plguciopl

My 05 TL has 75000 miles, and I start to notice that clutch starts to slip at high rpms. I was wondering if anyone attempted to replace clutch by themselves without going to the dealership, is it same as any other car, or do I need special tools? I read that best clutch to get is OEM, what do they go for? I have replaced clutches previously and it wasn't that bad. What I'm afraid of is that cars I fixed were no more that $10000, TL is bit more expensive, I do not want to get myself into a one week project.

RACINGHART03

iTrader: (2)

Unless you have the tools required to drop the subframe, steering rack and engine support I dont rec it as a diy. There is also a special tool and process to preload the springs before applying torque to the pressure plate bolts. If done incorrectly will result in damage to the pressure plate. And along with the fact that the oem parts run over a grand.... does that some it up?

01tl4tl

figure $2500 for the whole job,
and only let a private honda/acura specilty shop or the dealer touch it!!!

Complex, special tools-- special procedures,,,you dont want to be the test subject as a shop learns the job

Some things are worth the dealer techs training, skills, and access to the right acura tools for the job

Legend2TL

The OEM clutch and pressure plate (they only come as a set) are ~$300. There is a special Honda/Acura tool that preloads the pressure plate, if you do not have the tool the plate will become prenamently damaged. Ususally you can special order the special tools from Honda/Acura.

In terms of the overall job, I have a 2005 6MT TL and also purchased the shop manual. The job is daunting from the removal of all subframe and various other tasks. It looks even worst than a friend's Porsche 928 (rear mounted transaxle with front dual clutch plate).

I'll probably do mine when it goes but it's probably take all weekend. I've replaced 6 clutches in my time, most of them Honda/Acura's. Nothing about the replacement with the exception of needing the special preload tool looks impossible for a DIY, it's just ALOT of things that have to be removed to get the transaxle out of the car.

A few TL owners with shop experience have replaced theirs in the performance section of 3G TL. It's definitely worth a few PM's to some of those folks to see what issues they had in the replacement.

plguciopl

Took the car to dealership where I bought it (McGrath Acura Westmont IL). I got it done there, they charged $1700 for replacing the clutch and 2 engine mounts. I'm satisfied the job they did it - I dropped it off Wed night, they gave me a loaner- Thu I had the car back. Awesome dealership highly recommeded.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

well my clutch went out this morning....FANTASTIC!

Here is what the acura tech rep sent me.

THOMAS,
HERE ARE THE PRICES THAT YOU WANTED…..
CLUTCH KIT 22105-PGE-315 $326.80
FLYWHEEL 22100-RCA-006 $699.18
LABOR 1300.00

I dont know why he is yelling at me though...I should be the one typing in all caps here..not him.

Anyway, plguciopl it appears you saved about 700 bucks becuase they may have used your previous flywheel...which brings me to my next question...my dealership qouted me with the new flywheel...Since I wont get to see the condition when they take it out whats the likelihood that a flywheel with 88k miles is needing to be changed out or not. Note- my car was a "fleet vehicle" meaning it was probably leased and dogged. Its probably a good idea for me to change the flywheel too but holy crap its expensive...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Thomas, i replied to your other post. and since the last poster here was from 2008.....i dont think you'll get them to respond

I paid $250 for the clutch set at acuraoemparts.com
you cannot tell what condition the flywheel is in till AFTER you take the clutch off.
with that being said, i got lucky and didnt need the flywheel.
my local mechanic charged me $400 to replace the clutch.


the flywheel from the same online dealer is only $400.

if you say your car is a fleet vehicle then all bets are off and most likely the flywheel is toast as well.

Here are some pictures of my pressure plate...
notice the heat scores.




My symptoms were:
when doing a high RPM run from 1st to 2nd, clutch pedal would get STIFF. took a couple pumps of the pedal to regain normal feel.
I would get slippage in high gears 5th and 6th, RPMs would raise but speed would not increase.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

Wow, thanks for the info Justn!
I might as well just grab a new flywheel since you helped me save a little dough. I appreciate it. I am pretty sure my flywheel is toast...and I would much rather replace it now...and not down the road...the labor is ridiculous so I might as well play it smart!

I see the price for the clutch set at 225 and the flywheel at 482. Still way cheaper than 326 and 699..

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the part numbers you received in the email are the same ones that I used....just go to acuraoemparts.com and input those part#.
or even show your dealership the website and get priced matched as acuraoemparts.com is Delray Acura in Florida, if you're still inclined to get the work done at your dealership...
but If i were you, i'd find an independent shop that will do it for about 300-400



edit...i see your edit.
NICE!!!!! with tax the clutch set came out to 250.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

lol yea I got someone here in Altus that said they can do it..i made sure to point out and ask certain questions to see how they responded...they seem to be aware of all the special needs of our Tl's and even remarked that they are kind of a pain in the butt to change, but they are capable and have the required tools.

