clutch replacement.

[john valetutto]

I have a 2012 Civic si coupe. When I bought it used it had about 74k miles on it. It also had a nasty noise when I would screw up shifting in first and sometimes second gear. The dealership told me it was the throwout bearing and it wouldn't be worth replacing yet because the clutch still had allot of life left in it.

Well I think that life is coming to and end. It's starting to make that noise now in higher gears and more often. It's also starting to make the noise when I'm within certain rpms, just in gear letting off the gas (mostly at higher rpms) it almost sounds like an exhaust rattle. But I'm pretty sure it's the throwout bearing.

I was wondering if you guys could point me in the right direction on which clutch kit to buy. I'm not going to be racing this car and I'm not looking to buy a hondata just yet. I was hoping to have something as close to the stock clutch as I could get. I don't need anything too fancy. I went to hondapartsnow and they wanted close to 6 or 700 bucks for an OEM replacement. The dealership wants just over 2k to do the replacement. That's why I'm hoping to find an aftermaket clutch as close to OEM as possible and pay a mechanic I trust to do the work. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Would this clutch work?

Clutch Masters® - FX250 Clutch Kit

I mean would that work without having to flash with hondata? Is there a more cost effective option available?

I attached an image of what I found for OEM clutch parts and flywheel. Total cost is around $740.

 

[webby]

most of their packages say "hondata flashpro required" except one "250" series that I see on their site.

this clutch
FX250: 08320-HR0F-X
http://www.clutchmasters.com/fx250-08320-hr0f-x/

and then it requires this flywheel
FW-320-SF
http://www.clutchmasters.com/steel-flywheel-fw-320-sf/

Most just replace their clutch with the oem one, unless they're running a turbo/supercharger in excess of 300+hp to the wheels. A number of people with superchargers are still on the stock clutch.

 

[john valetutto]

So the price difference between clutch master and Honda's OEM parts seem pretty marginal. Guess I'm better off going through Honda? Do you know by any chance if the stock clutch in these things are prone to certain issues. When I got the car a couple of years ago the throwout bearing was definately on its way out. Not sure if the previous owner drove it like an idiot or it was a faulty part.

 

[webby]

A couple of people here had springs in their oem clutch break, and they were replaced under warranty due to a defect. I haven't seen any other issues from users. Only other thing would be people who have superchargers/turbos with 300+ hp having issues with the stock clutch slipping.

 

[john valetutto]

When you say "warranty" do you mean the limited 60,000 mile warranty? Or when I get the Honda oem clutch does that come with a warranty? I'll probably get the parts from hondapartsnow. Only because I've used that site before and it's the only one I know of.

 

[webby]

The clutch is considered a wear item like brake pads, so it’s not a normal warranty item. When the users had theirs pulled, the clutches were determined to be defective, and not worn out due to use/abuse. They didn’t have to pay for the repairs.

 

[john valetutto]

Sorry for asking so many questions. But that's only if I get the work done through a dealership right?

 

[AlmosN8kd]

From my experience replacing clutches on other cars (haven't replaced the one in my Civic yet); I have found that the flywheel rarely needs to be replaced. Unless it has deep gouges, the flywheel should be reusable; even with minor grooves, most machine shops can turn and resurface the flywheel a few time before replacement is required. If your flywheel is reusable, that will save you $300 in parts alone making the OEM parts the cheapest option. The only down side is, you don't know the condition of the flywheel so it is a bit of a gamble on whether or not you think you need it before taking the transmission out. Worst case is that if you don't buy the flywheel (as you think it is still good) and the mechanic finds the flywheel needs replacement, you're out an additional week or two (HPD shipping time kind of sucks in my experience; CHH was noticeably a week or so faster for marginally more cost) waiting on a new flywheel (unless you go aftermarket).

 

[webby]

Sorry for asking so many questions. But that's only if I get the work done through a dealership right?

Yes, but your car had 74k miles on it when you bought it. They’re not going to do yours for free with that mileage.

