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Old 10-18-2019, 04:26 PM   #1
Forddan
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Default Clutch replacement costs...

Hi

Could be I have to do a clutch replacement in my early 1929 Tudor.

If I would take the car to a shop, can anybody provide me a bulk idea of total costs.

In other words, if someone have paid to have this job done what was the cost.

That will give me an idea of how much I will have to save to do it, because i do not have the skills, neither tools or setup for that type of mechanical job.

Thank you all !
Daniel
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Old 10-18-2019, 05:46 PM   #2
J Franklin
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

What are the symptoms of your problem? Slipping? Grabbing? Or maybe only needing adjustment?
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Old 10-18-2019, 07:02 PM   #3
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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What are the symptoms of your problem? Slipping? Grabbing? Or maybe only needing adjustment?
Looks like the clutch is almost at the end of the adjustment, so I was told that in the near future I will have to replace it. The person who tested it said that I have to push all the pedal to the bottom to avoid having some issues when i go from 1st to 2nd. Pins were worn and replaced. Gears looked fine. No need to change them. From time to time my shift from 1st to 2nd is difficult. A few times I had to stop the car and start again.

I hope this answer your request.

Thanks
Daniel
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Old 10-19-2019, 09:04 AM   #4
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Looks like the clutch is almost at the end of the adjustment, so I was told that in the near future I will have to replace it. The person who tested it said that I have to push all the pedal to the bottom to avoid having some issues when i go from 1st to 2nd. Pins were worn and replaced. Gears looked fine. No need to change them. From time to time my shift from 1st to 2nd is difficult. A few times I had to stop the car and start again.

I hope this answer your request.

Thanks
Daniel
The condition you describe is "too much pedal free travel". What is happening is the clutch is not completely disengaged while you are trying to shift. Recommend you do some homework and then confirm there is no more adjustment left before resorting to a clutch change. Very easy to check once you know what to look for. Good Luck.

Last edited by Mulletwagon; 10-19-2019 at 10:58 AM.
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Old 10-18-2019, 07:24 PM   #5
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

There are a number of antique car repair shops in your area. Give them a call. They should be able to give you an estimate. Not a bad job. I would not pull engine, but drop the rear end.

I had a Ford Tractor Dealer do our last one. It was done in two days. No problems. We supplied the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing, and pilot bearing.
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Old 10-18-2019, 09:28 PM   #6
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Most vintage automobile repair shops will NOT give an estimate simply because of the unknowns. Not the unknown of how to do the job, but the unknowns of what has been 'MacGuyvered' during a previous restoration. It is very believable to have two mechanics take 3-4 hours each to have the rear end out, transmission on the ground, and the clutch & flywheel ready to restore. Add in an hour or so for machining flywheel and inspecting other items. Now you have assembly time, adjusting time, and test drive time. So you are 15-20 hours possible, ...times the hourly shop rate. Shops in the New England area will have a higher flat-rate over a shop in the Midwest.

Something that many never factor in is that it is grossly different when you are working on your own car vs. working on someone else's vehicle. There are risks and shortcuts taken on your own car that a professional cannot take. Items such as covering seats, painted surfaces, and other undercarriage protection to keep from causing chips or damage. Also, folks must realize that the mechanic is always one broken bolt away from a potential 3 hour set-back.
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Old 10-18-2019, 10:10 PM   #7
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

I always wonder what the Ford shop flat rate and time estimates were back in the 1930s.
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Old 10-19-2019, 01:24 AM   #8
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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I always wonder what the Ford shop flat rate and time estimates were back in the 1930s.

Just went and checked my 1947 Chilton's Flat Rate Manual. It only goes back to 1938 so I used the data for a 1938 V8, which should be close as clutch and drive train are very similar. It shows "factory time" to replace clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing as 4.4 hours at a total labor charge of $14.15. This comes out to about $3.25 per hour. Changing the pilot bearing was $1.20 extra. Total parts price for disk, plate and both bearings was about $11.25. Looks like Brent needs to light a fire under his mechanics!
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Old 10-19-2019, 07:23 AM   #9
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Just went and checked my 1947 Chilton's Flat Rate Manual. It only goes back to 1938 so I used the data for a 1938 V8, which should be close as clutch and drive train are very similar. It shows "factory time" to replace clutch disk, pressure plate and throwout bearing as 4.4 hours at a total labor charge of $14.15. This comes out to about $3.25 per hour. Changing the pilot bearing was $1.20 extra. Total parts price for disk, plate and both bearings was about $11.25. Looks like Brent needs to light a fire under his mechanics!

Yeah, my guys must be Rookies at this! I am curious how many shops will quote the job at 5 hours.

Tell you what, ...why don't you start by listing EVERY task you will need to do from start to finish to do this job. Don't forget the time it takes to re-surface the flywheel, and don't forget to factor in adjusting pressure plate fingers or pressing off the throw-out bearing and packing the new bearing before installing it. BTW, if the shop does not have equipment such as a flywheel grinder, be sure to add in the time it takes to transport it to a shop that can do it correctly. (-good luck with that!!). Also factor in test drive and other incidental time like clean-up, etc. There is no way that this job can be performed in under 5 hours.
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Old 10-20-2019, 12:21 AM   #10
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Yeah, my guys must be Rookies at this! I am curious how many shops will quote the job at 5 hours.

