Hello folks,

Can someone please give me an idea of what a fair price range to have a clutch replaced on a 2004 MCS would be?

Any reccos on a shop in the IE or close to it?

Thanks again for your help.

I called a place but I have no idea whats fair or not and it sounded a bit pricey for a direct OEM replacement: $1800?

SEN

 

Most shops change $750-1000 just to R&I transmission. Add parts into that and you have your $1800.
Look up what clutch/flywheel will cost. You may think about going aftermarket and supplying the parts yourself.

 

Yep, that is not too far off. You can get a Valeo clutch kit from Way for 450...

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

Toss in about 5 hours of labor and you are at about 1K.

Also, you will want to change the master and slave cylinders as well which will tack on about 150.

So, you are about 700 under the cost, depending on the labor charge, if you go with the Valeo kit. If you go stock, then you will be right back up to about 1800.

 

thanks for the info; yea the valeo looks like to be the better avenue for replacement. master and slave cylinders are those aftermarket as well?

also, what is a fair rate for labor charge for doing this kind of job?

and then one more thing, if i do have some slipping (accelarting trying to pass) is it imperative to change immediately?

thanks again for all your help

 

Personally I see no reason to change master or slave cylinder. I have never heard of this before except twice on this forum in a week. Clutch and flywheel are wear items, master cylinder and slave are not. Might as well just change the brake power booster too.

I would wait for them to leak at least before I considered spending money on them.

Now, lower control are bushings should be done, and maybe swaybar bushings. The reason is they are hard to get to and you have them apart already. Saves a bunch of labor and they are wear items.

 

Master and slave cylinder are wear items and they are fairly cheap and easy to replace while doing the clutch job, especially on a high milage car. They can be a pain and cost a lot more to do if you have to do it later, so why not do it now? Might as well put new ones on while you got everything off and most shops won't charge extra labor for it. Most of the shops that I have spoken to do recommend doing them while you are torn into the car that deep. Tis the reason that I recommend it as well and it is only and addition 140 and maybe extra hour of labor. Just makes sense.

Bushings? They can be done by simply dropping the subframe and have nothing to do with the parts that are off. This would be an additional cost.

Sensez, to answer your questions, I believe that the cylinders offered by Way are MINI OEM replacements, but you can call Way and ask. Either way, he is not going to sell you something that won't work. Most shops charge about 99 dollars for labor per hour and on some large jobs have a fixed rate that they charge. You will have to speak to them to get the rate.

The clutch is tricky. Slipping could be nursed to last a while or it could go tomorrow. The thing that would scare me is that you wouldn't have the power to scoot if needed. I know it is an expensive job, but the good news would be that you won't have to do it again for a long time.

 

I just did the clutch myself last month and my personal experience differs from your thoughts. The subframe comes off to do the clutch, that is why you save labor and dumping the subframe isn't simple. Entire front of car off and both drive shafts at least.

This is what is needed to do bushings and is exactly what you do to get to the clutch.

First this
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-end-mfe.html

then this

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post1420223

Once the subframe is dropped, then you go on to do the clutch. The LCA bushings are two bolts away for each side and the sway bar bushing is also a total of the same 4 bolts away. So, while the subframe is already sitting on the floor, doing them adds nothing to the labor cost. They are ready to go, 4 bolts and you can change both bushings which will tighten up the front end for no extra labor cost. Those are both bushings being held in by the bolts.




The slave is right on the bottom of the trans, two bolts and it's off after removing the two screws for the bottom splash shield. If you want an easier view, wheel off, and remove front half of wheel splash guard. There is literally nothing in the way. They are not removed when doing the clutch except for the two bolts. It is moved to the side out of the way and put back on when doing a clutch, so the labor savings in real time is less than 5 minutes once a car is on a lift. For a clutch job you don't need to touch or bleed the clutch system otherwise. Labor savings is not much, but you will save a bit.

It doesn't seem like you have worked on these cars personally or you would understand which is easier to do. It may be why you are repeating what was told to you which is fine, I am speaking from personal experience and it is my recommendation to spend money wisely. Replacing them does no harm except to the wallet.

The OP is asking for recommendations and those are mine based on having personally done the clutch last month.

 

Yes, I have done the bushings and I am very familiar with the car.

My point was that they can be done at a later date and not really incur any additional cost, something that the OP seems to be worried about. Most places will still charge the labor if you do bushing as they have to be pressed in and the rear bushings wouldn't even be in the line of what is being worked.

The OP didn't ask about anything other than the clutch, so I fail to see where the bushings comment came from. I simply recommended the cylinders be changed as they can wear over time and it is a cheap maintenance item. Necessary, maybe not, but if you are putting in a new clutch you might as well rejuvenate the entire system.

 

Thanks for all the help gents...

Can you list what parts are needed and/or recommended that I replace while I have the clutch replaced? I'm going to have to save up for this, I didn't anticipate the cost to be so high...

And if you can inform me as to what I need to look for to avoid being ripped off...

Like with the parts list to be replaced for example; the valeo kit do I need anything extra to just replace the clutch or is that it?

Thanks again for aiding a mechanically challenged mini owner :D

SEN