Hi all,
I am in the process to replacing my stock clutch on my R53. I would like to get some more information both on the cost and options.
Does anyone can advise me on the cost to replace with OEM unit (including labor)?
A recommended good (reasonable price) repair shop near Los Angeles area will also be greatly appreciated.

thank you very much.

Tony

 

This is my next major repair since my clutch is slipping now. I found that the job is like $1500 in labor alone. Not 100% sure. From what I have found the motor needs to be pretty much removed or mostly removed to get the tranny off.

 

MiniCorsa in North Hollywood publishes their prices. $1500 to remove and install with all parts. I haven't used them but some posting here have recommended.

http://www.minicorsa.com/services.html

 

1500 is about right for labor and parts. It is a heavy job... You can get a Luk clutch kit or a Valeo kit fairly cheap but the labor is the killer.

 

I was recently quoted $1400 in parts and $1300 in labor. I passed... Ordered a Valeo clutch kit yesterday and will Replace it myself.

 

Where did you get that quote? If you use OEM parts bought from MINI that is about right as well. As you mentioned, you can get the Valeo clutch a lot cheaper.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/valeo-c...l-kit-r53.html

 

Not at liberty to release the shop name but they are local to me in CO. (non-dealer)

 

It was about $3000 at the the Dealer. I had the throw out bearing replaced through extended warranty and the dealer suggested I should replace the clutch while all was apart. Pressure Plate and clutch disk were $500 (which I paid) and about $2200 were labor (11 hrs @ $120/Hr) and other parts.

 

Come again? Yeah, whatever.......

 

Not sure why you're offended. A shop gave me a personal quote and I'm not releasing something that's not an advertised price. You're in MD. Are you planning to ship your car halfway across the country for a clutch job?

 

No but giving the name will help others steer clear of a company that is clearly trying to rip people off. Your price was way too high, a dealer would charge that much. FYI, a quote is as good as an advertised price as it is a complete listing of everything they are going to charge. If it was less than they would normally charge, like you were getting some deal, I could see you saying what you said.

Saying that you are "not at liberty to say" is complete bull. You are at liberty to do so but just don't want to.

As for being offended I am not, just find your choice of words funny and a little suspicious.

 

I've never done any business with the company nor am I affiliated. View their price as ripping people off but at the end of the day, their price is comparable to what dealerships are charging. Is that ripping people off? Well that's for each consumer to decide. I'm not going to make it my business to steer customers off from gaining their business. I have no specifics. For all I know, they provide the best quality service out there and warranty all their work beyond what a cheap garage would charge. But again, anyone can get a quote from them, and no one is obligated to get any work done after getting that quote.

You're right...I may be at liberty to do so but my business ethics tells me that it's not in my place to scare people off. If that's how you roll then by all means.

 

Going back to my original response... Whatever... You were better off not posting at all rather than providing a number that was not even close to a real quote from a normal garage. I'm guessing you either know the person that owns it and now that we called it out you don't want to say or you simply made a number up and tossed it out there. Either way, the information you posted was pointless as it isn't realistic unless it was a dealer. People come to forums to get information and help and I have called out many mechs that were useless to steer my fellow NAMers (or other forum members) clear of someone that could damage their car or rape their wallets. How I "roll" is to help people save time and money while getting the best repair they can.

FYI, that is my last repose to this as it is dragging the thread off topic.

 

We would be grateful if you could provide instructions of the whole process.

The clutch kit is cheap but the labor is the killer. I saw one done at an indie garage... they had to support the engine with a jack, removed driver side strut assembly, control arm, drive-shaft and then drop the tranny.

IIRC, the mechanic told me parts/labor is $2k, which is on the high side. The shop is a German car specialist but not Mini specialist... in Orange County, CA.

've done a few clutches in my time but they were all RWD, longitudinal lay-out.

 

Ummm...wow? Yes, I just loooooooove making up stuff. The OP's question is HOW MUCH and possibly a place near LA. My answer on how much is relevant. He never specified what a "normal garage" would charge. Only how much, using OEM parts. I gave him the quote I received because I myself was looking for a shop since my TOB is on its way out.

Since I looooove making stuff up below is my quote. Breakdown in labor and parts is a bit off but $2700 total as I said.

I don't know you and you don't know me so don't call me a liar. This is the first time I talked with this shop. I wish I knew the owner because maybe I would have been offered a discount. But nope, going to torture myself with a clutch job in my own garage.

I try to help the community out by providing technical information as much as I can but I limit my information so it's not harmful to anyone including shops that actually provide service on MINI's. Lord knows these shops are rare enough as it is...

We can both agree on one thing...whatever...

 

I'll try and document a step by step. I was just reading K-huevo's instructions and it looks like the links to his pictures are dead. Might be time for a new one.

 

Grab a Bently, it will walk you through getting to the clutch and replacing it. Mine has been a very useful resource.

 

I think Helix charges 850 in labor

 

Think I may be in love with this.

 

FYI - Pelicanparts has a great step by step. Do note that it looks like the entire front end is removed from the car so a few pictures will not look right to you. There's a few things on this guide that could have probably been bypassed but looks useful none the less.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

 

Looks like my Mini has no choice but to go beyond 300k... like my '81 Audi.
With a DMF, I know it won't happen.

 

Wow. Yeah, I don't know that I'm capable of this one.

Though, I might try to make it work by taking a week off of work. I cannot afford 2-3K for a new clutch.

 

I just finished the job and it's really not that difficult. Just A LOT of stuff to remove and put back on. I did it by myself without anyone to assist.

Few things to note:

1. It made it easy having a hydraulic jack under the motor and the transmission jack under the transmission when mounting the transmission back on. It made short work of it and took me less than 10min to bolt the transmission. Having both under a jack allowed me to move not just the transmission but also the engine to line the bolts up.

2. Zip tie the clutch fork in place when mounting the transmission so that you don't accidentally nudge it and move the throw out bearing out of place. While it didn't happen to me, it's a safe bet to prevent yourself from having to do the job twice.

3. GET A TRANSMSSION JACK! They're like $70 at harbor freight. You can download 20% coupon from their site to make it even cheaper. Don't try to use a hydraulic jack on the transmission. It's too unstable and you might drop the transmission. See below on how I secured the transmission. Wedge a 2x4 in the back of the transmission to keep it leveled.


4. Don't forget to replace your LCA bushings while you have the subframe down.

5. Have a good arsenal of extensions and flex to reach those tight spaces.

6. Do not be afraid to remove some parts out of the way if you have to. I removed the radiator on mine. Having to refill the radiator for me was worth it just to have the room to work with. I hate fighting with parts. I'd rather pull everything out of the way and simply re-install after.

If you have any questions, shoot me a message here or send me a PM. I may even give you my phone number in case you find yourself in a tight spot while working on your car.

 

Sounds encouraging.

Did you follow Pelican's recommendation and replace the rear engine seal and transmission seal?

If you have the time, a write-up would be wonderful.

 

What year is yours, evasive? Everything seems very clean.