Tell you what, ...why don't you start by listing EVERY task you will need to do from start to finish to do this job. Don't forget the time it takes to re-surface the flywheel, and don't forget to factor in adjusting pressure plate fingers or pressing off the throw-out bearing and packing the new bearing before installing it. BTW, if the shop does not have equipment such as a flywheel grinder, be sure to add in the time it takes to transport it to a shop that can do it correctly. (-good luck with that!!). Also factor in test drive and other incidental time like clean-up, etc. There is no way that this job can be performed in under 5 hours.

Maybe we're overthinking this. JFranklin in post #6 asked what Ford's time allowance was back in the day so I listed what was quoted in a 1947 chilton Manual. 4.4 hours was 'factory time', and only included replacement of pressure plate, disk and T/O bearing. Grinding flywheel, rebuild pressure plate, reline disk, replace pilot bearing, anything else was extra. I imagine dealers had 'go-fers' and clean-up guys so the mechanic could be on another job while waiting for the flywheel. After some practice, I think a good mechanic would be able to meet or even beat Ford's time.
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Old 10-18-2019, 10:51 PM   #11
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

Thank you all !! I started to have an idea of potential costs.

~ $70-80 is the shop rate hour in my area.

Best
Daniel
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Old 10-18-2019, 11:38 PM   #12
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

Do it yourself with club members. Easy to do. Most work for donuts,coffee!
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Old 10-20-2019, 12:51 PM   #13
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Do it yourself with club members. Easy to do. Most work for donuts,coffee!
i work for cheep Beer!
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Old 10-22-2019, 12:13 AM   #14
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Do it yourself with club members. Easy to do. Most work for donuts,coffee!
Gary has the right idea, hell, I'd help you if you were just a wee bit closer to me.
You'll find most Model A folks are more then willing to help for just coffee, donuts and maybe some beer and burgers.
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Old 10-22-2019, 12:44 PM   #15
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

My comment was totally tongue-in-cheek.

I have seen plenty of Model A's that are downright dangerous to drive or even ride in because someone was either trying to save some money (not always a bad idea) or simply didn't know what they were doing in working on them. I subscribe to Dirty Harry's casual comment in one of his movies (Magnum Force I believe it was) "A man's GOT to know his limitations." That applies all thru life. It also applies to me.

I understand what is done during an appendectomy, but would I do one on someone else? Or would they even want me too? That answers itself. And I was a pre-med major out of the gun and worked in a Funeral Home years ago. I've been around autopsies and seen human bodies dissected and such. I know the parts and what they do and where they go. Like a Model A Ford.

No, just the other day a good friend was here helping us work on my wife's Mongoose mountain bike. He loves bicycles, got out of old cars several years ago and all he does now is bikes. We got to talking about 'hobbies' and I mentioned to him that it seems like everything I dabble in, or used to, has gotten extremely costly. Coins. Guns. Petroliana. Antique/collectible cars.

My buddy said 'Don't forget bicycles. Man, stuff for them has really gone up, way up in price. You can spend several thousand dollars on a bicycle if you want to it's not hard to do.'

It's all relevant.
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Old 10-19-2019, 12:05 AM   #16
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

It's going to cost you a bundle so I recommend you find someone in a club who has done many of them. The thing is, the clutch is sandwiched in between two relatively hard to move major book-ends. The engine in the front and everything from the transmission on back. You either have to pull the engine or you have to drop the entire rear end, including spreading the rear spring. If you take it to a shop, be sure to take Les Andrew's manual because it will involve a learning curve to anyone doing it, and you will pay for their learning curve.
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Old 10-19-2019, 06:48 AM   #17
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

Do it yourself with club members. Easy to do. Most work for donuts,coffee!



not in NJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
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Old 10-19-2019, 07:01 AM   #18
Forddan
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

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Do it yourself with club members. Easy to do. Most work for donuts,coffee!



not in NJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

LOL.... I will talk with the club guys for sure.

The rate of $3.25 per hour in 1938 will be around $56.7 today with an annual inflation average of 3.59.

Thank you for your answers. The people on this forum are the best.

Now I have and idea that the job can cost me between $1K to $2K ...... I better buy MANY boxes of donuts to the club members .... LOL

Best
Daniel
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Old 10-19-2019, 07:32 AM   #19
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

I just dug out the paperwork for the last clutch we had changed.

Repair shop charged me for two men for two hours and one man for five hours. They also replaced the rear spring shackles, greased the u-joint, and changed the oil in the transmission. No problems or broken bolts. They had a spring spreader.

Remember this was over 15 years ago. Cost was $650.00. They were very proud of their work.

We did not have fly wheel re-surfaced. Clutch has worked great ever since.

Their estimate was ten to twelve hours in shop time if no problems came up. They came in under there estimate. I do not remember the hourly rate.
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Old 10-19-2019, 07:53 AM   #20
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Default Re: Clutch replacement costs...

Brent is right. My shop has replaced many clutch assemblies and there is no way in He.. that it can be done in 5 hours. We choose to pull the engine and do the clutch work outside the car. Everything has to be cleaned and painted. Clutch adjustment is easier. Just need some care in removing the engine so as not to scratch paint or damage anything. 20 hours $70.00 per hour plus any parts, paint and supplies. And resurface the flywheel. Good luck with the clubs.
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