# How much should I pay for a clutch job?



## koreanjohn32 (Dec 18, 2003)

My 1996, five-speed manual 200SX made 100,000 miles and the clutch went out. I paid the mechanic $525 for a new clutch, and $75 to reseal the transmission. 

I looked online and the most expensive clutch kits went for $170. I know that it took about three hours for the job. On the sheet, they put $250 for parts and $250 for labor. I feel like I've been over-charged.


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

stock cluthces,depending on where they get them, can be expensive as hell...you could have gotten an act clutch from jgycustoms.com, and an install around here would be around 250, if that kinda puts things in perspective......peace
tommy


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## 200sxOuTKasT (Feb 24, 2003)

Your OEM clutch lasted 100,000 miles? Cause thats amazing to me, mine just started slipping so bad that I can't push the accelerator more than halfway now and I'm at exactly 50,000 miles on my odometer. I have to get mine replaced now and I was told by the shop (Clutch Doctor) that it would cost me somewhere in between 400 and 500 to replace the clutch which included both parts and labor. I was thinking of replacing the clutch myself but I am at a loss as to whether I should buy an ACT performance clutch for $200 or just an OEM one for about $100. The ACT clutch says it can handle up to about 165 ft/lbs of torque but I think thats sortof unecessary since I won't be making that kind of power. Ever.


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

act clutch will not only handle more power, but it will help the power that you do have get to the ground more efficienly...shift----CHIRP!!! haha
tommy


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## TeamFrontline (Jul 16, 2003)

how would u know about that shift--------chirp.......lol jk


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## viprdude (Jun 27, 2003)

my factory clutch lasted 215,000 miles  
bought the car from the original owner who has all the paper work with it and never changed the clutch. all i can say is nissan made a damn fine piece of automobile. i replaced it at 217,000. made it a brand new car


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## Chuck (Nov 19, 2003)

<72000 replaced

i got a autozone clutch with lifetime warranty.. so i can dump and burn all i want. now my tires on the other hand.. that limits me to my wasteability.. lol.

once i go turbo, if i ever get to, ill be getting the JWT pressure plate.... should be a simple enough install... FSM's own..


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## Lucino200sx (Apr 30, 2002)

All I know is the labor can be more than the cluth itself.
I paid $250 for the clutch but I paid more than $300 for the job from TNT transmission in Butler, NJ, I think you can find better price.

$250 sounds like a steal to me

Lucino


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## TeamFrontline (Jul 16, 2003)

i replaced mine at about 100,000miles and i wish i could have redone the way i did it. If you gonna be doing anything to the engine performance wize then get a really good clutch so that you dont lose HP


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## Lucino200sx (Apr 30, 2002)

TeamFrontline said:


> i replaced mine at about 100,000miles and i wish i could have redone the way i did it. If you gonna be doing anything to the engine performance wize then get a really good clutch so that you dont lose HP


How was the clutch job? did you have purchase any special tools? 
I am thinking about doing it myself next time.... if there is a next time.

What did you do that you want to correct? was it not aligned perfectly?


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## sersr20dk (Oct 15, 2003)

i think 250 is not that bad a price on labor if the did the tranny seals too, remember even though it took only 3 hours you will be charged book time for the labor, i think it is around 4 hours book time, i'll check if you really care.


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## BikerFry (Jul 31, 2003)

What's the cheapest non-POS clutch? OEM? Would an ACT or JWT be much more? I'd like to have a decent clutch, but my car isn't worth putting much money into. It won't be too long before my on/off switch, er, clutch needs to be replaced and I want something that can take a little bit of abuse. Not much abuse, just the occasional hard shift or launch on occasion when I feel like wringing her out (after a proper break in and warm up.) Haha calling a forceful shift or launch "hard" in a car that puts 90 ft-lbs to the wheels sounds kinda funny...


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## Harris (Nov 11, 2002)

Nothing like DIY, as you can see below  :












My clutch was bad at 163,000 miles. I replaced it with an OEM unit (Key Value Clutch Kit). All I paid was $100, labor ofcourse being free . The clutch grabs quite well, or should I say, grabbed quite well the last time my car was drivable (its dead now, sorta. R.I.P. ). Just make sure you let it break in, i.e. baby the clutch for the first 500-750 miles.

An OEM unit is not going to be good for you if you're looking to make a lot of power, but its fine as long as you just have i/h/e and see the track only occasionally. My next car is getting an ACT, for something that goes psssscheewwww!


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## BikerFry (Jul 31, 2003)

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being change your own oil and 10 being rebuilding your engine, how hard is a clutch job? Aside from an alignment tool, do you need any special tools to do it?


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## Harris (Nov 11, 2002)

For someone doing it for the first time, I'd give it an 8. The only reason I give it an 8 is because the first time is always the toughest, and the difficulty scale goes down rapidly with more experience. 

If you want to do it on your own, you better get the FSM and follow it word for word. 

For tools, make sure you have a every socket size you can imagine. Get a torque wrench as every damn bolt will need to be torqued down properly when you start closing it up. Have a pry bar handy to take the axles out. Axles can be a bitch to take out, I don't have enough cuss words to describe how hard they can be to take out. Other tools you would need would be: cheater bar, screwdrivers, jackstands, hydraulic jack. There might be other stuff I am forgetting. If I remember, I'll post ASAP.

I would advise that you have someone with experience help you out. Having a second person will help you get things done faster and provide for a second "eye" to point out mistakes you may make during the process. Believe me, you want to do everything right the first time.


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## Harris (Nov 11, 2002)

Here is a good write-up that I found on my buddy Brandon's (NismoPC) site:

http://nismopc.tripod.com/clutch_job.htm

That should cover you. Even though the write-up is for an SR20, I'm sure its quite similar to the GA16DE. Hope this helps you out.


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## WRXrob (Jun 4, 2003)

161,000 miles. My clutch just blew last night. I just hope I didn't hurt the tranny, because I had to drive a long distance with no clutch. I shut the car off and started in gear at every light, then used the revs to slip out of gear and pop into the next.


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## WRXrob (Jun 4, 2003)

nearly 2 months later, I finally got the clutch replaced. Between installing an entire clutch kit, a clutch cable, and replacing a rear main oil seal due to a leak, the total bill came to just under $900. If I get another 40K miles out of the car before it dies, then the service was worth it.


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## Lucino200sx (Apr 30, 2002)

WRXrob said:


> nearly 2 months later, I finally got the clutch replaced. Between installing an entire clutch kit, a clutch cable, and replacing a rear main oil seal due to a leak, the total bill came to just under $900. If I get another 40K miles out of the car before it dies, then the service was worth it.


You get what you paid for. After spending some hard earned money, just think about how much you love this car and it's all worth it man. 
We take care of the car, and it will return the favor. 

Lucino


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## NW200sx (Apr 3, 2003)

i got my clutch and the installation done for $250! my grandpa bought the clutch. I beleive its an oem clutch, but on the box it says the clutch was designed for racing. its pretty tite, and like someone else said it really helps putting power to the ground


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## WRXrob (Jun 4, 2003)

Lucino200sx said:


> You get what you paid for. After spending some hard earned money, just think about how much you love this car and it's all worth it man.
> We take care of the car, and it will return the favor.
> 
> Lucino


That is true. Now I've spent more in repairs/maintenance than I paid for the car itself. Not that she's unreliable, I just have replaced most of the wear and tear stuff.


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