Just heard back from mechanic, need help please

[Dan XVI]

Ok, here's the deal. My car was making some funny noises, so we checked around the engine compartment to see where it was coming from using that stethescope type tool, and the noise we found originated from the water pump, thinking that it was just going bad, I took my car to the shop to double check our diagnosis and to replace the pump if it were bad.

I got a call back today, saying that it is actually my clutch, and that its going to cost roughly 1050 bucks to replace it.....I know I only have a non turbo 420A engine, but I am trying to squeeze some power out of the car when I have the money to throw towards it (and at some point down the road, I would like to turbo it).

Being the clutch is getting replaced now, do you think that I should get a performance clutch put in now? If the answer is yes, can you guys offer any suggestions?

Thanks in advance
- Dan

[MexRocket]

um whoa, for one, that is one expensive clutch plus labor, thats a little absurd... how do they determine that it isn't your water pump and jump to the clutch? 1050.... can get you a TSi AWD 1g with a boost leak lol.... how many miles are on it?

[Dan XVI]

First off, getting rid of the car is kinda out of the question, I know it is slower than a turbo dsm, but this is my baby, and I don't want to sell it. The mechanic said that the sound that we heard was not coming from the water pump, but was vibrating through the frame or something like that, I have not talked directly to the mechanic, because I just got out of class at college, and my mom was the person who talked to him, but he said that it was some part of the clutch that was vibrating or rubbing on something. This came as a shock to me, because the clutch feels fine when shifting, doesn't grind or anything. You think something shady is going on here?

[DragonofBC]

I have been to 3 different mechanics about my car and there is always something shady going on .

I don't know what kind of mechanical expertise you have, but it might be a good idea to try to learn do it yourself especially if you are going to turboing your car. The experience will be very valuable. You can definitely get the tools and the parts to do it yourself for less than $1,050.

If you are doing it yourself, I say go with a performance clutch. I know that ACT sells all the parts separately so when you wear it out, you don't have to buy the whole thing every time, just the plate. Plus you'll already know how to do it.

If you don't have the means to do it yourself (time, location, desire) then go with a stock clutch without a doubt. I had to have my clutch replaced and I brought in one I bought from Advanced Auto Parts to have the dealer put in. Needless to say it "magically" went bad after about a month (I was still within the 500 "baby the clutch" period). The dealer blamed the clutch because it was aftermarket. I had to have the whole thing done again. Went with the stock clutch the second time and haven't had a problem since. You get the warranties if you let them use their parts.

This does depend on the fact that it really is the clutch. If you get it done and the noise is still there, make sure you stay on them until the problem is gone and make sure you get free labor to make it right. I played that game yesterday .

[Dan XVI]

Ok, I just personally got off the phone with my mechanic and he said that the throw out bearing went bad. I do not have the time or the space to do the work myself, living on campus and being a full time student without a garage. My mechanic is not affiliated with a dealership at all, would that make any difference as far as putting in an aftermarket clutch? Again, thank you guys for all the help.

- Dan

[DragonofBC]

I definitely know how that goes. I would ask your mechanic if he guarantees his work and ask him if it matters if you provide your own clutch. I can imagine from a risk standpoint that the mechanics want to only use parts direct from the factory, but he/she might be cool. I'm about 99% certain you can get a better and cheaper clutch than the one he wants to give you.

I don't personally know that a TO bearing would make that sound. Hopefully someone else can shed some light on the situation.

[Eclipse4ever]

Best thing for you is some one else change it for you and in this case your mechanic. But 1,050 for a clutch sounds like a lot of cash. I dont thing that the dealership will charge you that much for a clutch replacement. Your mechanic looks a little expensive, search around your city. I got charged $200 by the mechanic to change my clutch and he did an excellent job. I would never pay 1K for a clutch since thats like almost half of what your car costs.

[DragonofBC]

I paid slightly less than that for a new clutch, new flywheel and all the work associated with changing them but a GSX requires more labor to do. It is definitely very steep. See what if costs for the labor to do the clutch and if is significantly higher than $200, then I agree with Eclipse4ever, go find somewhere else.