 

[john valetutto]

I guess what I'm asking is if there's any advantage to paying the dealerships higher labor costs? Verses a local shop? Does the dealership provide a certain "warranty" on the work they do when it comes to clutches?

@AlmosN8kd :

Thanks for that info. I might just order the flywheel just incase and if I don't need it replace it.

 

[webby]

Replacement Parts Limited Warranty:
Honda Genuine Parts are covered for 1 year. The warranty coverage for replacement parts purchased from and installed by a Honda dealer includes parts replacement and labor.

Regardless, make sure you take it somewhere reputable. Another user thought he was doing the right thing taking his car 4hrs away to a "buddies shop", and now his car is trashed needing an entire transmission.
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/clutch-transmission-issues.15732/

UPDATE:

Hey everyone, I finally have some unfortunate news regarding the car after nearly two months of back-and-forth with the old shop. Where do I start?

Let's start with the shop I was doing work for. After the constant back-and-forth regarding them trying to get my car, I found out the person who "owned" the shop no longer "works" for them. Sketchy, right? They didn't have a building to work on the car. They told me not to worry and they will find a tow company to tow my car from State College, PA to Philadelphia, PA and he would work on it in his garage.

After weeks and weeks of beating me around the bush, I had no choice but to send the car to the Honda Dealer. Need my car back by August 29th.

After a full day of looking over the car at the dealer, Honda found the problem.

The speed sensor on the transmission was melted, causing the car not to start. Once unplugged, the car started and idled with no problems. So that was the electrical issue.

As far as the mechanical issue, this is where things get interesting.

When they cracked open the drain plug to my transmission, not a drop of fluid came out. It was bone dry, even to the touch. This cause the transmission to overheat and seize, as well as melt the speed sensor. Unfortunately, I need to replace the entire transmission.

What's interesting is this - when the previous shop installed my clutch, they refilled the transmission up with motor oil, not transmission oil. How would that completely evaporate within a timeframe of 3 hours on the road? Hmm...oh yeah, the car was leaking oil the entire time in my garage from the transmission. I'm led to believe the transmission was never installed properly after the clutch was installed.

At the end of the day, the transmission speed sensor needs to be replaced, as well as my transmission. The dealer informed there is a possibility my new clutch and lightweight flywheel also needs to be replaced, but they won't know until they officially take apart the transmission to replace it. In my head, that's very unlikely.

So, there's the update. We know what's wrong...but now what?

If the entire clutch, flywheel, and transmission need replacing, I'm looking at nearly $4,000. If just the transmission, $2,700. What do I do regarding the older shop? Bite the bullet, take them to small claims court? Any legal advice here?

 

[procivic]

Have you inspected your Clutch Master and Slave cylinder? That could be the issue here. They often go out on high pressure clutch kits.

 

[john valetutto]

@webby

Yeah I saw that thread on the forum before I posted. That guy definitely got boned. Lol. I priced out a few different transmission shops in the area and most of them wanted between $800-$900 for the 10 hours labor. Honda quoted me roughly $1,000. Right now I'm leaning towards Honda just for the sake of having a warranty.

@procivic

I have an appointment on Thursday with Honda to drive around with the tech and try to replicate the noises it's making. I definitely want to be %100 sure it's the clutch that's making this noise before I drop close to 2 grand. I'll try to capture the sound it's making on my phone later and you guys can listen and tell me what you think.

Either way I appreciate all the feedback. I've posted on different Civic forums before and this one is the only one that's really given me some useful information. I appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out.

 

[john valetutto]

Ok so I was able to grab two videos on my phone duplicating the noises the best I can:

This first video is the noise I've heard since I got the car. It only happens when I try shifting into first from a dead stop. Usually when I feather the clutch poorly or I'm stationary on a steep incline.

View: https://youtu.be/kbdQcoIqI1Q


This next video you might have to listen more closely to. I'm used to hearing some light grinding noise when I'm in gear and I let off the gas to just "coast". But this just started happening last week. Only way I can describe it is that it's almost like an exhaust rattle but not really. It sounds like it's coming from the front passengers side of the vehicle. The sweet spot for this noise seems to be between 2,500 and 3,000 rpms. Again this is me in gear, letting off the gas, going down a hill.

