Replacing My Clutch

yoshifumu

I've had a rattling in the front of the car (Ford KA 54 reg) when pushing down on the clutch for the past few days. After a bit of research I figured that the release/throwout bearing probably has a problem.

More research showed me that most recommend that I might as well replace the clutch as the price difference is only so much (looking online you can buy a clutch kit for ~40) and labour shouldn't be much difference as you have to remove the clutch to get to the bearings.

So to confirm I went to a garage today (registered with the good garage scheme). On the phone they said it was probably just chatter and wouldn't need to do anything. However, after seeing them, they told me the noise definitely wasn't right and I should, as recommended above, replace the clutch and bearings.

They quoted me £600.

Mr. Clutch quoted £179.99


The car (according to the odometer) has only done 32k. But since buying, 6 months ago, has already had a problem with the ignition coil pack, is fitted with a dodgy tyre, has had the windscreen washer filter block up (which I still need to fix) and was broken into (as mentioned in a previous post here).

I understand that being broken into probably isn't worth putting up, but my point is that since buying it 6 months ago, if I pay the full £600, I would have paid near enough to half of what I paid for the car.

Any advice?

Should I use mr clutch?

I'm going to shop around a bit more tomorrow now I've confirmed what the problem is.

s_b

£600 is taking the michael
£179.99 is too cheap

clutch kit plus concentric slave is about £140 plus labour

you should be paying about £300/£350 at a decent garage to have this done

Tremour-88

For a standard family car, a clutch kit is only around £45 - 70 and labour around £200 - 250.

£600 is way to expensive, and for £179.99 it seems dodgy since they'd only be recieving around £10-15 per hour in labour

yoshifumu

That's what I've been thinking.

I can find a clutch kit online for ~50, but when it comes to bearings I get a bit confused, as you get rear/front options (assuming you have to buy both) at ~30 each etc. Would I need a slave as well?

Any advice on other options?

blue_haddock

Your car does not have a thrust bearing - it has a concentric slave cylinder. The bearings you are talking about sound more like front and rear wheel bearings.

If your not sure what to buy i'd leave well alone and find a trusted local garage to do the work and source the parts, it may cost you slightly more but you wont end up with a load of wrong parts and a garage owner charging you more as you try to give him a wheel bearing to fix a clutch problem.

Also the good garage scheme is merely a marketing ploy from Forte who make various lubricants and additives. All you need to become a member is to agree to sell these items when people come in to the garage. Having looked at the local ones to me i havent heard of two thirds of the ones near me and i work in the automotive trade.

cb1979

Hi yes £600 is way too much,should be able to get 2 fitted for this price
I had my sons replaced at my local Nationwide Autocentre about 3 years ago in his 2002 Astra and cost slightly over £300,and that came with 2 years or 25000 mile warrenty and a new concentric slave cylinder

I think Nationwide have now been taken over by Halfords,you can also try Mr Clutch

Most fitting centers will also use their own clutch kits,they get to know which suppliers are good or not

With clutch kits cheapest is not always the best