If they were to permanently damage my pressure plate is that pretty expensive to replace? I couldnt find anything in the parts list...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the pressure plate comes with the clutch set.

i forgot what this piece is called but is also included inthe clutch set.


so for 250, you get this piece and the pressure plate.

jungy4

I am just curious how your clutch went out that soon? I have an 06 6MT that I bought used at 35k miles....

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

he said he had a fleet vehicle. most ppl dont know how to drive properly. they probably FUCKED that shit up!

mine went out early as well. i replaced mine at 35,000 on 11/05/2010.
probably a combination of previous owner, and test drivers and myself learning how to drive this car....Ive been driving manuals for at least 5 years now...but this car is way different in terms of clutch feel.
im used to american clutches, i did not understand the concept of why this clutch grabbed so low.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

Im not gonna lie...the other night I got on my clutch pretty hard...I was already babying my clutch trying to make it last as long as possible since I knew it was going out...but for a moment I forgot about my situation and let my clutch have it...its not surprise my clutch went out today...oh well...my fault. Other than that I dont try to get on it too much and I think I am shifting correctly...i dont grind it and I try to double clutch as much as possible...Ive heard even double clutching wrong can cuase it to go out...I will be more inclined to place blame on the previous owner...if I had a leased vehicle I'd probably dog the crap out of it too...afterall..when they are done with it they just leave it on the lot and drive off with a new vehicle they get to dog the crap out of.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

The repair shop I plan on taking my car too informed me that they would order the parts off of napa...their dealer...it comes with a 1 yr guarantee which includes pickup if my clutch goes out within the first year..just in case...however...I am reluctant to go with a NON oem part. His labor is only 895 which is a far cry from what the stealership wants. He claims he has already replaced TL clutches and does possess the skills needed to finish the job. Anyway, whats your take on these napa parts...i couldnt find them on their crappy website...apparenty if you choose ur vehicle, yr and select the part your looking for it brings up stuff you didnt want to click through...so I gave up and decided to order my own parts and will just take them to him when they come in to me.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

good deal.
some shops are finicky with people bringing in other parts.
but hey, you're buying OEM parts from an ACURA dealership.
I'm glad that I could help and recommend acuraoemparts.com

Best of luck to you, sir.
Keep us updated on when you get it installed.
Be easy on the clutch for the first 500 miles, use common sense.

SouthernBoy

That's the friction disk. The component which is attached to the transmission input shaft and is sandwiched by the flywheel and pressure plate. Note this disk is different than most others in that it does not have any torque dissipation springs arrayed around the splined hub. It is a solid disk. Torque dissipation springs reduce shock to the drive train and help elimination shutter. So the flywheel, which is a dual mass unit, takes up some of the shock and shutter that those missing springs would normally take care of. This is also the reason for the clutch delay (or check) valve we have in our hydraulic control system.

SouthernBoy

Assuming the operator is not deliberately abusing the car by racing it on a frequent basis or has no idea how to properly operate a manual transmission, 35,000 miles is an incredibly low amount of mileage to expect from a clutch. For a non-raced, non-towing car that is driven by someone who knows what they are doing, and why, one should expect at least 5 to 8 times that kind of mileage or more from their clutch assembly.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

I really want to make sure my choice of repair shop has the correct "special tools" as mentioned above and is prepared for this task at hand. Does anyone know the particular name of the tool or tools that will be needed for this job?


Lastly, was a throw out bearing needed or provided with the clutch kit for 250?

SouthernBoy

I doubt it. You should get a new release (throwout) bearing and probably a pilot bearing as well.

nfnsquared

I hate cars

I don't know about OEM but a good aftermarket kit like LUK comes with a pilot and throwout bearing plus the alignment tool. It costs about the same as OEM.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

alignment tool is maybe not as nice as the honda one, but it works just fine for putting the clutch in (if used say 20 times you might have an issue, but i would worry about why you are using it that many times though)

SouthernBoy

Ain't that the truth.

I hate cars

I've known some girls that go through clutches every 10,000 miles and that's not racing. That's not knowing how to drive a stick and being lazy. By being lazy I'm talking about being too lazy to downshift in parking lots so you're dragging the clutch in 3rd gear at 2mph all the time.

SouthernBoy

Yesterday morning, I was in the parking lot of a grocery store close to home and a middle aged guy comes out, gets into a Mustang (V6), and starts backing out of his slot. Then he puts it in first to head up to the stop sign. All normal stuff, right? One would think so except for the fact that he was constantly revving his engine, as in hitting the throttle over and over, while keep his clutch in a state of semi-engagement. When you see folks do this or similar things such as holding/rocking their car on a hill with the clutch while waiting for a light to change, you KNOW that they know nothing about how a clutching system operates or how to properly operate one themselves. And these are the people who complain that their cars are crap because their clutches don't last very long.