View: https://youtu.be/u_dRzBR1T0g



I was told by the dealership months ago that the first noise is definately the throwout bearing. Not sure what that second noise is about. I put the car in gear with the engine off and the parking break off. Tried rocking the car and I didn't notice any play or anything. Not sure If that's relevant here?

 

[TechJohnson]

Replacement Parts Limited Warranty:
Honda Genuine Parts are covered for 1 year. The warranty coverage for replacement parts purchased from and installed by a Honda dealer includes parts replacement and labor.

Regardless, make sure you take it somewhere reputable. Another user thought he was doing the right thing taking his car 4hrs away to a "buddies shop", and now his car is trashed needing an entire transmission.
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/clutch-transmission-issues.15732/

Don't make the same mistake I made with a buddy. Sometimes, despite what you may think, a dealer will get the job done better than anyone else - especially for stock parts.

 

[AlmosN8kd]

I have a 2012 Civic si coupe. When I bought it used it had about 74k miles on it. It also had a nasty noise when I would screw up shifting in first and sometimes second gear. The dealership told me it was the throwout bearing and it wouldn't be worth replacing yet because the clutch still had allot of life left in it.

I have a question about this; how much mileage are most owners seeing on their clutch before replacement is required? My '12 Si has about 105k miles on it now and is still on the original clutch (or, I have good reason to believe it is); there is no slipping which is usually the first indicator of when the clutch starts to go from my experience and only the occasional throw out bearing squeak; although, the clutch engagement point is a bit low in the pedal in my opinion (which could be just a bad adjustment or maybe clutch wear, not sure). Anyhow, curious as to what others have seen so that I can factor in when I need to replace mine.

 

[webby]

Use-abuse is going to play a big factor. Also, someone driving endlessly on the highway is going to have a much longer lifespan versus someone who constantly drives in a stop and go city situation. It’s like saying your brake pads will last x miles. Someone who never stops on the highway will have much higher mileage versus someone who drives in the city. I’ve seen people burn a clutch out under 15k miles from abuse, and I’ve seen people say they’ve gone ~200k on a stock clutch.

 

[john valetutto]

Has anybody had a chance to listen to that second video I posted? Does that grinding/rattling noise sound like a throwout bearing

 

[AlmosN8kd]

Use-abuse is going to play a big factor. Also, someone driving endlessly on the highway is going to have a much longer lifespan versus someone who constantly drives in a stop and go city situation. It’s like saying your brake pads will last x miles. Someone who never stops on the highway will have much higher mileage versus someone who drives in the city. I’ve seen people burn a clutch out under 15k miles from abuse, and I’ve seen people say they’ve gone ~200k on a stock clutch.

As always, thanks for the very informative reply. I understand that the clutch is a wear item and driver habits and use play a big factor; however, in general, one tends to see a general lifespan of a clutch across the board. I just don't think I've seen a stock one go for 105k miles (but, this is my first Civic so a lot can be different) but the one I have feels fine to me (I know the car has seen some decent highway mileage so that is definitely a factor); just not sure when I should start to seriously consider and planning for a clutch replacement; just trying to get an idea and find that sweet spot. I guess I was looking for (and failed to adequately ask for) what others experienced with their cars on when they needed to replace them (maybe make a running average in my head).

Has anybody had a chance to listen to that second video I posted? Does that grinding/rattling noise sound like a throwout bearing

I watched the second video a few times and was unable to adequately discern the noise you mentioned. I did not comment as I had nothing reasonable to offer and thought that someone else might. I don't think people are ignoring you (I know I didn't); but, troubleshooting some problems through the internet can be difficult and often misleading.

 

[webby]

Just saw a forum post where a guy driving a lx went 445k on the stock clutch when he sold the car. Said it was still good and wasn’t slipping.