed the clutch on my Citroen XM; it tookme 12 hours just to get to the clutch! It wasn't 'hard' but hang on, there were a lot of things to build out

[@Richard_AKL]

Haha - I remember a friend with a Citroen looking at the factory manual - to change the clutch on his, the stated labour was 3x mechanics for 3 days. Renault had a similar annoying thing where the starter motor was INSIDE the gearbox... fun!

[@mcplutt]

Must have been a petrol engine then.

[@olukunle]

I just did clutch work on my 08 Audi S5 without a lift or a transmission jack, just jack stands and normal jacks, it was some incredibly painful work to do, I'm not looking forward to doing this ever again

[@DustinBigMac]

I replaced my transmission on my 11 impala, with jack stands and a jack, I feel your pain

[@jaybeemhardscrote7466]

Quick question, is it possible to crack your oil pan if you support the engine from below with a jack?

[@DustinBigMac]

@Jaybeem Hardscrote just use a piece of wood in between, and I think it would be fine, doing motor mounts?

[@molarguy]

My 62 Ford Fairlane w/ 3 on the tree and 170 6 cylinder I could have transmission out and hands clean in 45 min. The good old days of wise assembly. It takes 45 min just to gather necessary tools on newer cars. My 76 F150 4x4...pull the engine.

[@TriCountyMotorsEastman]

Then you have the crazy designed like the 4 cylinder Saturn Vue that you have to drop the whole subframe with the engine and transmission to have enough room to separate them to replace the clutch

[@bh2155]

Well i just paid 3600 dollars for my clutch replacement which included the clutch master cylinder and the flywheel on my VW

[@stevenschreiber8934]

The simplest clutch job isn't a 2wd truck, it's that Ferrari 355 clutch you used as an example. Engine or transmission removal is not needed, the clutch is located at the rear of the transaxle. You remove the muffler and clutch cover, and there it is. The Saab 99, 900, and the Datsun 310 could have a clutch replaced with out engine or transmission removal. As a automotive tech myself, I understand why you didn't mention these. Hopefully all of the Saabs and Datsuns have been recycled and the 348/355 are few enough that 99.9999% of shops will never see one.

[@cnylammy8675]

Chevy dealership quoted about $4k to replace clutch and throw out bearing on C7 Corvette. 17 hrs of labor

[@HollywoodHornet]

The clutch on my Beetle was cheap and fairly easy to do. Only cost me a couple hundred in parts and some of my time. Haven't had to do it on my Camaro yet but I doubt it will be as easy as the Beetle, tho I may be surprised.

[@dalejones3862]

Great info wizard now people know why these cost so much

[@Krakondack]

7 years ago, Honda quoted $2K to replace the clutch on a 4-cyl Accord. Car was rusty so I didn't keep it, but I never learned what it should really cost.

[@bmwbob51]

$2K is a cheap clutch replacement for any car! But I live in California where hourly rate is approaching $300.00!

[@kellismith4329]

That’s cause everyone that handles the parts gets cancer

[@doolallyproductions7234]

I'll happily pay $2000 for a clutch one my clutches and flywheel was almost $1500 just for the parts

[@bh2155]

Right 2k for a clutch is not bad. I paid 3600 for my clutch replacement. The parts alone were close to 2k.

[@garrysimpson4056]

Hi wizard I'm in the uk and was quoted £1150 gpb for a new clutch in my jaguar x type manual so I've got rid and bought a chrysler 300c

[@reubentalbott]

My 4wd Tacoma cost me 2K to get replaced, it was completely worth it but my wallet wasn’t very happy 😅

[@GFS695]

I have a older Nissan quest 2007 minivan, for the past couple of years I sometimes would get a hard kick in 1st or 2nd gear, sometimes it would be so hard it feels like I was rear ended, what could it be Wizard, I changed the fluid multiple times and it has helped a decent amount.

[@Stefan-mg5gl]

I love your "what's broken" videos!

[@inexconst]

Really enjoy every Video you post, very informative and in layman's terminology, all I can say is Thank You 😊

[@tempturerush1987]

I have bought a c7 for 4000 grand because the clutch was bad change it out myself and i see why it would cost some serious dough if you had some to do it for you.

[@dagamer667]

It's amazing how many fans of manual transmission claim they are practically maintenance free vs the traditional automatics (non CVT). Sure you need to drop the pan to do the fluid and filter(s), but one or two hours of work every thirty thousand miles sure as hell beats ever doing a clutch job.

[@versansky75]

A clutch job isn’t really just about the clutch set. You can get one relatively cheap online. It’s the actual job itself and how long it takes the mechanic to fix it. Not to mention that if he actually knows how to. I know of some repair shops that won’t do a clutch job….. or an engine swap, because some of the mechanics just don’t know how to do the work

[@timewa851]

Remember meeting a manual trans/clutch tech in a town off I-5, one wall was covered with clutch alignment tools. You know the plastic ones with a finger loop on one end & splines? Hundreds, with a call out # above each. His name was Simeon. A Master's Lair. Should've asked him how long to change clutch? Pretty sure he would've said 'it takes what it takes' He was Asian Yoda Lookin' Dude.

[@versansky75]

@@timewa851 Yeah. Some people will only do what they’re most comfortable doing. Some only do clutches, others only do engines, and some only do transmissions. And with some only doing manual transmissions, they have an assortment of clutch alignment tools, so they pretty much have an idea of what ones to use. Having numbered and hanging them on a wall is a brilliant idea

[@pauljbusby]

I paid 2K just for the Clutch not including install, and it was for a Land Cruiser...NPC 1300 NM clutch, she is a monster

[@tabajaralabs]

Great series of videos, congratulations wizzzzard!

[@russelljacob7955]

One other cost to clutch replacement? Master/Slave cylinders. Like replacing brakes and rotors, the piston being more extended can mean need service so can be good just to do that. Is issue on my car. Brand new clutch? Slave cylinder leaks.

[@georgebettiol8338]

When changing a clutch pack - it would be madness not to change the thrust bearing and slave cylinder - especially if the slave cylinder is a modern (pesky) concentric type. Slave cylinders that are located outside of the bell housing are not as critical as these can be replaced without decoupling the transmission from the engine.

[@creatureshategod6471]

The Minnesota Mechanics Bible. Get at least $1000 dollars out of every Schlepper who walks through the door.