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Clutch Replacement

benw123

benw123

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Messages
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Location
Hertfordshire
Car
2006 i-CTDI EX
My CTDI is just shy of 130k and earlier this week, I experienced the unmistakable clutch slip, after accelerating quickly, changing gear and seeing the revs rise and settle. It's only happened twice but fearful of damaging the DMF I've started shopping around.

And it's not good news. Not good at all! Some threads on TA mention the Honda fixed repair cost of around £685, but this has now climbed to an eye-watering £850 according to the Honda UK website, and it gets worse: Maidenhead Honda, nearest to where I work, quoted a staggering £895.28. If the flywheel is damaged, the cost climbs to a whopping £1,751.66 as the flywheel costs over £800 alone.

These prices are just crazy. Looking on eBay, I could source an lower-mileage engine from a breakers for the same money, and possibly even fit a new clutch at the same time.

I've sent an enquiry to Holdcraft Honda in Stoke (no reply yet) plus a clutch specialist in Staines (Wraysbury Motor Services) who quoted a more reasonable £475 all in. I pressed the guy further, who confirmed they had changed them before and acknowledged that it was an 8-hour job.

Does anyone know of any more realistic prices for changing the clutch? The independent looks tempting, but reading other posts here I understand how involved the clutch change is using specialist tools.
 
A recent (in the last week) thread on this site suggested that specialist tools are not required for fitting the clutch (from memory, it was member ALT, who had replaced his clutch himself), but this does disagree with other reports I've read where an incorrectly set auto-adjusting mechanism (which is the purpose of the tool, rather than simple centering) on the pressure plate has led to early clutch failure.

I suffered clutch slip around 3 years ago, on around 110k miles. It was quite noticeable for several weeks, but then stopped slipping completely... I can only ***ume that either oil, etc had somehow got in there or - more likely - the auto adjusting mechanism eventually did its thing and put the situation right? Either way, my clutch is still OK after another 30K miles. On another Honda forum it was proposed that glazing of the clutch faces might also be to blame, and that 'buzzing' the clutch (by changing down into an inappropriately low gear at high speed) might put this right. Despite the obvious risks, this was attempted with reported success!

Check out CG Motorsport's uprated clutch, including an SMF offering.
 
Thanks Jon, good advice. I also need to check the cruise control cut-off switch too, as this apparently prevents the clutch from fully engaging properly.

The slip occurred to and from work on Tuesday, so will keep driving for a bit to see if it gets worse.
 
TBH if its slipping under hard changes / harsh acceleration, change your driving style and make the clutch last longer ;)

DONT go down the SMF option, a friend has a SMF on his deisel *** and it sounds hiddeous.. very rattly and compleatly ruined a fairly good engine / refinement.

Im looking at a new DMF as i feel mine is starting to 'wobble' at lower RPM :(..
 
It's only slipped when I've been accelerating fairly quickly and changed up. I drive like a daisy the rest of the time - currently have an indicated 59.4mpg on the computer - but occasionally you have to keep up with traffic or slot into a space.

I've found TA forum posts here from last year suggesting fixed price changes were around the £685 mark which is more agreeable. Anyone know of any Honda dealers that might still honour this?
 
More info on CG Motorsport clutches (including user SMF reviews) for the Honda 2.2 i-CTDi engine on this Civinfo sub-forum... http://www.civinfo.com/forum/cg-motorsport/ - I've been taking an active interest in this forum for some time and have made regular contributions.

I completly agree, Adam, that simply substituting an SMF would result in an unpleasantly harsh diesel engine, but CG have designed and supply their own sprung clutch plate with then takes on the role of smoothing the engine output pulses. In the summer they are promising to bring out their own clutch cover which will provide a much greater clamping for on the clutch plate than the standard Honda item currently in use. As things stand with the standard Honda clutch ***embly (even the latest 325 part number), the clutch cover/pressure plate only just provides sufficient clamping pressure for the torque output and the DMF sprung mechanism is prone to wear rapidly under repeated heavy torque loading. But if you'll not be remapping and are happy with a mostly 'driving Miss Daisy' style of driving then I understand that the current replacement Honda clutch ***embly should last reasonably well.
 
Ben- If you can find a good independant garage, don't be worried about taking expensive business away from Honda. When my clutch went on my previous CTDI I sourced my own DMF and clutch from a car parts firm. They were a Blue Print brand. Real good garage local to me who when asked, understood what was necessary to fit the clutch on these cars. Cost me all together about £1000. A a fair amound of money, but a dam sight cheaper than Honda. Although there are a good bunch of lads on this site, most of them seemed to indicate it was rocket science fitting a CTDI clutch and I should go to Holdcroft Honda to get the job done. Thanks, but no thanks. Before I sold the car it had done another 32k miles on the new clutch and DMF with no problems and that was with a stage 1 remap. The new DMF by the way, I also had fitted to help prevent further problems in the future. Have heard of new clutches fitted and then a little while later the DMF goes as well. As you can see, I now own a petrol Mazda, but this must be a great owners site as I can't resist coming back to have a look. Bit more active than the Mazda site anyway.
 
yeah forget a honda garage, just take it to an indie.

one know knows what they are doing....
 
benw123 said:
Does anyone know of any more realistic prices for changing the clutch? The independent looks tempting, but reading other posts here I understand how involved the clutch change is using specialist tools.
Click to expand...
It's not the specialist tools that cost the money, nor the clutch friction plate and pressure plate, it's the amount of work involved on these cars.

To change a clutch, the gearbox has to come out underneath, but to take that out the sub-frame has to come off, but to take that off the exhaust has to come off. A dealer charges ~£100 per hour, I had the clutch done on my car at a dealer just before it ran out of the "Honda Happiness" price of ~£50 per hour.

And yes, the OEM flywheels are also a dreadful price.
 
I drove my accord with stage 2 map and a slipping clutch for just shy of 40k. Drive with a bit of mechanical sympathy now that you know it's starting to slip and it should be ok for a while!
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I'll hold on for a while and will probably take up the independent offer; I just can't justify spending the thick end of a grand on a car that's probably worth only double that.
 
I was also recommending this to be a dealer only job but I've seen many competent mechanics around my way take these on and do a decent job. Just buy the bits and use an independant.

Don't worry about the flywheel, they're much stronger than the rubbish fitted to the petrol Honda's.
 
F6HAD said:
Don't worry about the flywheel, they're much stronger than the rubbish fitted to the petrol Honda's.
Click to expand...
a diesel engine only revs to ~4k, whereas a petrol revs to ~7k
so whilst a diesel has more torque, it doesn't win out at the wheels, but stresses the ******* out of the transmission

this is where a diesel engine belongs ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ3zWnTdNps
 
Ive done over 400 miles with my new clutch with no problems my clutch had been slipping for ages but not bad really only if you gave it large and i would have only changed it if it gave up but with all the ice and snow we had it did finish of the DMF so had to change it.
 
Found this thread recently... http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/96-review-clutch-install-accord-i-ctdi/ ...shows clutch change in action, plus 'loading tool' for pressure plate auto-adjuster.
 
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