Clutch Time! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

leeleeoney · 09-26-2009, 08:02 PM

Hi! I've been told that I'll probably need some clutch work, so I'm taking it somewhere next week for an "official" diagnosis. It's definitely slipping. The RPM goes up when I accelerate but has issues turning over, so I'm constantly downshifting (esp. uphill). It has 130,000+ miles on it and was ridden hard before I bought it, so I'm not surprised that it might be time for a replacement. But I was also told that my distributor cap needs to be replaced and that that could be why I'm losing power too. If I do replace the clutch, what's the average I'm looking at paying here. I know labor varies, but I really can't afford to be ripped off if the amount of work involved doesn't jive with the estimate. Thanks!

1996 Toyota Camry, 4 cyl.

mazdaverx7 · 09-26-2009, 09:39 PM

well, it depends on if you do the job yourself and what parts you decide to replace. when i did the clutch in my 92 SE, i replaced the clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, rear main seal, oil pan gasket (used sealer per fsm, outsput shaft seals, power steering pump and belts, fuel filter , and had the flywheel machined. when all was said and done, that job set me back about $500 and i did the work myself. prior to doing the clutch job, i was quoted by the dealer at $1500 labor plus parts. since i do my own work, i saved a ton of money and learned a lot about my Camry in the process.

mazdaverx7 · 09-26-2009, 09:53 PM

here are a couple of quick pics from my clutch replacement that kinda show you what you're getting yourself into:

Jimnist · 09-27-2009, 12:28 AM

For a clutch job only, i'd guess it to be about 5hrs workshop labour. So assuming labour is $100/hr, $500. You could go about doing it yourself, but a fair amount of work is involved as well as a lot of tools (if you don't have them which can be pricey, but you'll have tools for later jobs). If this is your daily driver, i'd suggest just getting a shop to do it for you as it's the fastest

mazdaverx7 · 09-27-2009, 06:36 AM

its a bit more involved than five hours of labor. the entire front subframe must be removed and you must account for rusted bolts and lines and suspension components that may take time to remove. you also need to consider a thorough parts replacement while everything is apart. i'm a very experienced mechanic (at home only) and i would say the job is closer to an 8-10 hour job considering the complexity and the age of the vehicle. if you have someone helpig you then the time may be cut down by a couple of hours.

Gerson · 09-27-2009, 07:14 PM

^i gotta do the same thing on my 92 Lexus ES300 pretty soon. Same 3VZ-FE V6 but my reason is the rear main seal seeping on the front exhaust pipe and very slight noise coming from the throw-out bearing which is also making it hard to shift. I also do most of the work on my own too.

mazdaverx7 · 09-27-2009, 09:59 PM

i did the rear main when i was doing the clutch. figured it was necessary while it was all apart. a very rewarding job.

Gibson99 · 09-28-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazdaverx7

its a bit more involved than five hours of labor. the entire front subframe must be removed and you must account for rusted bolts and lines and suspension components that may take time to remove. you also need to consider a thorough parts replacement while everything is apart. i'm a very experienced mechanic (at home only) and i would say the job is closer to an 8-10 hour job considering the complexity and the age of the vehicle. if you have someone helpig you then the time may be cut down by a couple of hours.

not true! since his is a 4cyl, the trans is a lot smaller and he will have more room to work with. you DO NOT have to drop the front subframe to do a clutch on the 4-banger.

distributor cap, rotor, wires and plugs will set you back about $40 at autozone/etc, and you can DIY in about 30 mins if you take your time. piece of cake on a 4cyl. not so much on a v6...

if you see any rust when taking things apart on the transmission, stop and hose it down with some PB Blaster and let it soak. that will make things easier and less likely to break.

DIY and save major $$$!

mazdaverx7 · 09-28-2009, 07:54 PM

lucky him not having to drop that subframe! that saves a lot of time!

what i do with th ebolts that may have some rusty threads is take them to the bench grinder and wire wheel the threads and run a die down the threads and make sure that the threads are nice. i tap the opposing nut if possible to clean the threads. i then spray a jolt of brake cleaner on the threads to clean off any excess rust and when i reinstall the bolt i use a little bit of moly grease on the threads so that rust will have a harder time forming and so that it will be eaiser to take apart in the future.