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How much to replace a clutch? Car has 215K miles on it.
Three years ago I was driving around a corner and lost first and second gears. Got it to my mechanic and found out a new Honda transmission is $8K. Found a used one from a reliable source and had my mechanic put it in. He insisted on putting in a new clutch which is reasonable. When I got it back, I asked if he could adjust the throwpoint. Not adjustable! I asked if he could tighten up the shift linkage, saying a real short-throw shifter would be nice. Not available from Honda and he only uses Honda parts.
So, 50K miles later, last week, I went on a 500 mile trip. As I got there and was backing up a small grade, the transmission started slipping. Then I realized what the burning smell has been for the past month. Got home OK, taking it easy. Reflecting back, I can imagine a few clutch issues for a few years.... Did I miss that gear?
So, how much to replace a clutch? I heard about a great mechanic fifty miles from here, but close to the Marysville plant where this car was made. Now I only have to find him.
I might go back to the same guy whose been working on this car for fifteen years - he only works on Hondas and Acuras and runs a solo operation - but a few months after he replaced the transmission he confessed it was the first one he's ever done. Also, after the transmission was replaced, I now have a minor leak in the steering rack and a minor engine leak. Stuff happens. So, after the tow truck dropped my car off the truck last Feb, he's been telling me to get rid of the CL/S. I love this car. Oh, after I put the transmission in, I put $2K in body work.
(My insurance company wants to give me $2k and take the title. I've stopped answering their calls.)
Now, I drive pretty much like a little old lady, so I don't think the clutch should go out after 50K. Should I go back to my guy and ask for a break on the price of the labor, or just find someone else?
Clean!
Scrape-age on front and back. Mufflers jacked. Who knows what else. Shop estimate $2,400.
Personally, I wouldn't bring my car back to him after all of that. Simply him telling you to get rid of it is odd to me. Hes a Honda/Acura mechanic and doesn't want your repeat business on your 18 year old, 215k car? Unless you are a complete newbie driving stick, or you beat the car to death, there is no way in the world a clutch should die at 50k. I say find a good local mechanic, buy either an OEM Honda clutch set or go on Rockauto and buy a LUK (same as OEM) and fix it.
I've heard of clutches going out after 50k miles but it was never on a honda/acura and never on a car without power modifiers (turbo/SC). I'm not sure how he could have screwed it up though, it's a pretty straight forward job and the CL has a self adjusting clutch. My guess is the clutch he used was a cheapo clutch.
Why is he telling you to get rid of the car??? Makes no sense for a guy that works only on Honda/Acuras --- doesn't he know the CL-S6 is a super rare Acura? I have people wanting my car all the time - Cars and coffee, dealerships, local shops, etc. This guy seems like a bit of a joke
I learned to drive on a stick, shared an old Jeep with my brother into which we put an motor, had a great old Volvo with a stick, glided a few years, bought an old Jeepster, bought an '85 Accord that had the best clutch I've ever driven (in a passenger car), glided a few more years and then got this CLS. This is the first time I've had clutch or transmission trouble. Years ago, I had a friend who had a sports car shop and held a couple of SCCA records with his Sunbeam Tiger (V8). I got to drive one of his Tigers a few times and appreciated the short-throw shifter. Could barey hold on to the V8! And, he could tune the dual carbs on my Triumph and make it sing like an angel! Today, going looking for that mechanic out in the sticks, but only 35 miles from Marysville.
FWIW, last year my sister gave me a sweetheart deal on her Bimmer 318xi. Not stick. It doesn't compare with my CLS. Only thing it's good for is 80 mph down the highway. In comparison, the CLS feels like a motorcycle. Could sell the Bimmer and put the money in the CLS.... Still a baby with 30 day tags....
Selling that BMW and using the money for the CL-S sounds like a smart move to me. How much work does the CL-S actually need? The front bumper damage doesn't look bad at all. I'd suggest making a full detailed list of everything you know it needs and decide whats important and what you can live with. I just broke 305k on mine and put a lot more work and money into it than I planned to but I absolutely love driving it and plan on keeping it for the long term.
Selling that BMW and using the money for the CL-S sounds like a smart move to me. How much work does the CL-S actually need? The front bumper damage doesn't look bad at all. I'd suggest making a full detailed list of everything you know it needs and decide whats important and what you can live with. I just broke 305k on mine and put a lot more work and money into it than I planned to but I absolutely love driving it and plan on keeping it for the long term.
