Cost to replace clutch

[paigeoliver]

I have been browsing Craigslist looking for a beater to drive this winter and found a pretty nice looking 1993 Escort for $500 but the clutch is needing replacement (still driveable, but it will need replaced soon).

How much does that cost these days?

[SirPeale]

Last time I had to replace a clutch it was $600, but:

A) the guy took me for a ride, and I didn't know better to call him on it

B) it was ten years ago.

Before that it was $300.  That was for a Toyota Tercel.  I can't imagine it's that much more, but I could be suprised by what ten years gets you.

[paigeoliver]

Yeah, I had a clutch done in a Ford Courier about 10 years ago and it was $300 also.

I just am looking to pick up a small car to round out my vehicle collection. Right now I do most of my driving on my motor scooter, only driving the Suburban in bad weather, or when I need to take passengers. I last filled the Suburban up over 2 months ago and I still have a bit less than half a tank left.

But I can't drive the scooter in the winter, so I wanted to find an Escort or a Metro or a Sprint to drive winters. Been looking specifically at those models because of personal good experiences with Sprints/Metros, and the fact that I was recently at the junkyard with a buddy looking for an interior part to his Escort and we were in dozens of them, and almost every one had over 190,000 on them, which is a heck of a lot better than the old 80s Escorts did. My roommates 91 has 192,000 on it and is still running strong.

[SOAPboy]

Expect to pay 400-600..

 

[M3talhead]

Clutchkits for most small 4bangers are about $250-$300. Its the labor that'll sneak up on you.

[screaming]

I was quoted $1000 for replacing the clutch in my old Saturn (P&L).

*shug*

-sab

[daywane]

front wheel drive? cost more.
rear wheel drive? $75. to $100 do it your self. Not real hard.
scale of 1 to 10
about a 7 only because lining the cone back in place and the top bolts can be a pain.
might as well change the fly wheel since you are there and it is in your hand.

clutch
fly wheel
through out barring

front wheel drive?  I would not advise this to be your first clutch to replace on a DIY project.  I have done a few but I do not like it.

One good thing about living in KY. every town has a car buff type person in it 

[Avery]

Hey Paige, call Gray's in Richmond Heights and ask them what they would charge.  My friend and I have both dealt with them repeatedly and are pretty satisfied. 

They seem to be working the success based on repeat business rather than there's a sucker born every minute angle.   

[DrewKaree]

Are you talking the cost of having someone replace it for you, or the cost for doing it yourself?  Replacing a clutch isn't all THAT hard, and from what I can tell, you have the acumen to be able to pull it off, so if you're able to buy it now and work on it, do it yourself.  '88 CRX cost me $600 several years back, but I've since done 3 others for relatively cheap.....oh, and the CRX clutch - I had to do the fine-tuning because the shop didn't do anything OTHER than put it in and call me up.....shoulda ran it through a few times and re-set the cable and whatnot so it wouldn't come loose a mile away from the shop requiring me to drive back trying to rev-shift the friggen thing.

Seriously, I'm pretty certain you can do it yourself Paige.

[danny_galaga]

it will depend on how common that model is too. i had a little daewoo matiz that needed a new clutch and its so small and fiddly and theyd never done one before (fairly new model, i was probably the first to wear out the clutch in a matiz in my town) that it cost about $900 including parts. they said that was about the same total to do a toyota landcruiser- which they did every second day.
i myself woudnt do a modern fwd (which is your escort) because of all the stuff you have to move around. too much grief for me. rear wheel i would.

[Stingray]

RWD vehicles are easy to swap out the clutch in. It's a dirty, time consuming job, but not really difficult at all. Some FWD vehicles can be a royal PITA. I've never owned or worked on an Escort, so I can't really speak to what kind of job it will be.

I can tell you this. I'd never buy a car that needs a clutch. You can find $500 beaters all day long that run & drive fine. Keep shopping.

-S

[daywane]

well ... if the motor was good and a bunch of new parts were installed, I would jump on it. like motor was rebuit in the last few years. if not I would pass also