Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) $650 for clutch change?

[JRagland]

What is a reasonable price for a clutch change with grinding of the flywheel?



I was quoted $650 by one of the bigger shops here. Is it more if I don't buy the clutch from them. I already have the Con FE. That seemed about $200 more than I expected. Am I just clueless as to how much it costs? I usually do things myself, so I haven't dealt with many shops for labor costs.

 

[nps]

Don't know - did mine myself in the street over two nights. Took about 10 hours total time. My guess is that they are quoting about $40 per hour giving 16 hours to complete, which sounds reasonable.



Why don't you do it yourself? Same as a car but the parts are bigger and heavier. The only thing you need is a strong transmission jack to make it a snap, and a bottle jack to spread the frame rails when removing the cross member.

 

[RHamner]

Just had it done at a Diesel shop for around $700

 

[Larry Willard]

Mine was $450, plus $85 to grind the flywheel. It took them about 6 hours total. That was a couple years ago.

Larry

 

[gitchesum]

Are these just labor prices you guys are quoting, or parts and labor?

 

[Signal73]

4 and change for the clutch labor, 55 to grind the flywheel

 

[zstroken]

16 hours labor that shop must no know what they are doing. Should be about 8 hours tops

 

[JJ Jackson]

Make sure you read TDR issue 49. It has all the info on resurfacing the flywheel correctly. Don't let them put it on a lathe... ... . Jim

 

[jwilliams3]

It only takes about 4 hours to install a dual disk with the proper equipment.

 

[trqmnstr]

I was quoted $250-$300 for the install. Maybe he doesn't know what he's getting into.

 

[JRagland]

I would do it myself, but only have 1 vehicle so I can't have down time getting my flywheel ground. Do most shops grind or lathe a flywheel?



And, that was labor only for $650, I have the Con FE ready to go in.



Thanks for the input.

 

[SRadke]

I have a local auto machine shop that surfaces flywheels for $45 and with the right tools and knowledge it only takes 4-5 hours to do the job. $600 seems high to me.



-Scott

 

[Forrest Nearing]

find someone on TDR to loan you a flywheel...



or have a buddy give you a ride to the machine shop and pay a little extra to have it ground right then. it doesn't take 20 minutes to grind a flywheel

 

[JRagland]

Alright then. Thanks guys.

 

[RonA]

I just got a quote here to install a new clutch on mine. 325 + flywheel resurface.

Ron

 

[Rman]

Mine was $375 with a flywheel resurface.

 

[GOTSOOT]

My mech. does 2-whl drs. for $200. 00 and 4-whl for 250. 00. flywheel turning on a "stone" wheel runs 40. 00. 3 or 4 hrs w/o time allowed for the trip to the machine shop.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I'll get roasted for this, but unless there is clearly visible evidence of damage or wear to the flywheel surface, it's pretty pointless to grind it as an automatic requirement.



I swapped in a LUK Cerametallic on my truck at about 22K miles as I recall - the stock unit had started slipping under towing loads after installing my Comp. I was always careful when slippage was detected, and avoided it as much as possible to save overheating the flywheel and damaging it.



And when I removed the old disc and pressure plate, there was NO evidence of wear or burnt spots on either the clutch disc, flywheel OR PP - so instead of removing the flywheel and having it ground, I took a coarse/medium grit disc in a drill motor, and thoroughly roughened the flywheel surface to remove even the slightest bit of glaze that might have been undetected.



I put in all the new LUK stuff, and have had NO problems whatsoever. In cases where the flywheel is in good shape, my method seems to make lots more sense than creating "artificai wear" and shorter lifespan with a lathe or serious surface grinder...



You can only grind a flywheel so much, or so many times - so why wear it out prematurely with a grinder if it's NOT needed?

 

[SRadke]

Gary, Gary, Gary..... :-{}















:-laf

 

[Forrest Nearing]

on a little fox body w/ a 75lb transmission that I can swap in under 2hrs, I'll clean up the flywheel w/ a 3M pad...



on one of these trucks that's running the original taper cut on the flywheel? I'm having it ground flat!!! LOL!