Never again !

[lozz]

Did my mate a favour today and changed his clutch,

Vauxhall vectra,

took me an hour to get the last bolt out of the starter motor fecking pipes in the way,
3hours to remove old plate/pressure plate and fit new one,
stealer quoted him £1,200 to replace clutch said it was engine out job ,

got him a clutch kit with a Gm stamp on it for £40

where do these main stealers get there prices from

[jamjar1383]

i did one of those about 3 weeks ago its a f*cker of a job coz u gotta drop the subframe to get the box out.

[lozz]

i did one of those about 3 weeks ago its a f*cker of a job coz u gotta drop the subframe to get the box out.

nah mate,
no need to lower /drop subframe,
just pull it to one side ijust make a gap big enough to get my hands in to get clutch and preasure plate in and out,
Hardest bit is the starter motor removal

[FarmerPug]

dealers ha, thieving bastards.
My dmf to solid conversion would cost well over £1000 at a dealers but i can get the kit for £250 and my mechanic said £100 to do the work.
I suppose the difference is he owns his own workshop, ie a tin shed, and thats it really. A dealers has to pay the wages of a team of mechanics, pay for exorbidentally priced parts, keep the receptionists phone going. Keeping the air conditioning going in the waiting area. And buying the salespeople fancy suits and aftershave.
But even with that attempted justification of dealer prices they are still not worth it.

Well done to you lozz. A clutch change in a transverse car is something id just give up on.

[lozz]

dealers ha, thieving bastards.
My dmf to solid conversion would cost well over £1000 at a dealers but i can get the kit for £250 and my mechanic said £100 to do the work.
I suppose the difference is he owns his own workshop, ie a tin shed, and thats it really. A dealers has to pay the wages of a team of mechanics, pay for exorbidentally priced parts, keep the receptionists phone going. Keeping the air conditioning going in the waiting area. And buying the salespeople fancy suits and aftershave.
But even with that attempted justification of dealer prices they are still not worth it.

Well done to you lozz. A clutch change in a transverse car is something id just give up on.

personaly id rather change a clutch in a transverse ,
its awkward but most cars dont have to ave the gearbox totaly removed,
worst one ive done so far is a honda civic type R that was a total bastid,

as for the poxhall vecras there a nightmare 2 seems theyve built round the starter motor
the top bolt is a bastid to get out

[FarmerPug]

personaly id rather change a clutch in a transverse ,

why, a longtitudinally mounted engine is so much easier worked at. Or at least it is on a suzuki.

[lozz]

personaly id rather change a clutch in a transverse ,

why, a longtitudinally mounted engine is so much easier worked at. Or at least it is on a suzuki.

idont mind changing clutches on front wheel drive cars because it dosent require much lifting
Ive got Hernias so my days of lifting big heavy boxes have long gone,

Mostfront wheel drive gearboxes ican just put some spacers in and change clutch - it does cut your hands abit doing it this way ,
vectra is finnished now almost just gota find one missing bolt for suspension leg

[jamjar1383]

i did one of those about 3 weeks ago its a f*cker of a job coz u gotta drop the subframe to get the box out.

nah mate,
no need to lower /drop subframe,
just pull it to one side ijust make a gap big enough to get my hands in to get clutch and preasure plate in and out,
Hardest bit is the starter motor removal

had to on the one i did as the rear gearbox mount was part of the box and couldnt be un boltedfrom the box only the frame and couldnt get it over far enough to get me hand in there.

[lozz]

i did one of those about 3 weeks ago its a f*cker of a job coz u gotta drop the subframe to get the box out.

nah mate,
no need to lower /drop subframe,
just pull it to one side ijust make a gap big enough to get my hands in to get clutch and preasure plate in and out,
Hardest bit is the starter motor removal

had to on the one i did as the rear gearbox mount was part of the box and couldnt be un boltedfrom the box only the frame and couldnt get it over far enough to get me hand in there.

you have to make a gap in top of box then get a square peice of bar pull the box forward.
then chock the sides with blocks,

ijust work from top of box slide clutch plate in first then preasure plate.

if the sides of the box arnt chocked doing this way theres a chance of loosing fingers

[jamjar1383]

was it a vectra b or c u did???
and what engine

[lozz]

was it a vectra b or c u did???
and what engine

its last of the old shape mate, 02 reg 1.8 ecotec shite engines.

[FarmerPug]

ah yes jeremy clarksons car.
how do you manage to align the clutch under such conditions. did you put on a new thrust bearing?

[lozz]

ah yes jeremy clarksons car.
how do you manage to align the clutch under such conditions. did you put on a new thrust bearing?

ithink youve worked on old gearboxs mate,

most modern gearboxs work off concetric slave cylinders or a simialar name to that its a gearbox out job too change them,
Most poxhall clutches will go back in without elighnment,

[FarmerPug]

It was on a 1991 suzuki. Which even then was out of date by a considerable amount.

[lozz]

It was on a 1991 suzuki. Which even then was out of date by a considerable amount.

only trouble with the old gearboxes were the weight of them,
they might feel light ish by picking up one,
but try lifting one up whilst your on your back they dont feel so light,

most 70s stuff was cast iron you got hernias changing them,