[Dan XVI]

Well the situation is a little more complex than what I have said so far. The alternator also needs to get replaced, and apparently that was causing noise that was masking the clutch noise, no big deal, I'll have the alternator replaced, thats not an issue, I just don't know if its a good idea to spend all this money to put in a new stock clutch and then down the road spend more money to replace it with a performance one, I guess its just timing.

I kinda live in the middle of nowhere, and this guy has been my mechanic for a while, (this is the first time that anything has actually broken on my car) so I have not personally needed his services much, my mom and her friends go to this guy often and he has a good reputation.

If I were to go with a performance clutch would you guys have any suggestions? I was looking around at some ACT clutches, but only found em for the 4g63, not the 420a.

- Dan

[DragonofBC]

I'd pay anything to find a mechanic with a good reputation in my area. If I were you, I'd get the alternator done now and wait a bit on the clutch. I don't know how serious your problem is but I'd get it done sooner rather than later. Go for the aftermarket one because it'll make you happy. If you put the stock one in you'll just end up wishing you'd put the aftermarket one in (trust me ). It sounds like you want us to tell you that anyway.

Don't know about a NT clutch so I can't really help you there.

[Dan XVI]

Its not that I necessarily want to put one in, the timing just seems right, and if they are not that much more expensive than stock ones, I dont see the point in throwing a stock one in now. I'll also try to call around other places to check on the price, the mechanic said it was driveable, its just something that needs to get done soon, cause once the TO bearing really goes, I will not be able to shift at all.

[Speednis]

I disagree with your mechanic's diagnosis. Does the noise change when you push in the clutch at all? Usually the clutch disk goes before the TOB. I'd just keep driving it till it dies, then get a friend to pull you to a shop. I have only found 1 out of maybe 20 different mechanics I have ever used to be trustworthy. With the steep price he is asking for to replace your clutch, I would question his motives. If you do decide to get it done, it would be worth it to you to drive it somewhere it could be done cheaper. Allthough its a big job that requires pulling the tranny, its not exactly rocket science. There is not a ton of things that can go wrong, if you know what I mean.

[Dan XVI]

He said it makes the noise when you start the car, and when you press the clutch it goes away, apparently those are "classic" signs the throw out bearing is going. I called up an Aamco and they said that his estimate was ballpark because you have to replace the flywheel and the clutch at the same time with a non turbo dsm, and then the flywheel has to get cut which is like a 50-100 dollar charge on top of actually buying the part. The guy at Aamco included 6 hours of labor in his estimate, he was a bit lower, but not by much (i think around 900 bucks, he didnt give me an exact number).

[DragonofBC]

I don't know about drive it until it dies, especially with a clutch. If you catch problems sooner rather than later, you don't end up having to get a flywheel also.

I would say now is a good time to consider how far you want to go with your car. A stock one should be just fine for you. Even when you put a turbo on, I'd think the stock one will hold (I have no experience so it's all guesswork).

Do you launch your car frequently? If so, you might want to get a performance clutch that will grab harder (although you're going to need a bunch of other stuff also to put power to the ground). Otherwise, there is no real benefit other than "you want it."

[Speednis]

Bah, you convinced me that it is the TOB, but you don't have to replace the flywheel. The TOB makes contact with the splines on the preasure plate, the fork, and the driveshaft. It doesn't ever even touch the flywheel, which is under the preassure plate and the clutch disk itself. The only time you need to replace the flywheel is when it is warped, or scarred. If it was warped it would cause studdering on launch and excessive clutch disk wear. If it was scarred it would cause excessive wear on the clutch disk as well, which if you are still driving with no slippage, your fine.

I've changed the clutch on mine three times (once back in college, same situation as you, car parked in front of the dorm) and have never had to do anything to the flywheel.

Go here for a quick explination of how a clutch works:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch2.htm