I worked with a girl once who had a Camaro (6-cylinder) and she was one of these complainers. She insisted she knew how to drive a car with a manual transmission and just would not listen to anyone telling her different. But she also couldn't seem to get more than around 30,000 miles from her clutches (had several replaced). With some people, try as you might, you just cannot fix stupid.

SouthernBoy

BTW people, my '04 manual has over 81,000 miles on it and, of course, with the original clutch. I am here to tell you that if any of you were to drive it, you would think it had a recent replacement. It performs essentially no different from what it did when I bought the car.

nj2pa2nc

Same thing could be said about the male population. As a female, I have never had to replace a clutch in the numerous manual transmission vehicles I have or still own. Many of them have gone way over 100,000 miles. My 06, with the original clutch, has almost 120,000 miles.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

biggest thing is putting it in neutral, and holding the car either with the brakes or the parking brakes (or at a minimum keeping the clutch fully depressed, and not slipping it)

another thing, is basically trying to get that clutch FULLY engaged as soon as possible too for maximum life (such as before you even get to the intersection if you are a couple of cars back, or before you get across it, if you are like the first car in line)


but in general female drivers wear out clutches sooner on a more regular basis, there are exceptions to both genders though

i destroyed a clutch in like 2-3k miles, but then again the racing/launches did not help either, along with the nitrous too (the new one is lasting much longer now though )

but had a male customer 30-40k miles and the clutch was gone, and that car had like 120k with like 3-4 clutches already; i will say though the mountain driving did not help either, but it was mostly his driving though

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the diagram squared. You are the man. =]

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

ok so the shop thats putting in my clutch has a kit for 350...its Napa brand...does anyone have any insight on this kit? Should I insist on using oem parts? I want to get my parts off acuraoemparts.com but if I dont use his napa parts than he wont be able to offer me a free 1 yr, with roadside assistance and free replacement, warranty.

Also, he states I can save money by not ordering a new flywheel...he states he can have it resurfaced and has not seen a flywheel to this date that was damaged/not usable after doing so.

What do you guys/gals think? Labor will cost me 800...I havent called around to too many shops yet but so far thats the lowest.

nfnsquared

You might be interested in this, better hurry....

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-parts-sale-361/oem-clutch-kit-6-puck-clutch-disc-806107/

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

looks interesting but acuraoemparts.com i can get the kit for 225 + tax = 250 shipped! Where abouts in ND you live anyway? Grand Forks?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Thomas, Dont know if this will help...

my shop said that if my fly wheel was in bad shape that they would resurface....
I wasnt there when they did the job, so I have no clue if they did or did not.
I also "heard" that our flywheels should not be resurfaced.

nfnsquared

Oops! Never mind. Why not Minot

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

Thanks Justn...Im very worried that since my car was a fleet vehicle that my flywheel is beat to shit...88k miles...im just gonna consider buying a new flywheel instead of even dealing with the stress of guessing if its gonna work good after being resurfaced...

lol square...i got stationed in GF...no offense but i hated ND...too effing cold! I heard the people at minot came to GF to have a good time. lol! The 3 months of summer was very nice tho..if i wasnt being chased to my car by mosquitos!

TLJAY

Changed my clutch at 101,000 now have 132k and throwout bearing is squeaking will say my guy didnt get it done right the first time.

mnm27mnm

My clutch just went out yesterday too. I have 2005 Acura TL 65,000 miles. that i just got Oct. 2010. I never felt the clutch slipping or anything. I never drove it hard. I was driving normal and was coming to a stop and tried to downshift and when i try to press in the clutch it felt really stiff. I press it a couple of times and was able to get it into first gear. So thankfully i was just around the corner from my parents in laws house and made it there. I couldn't get the clutch to engage anymore. My mechanic said it might be (i forgot the name of the part) but the pump that pushes the clutch fluid so the clutch could engage but after he went to go look at it today, he said it was the clutch. That sucks. I only had the car for 3 months and i already have to change the clutch. Well anyways i was looking up clutches and I can get a Luk clutch kit for $202 + tax. or an exedy clutch for $260+ tax. Or go with OEM that you guys are talking about for $250??? Have any of you tried the exedy clutch??

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^if you search around, most aftermarket clutches fail.
If you're not putting down big power, then stay with the stock OEM clutch.

Thomasv

iTrader: (2)

just ordered my stuff:
22100-RCA-006 FLYWHEEL 1 $482.87 $482.87
22105-PGE-315 CLUTCH SET 1 $225.69 $225.69
Subtotal:$708.56

Shipping Charge [Shipping Charge
may vary with package size / weight]: $49.60
Handling Charge:$3.95
Sales Tax:$0.00
Total Order : $762.11