A quick google search shows this place in your area. Is this the place you are looking for? https://www.wayneshondagarage.com/
No, that's not the place, but looks worth looking into. I think I found the mechanic, Tom, and he's retired. He's working the front end on a small shop. He gave me a name of a guy twenty miles closer than Wayne's, which is still seventy-five miles away. Tom suggested I go back to my old mechanic. Later he said "every car has its lifetime". I heard he opened his last shop with a partner and the partnership didn't go well. Tom looks like he wants things done his way. Should take a look at Wayne's, maybe drive the car up and let them look at it. Otherwise, back to looking for a mechanic a lot closer to home.
As for taking stock, tires are on the horizon, maybe a new stereo head, and maybe some new speakers. My old mechanic is concerned about the steering rack, but I had someone else look at it and they aren't. Falling off the tow truck last February may have caused something we haven't found, yet. May be time for new struts. Will have to eventually fix the rear wheelwells right after the body shop promised me steel and delivered Bondo. So, if I can get the clutch put in for around $1,000, we are in the neighborhood of $5,000. Not a bad list with only one urgent item.
I think you can take care of all of that for under 5k for sure. A LUK Clutch set and Flywheel is around $400 on rockauto If you don't want to go OEM Honda, this is as close to it as you are going to get. If your mechanic was concerned about the rack its most likely rusty, starting to leak from the bellows, or both. If you are doing the clutch, do the rack at the same time and you should save some on labor since its one of those over lapping jobs. Is the timing belt due? Any oil pump seal leaks? Oh and don't forget the rear main seal while you are in doing the clutch!
You should start searching for a backup CL-S 6Speed with no rust issues (You used the word Bondo) while you decide on the fate of you car. I know the odds are against finding one that needs little work, but ya never know if you stay persistent. My two cents is worth about 2 cents, but you might get lucky at the end of the day and own two rare Acura CLs!
Once you start paying others to work on your car it sometimes gets a bit expensive.
I think you can take care of all of that for under 5k for sure. A LUK Clutch set and Flywheel is around $400 on rockauto If you don't want to go OEM Honda, this is as close to it as you are going to get. If your mechanic was concerned about the rack its most likely rusty, starting to leak from the bellows, or both. If you are doing the clutch, do the rack at the same time and you should save some on labor since its one of those over lapping jobs. Is the timing belt due? Any oil pump seal leaks? Oh and don't forget the rear main seal while you are in doing the clutch!
I agree with Greg D. I'll just add, get the reseal kit for the rack from Acura. Do not replace it with a reman. All of the reman racks are garbage and you're better off just resealing the rack then replacing it.
Speaking on the point, "every car has it's time" is just a bunch of garbage in my opinion. It's about the 'want' and less about the time. If you want to keep the car alive there are methods, it's mostly about how much time and energy (money too) that you want to invest in doing so. Heck, there are still cars from all of the decades around going back to the 1800's. So frankly, this mechanic is full of crap.
I have the oem reseal kit myself; there was a small leak, but it was mainly due to me turning the wheel too tight to one side (as I was bleeding my PS system).
if you are looking at the oem kit, I'd recommend buying it asap, as I believe I tried to buy mine from oemacuraparts and it was discontinued and had to buy elsewhere; so it may be getting rare...
Went up to Wayne's Garage and had them take a look at my clutch. They did not find anything to be concerned about. Said if the clutch goes it will be gradual. It's a nice place, not as "out in the country" as it looks. Nice day for a ride. On their site I read most of their mechanics like to hunt deer. It's deer country, enough so they could walk around the corner of the building and get their limit.
I agree with Greg D. I'll just add, get the reseal kit for the rack from Acura. Do not replace it with a reman. All of the reman racks are garbage and you're better off just resealing the rack then replacing it.
Speaking on the point, "every car has it's time" is just a bunch of garbage in my opinion. It's about the 'want' and less about the time. If you want to keep the car alive there are methods, it's mostly about how much time and energy (money too) that you want to invest in doing so. Heck, there are still cars from all of the decades around going back to the 1800's. So frankly, this mechanic is full of crap.
Does anyone have the part number for the OEM reseal kit?
11-02-2020, 01:41 PM
