How much labor to install clutch/flywheel?

DieselSmoker

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Location
Cleveland, OH
TDI
'00 Jetta
Hey guys. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a spec clutch and a g60 flywheel...trying to figure out who/where is gonna install it. How much should labor be to do this swap? Just out of curiosity I called some local dealers, prices ranged from $540 to $720 for labor. What are people paying? Is this something simple enough a vw dealer can handle without an issue?
 

doc_m

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Location
somwhere
TDI
None
I paid just under 350 cdn for mine to be installed by one of our trusted mechanics from this site, and nothing is ever simple for a dealer to do for the most part, why pay them 90 bucks an hour to probably mess it up?
 

VwPodRacer

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Location
Canadian NewF!
TDI
04 Jetta PD150, 98 Jetta TDI
H2Sports quoted me a 300cdn for labour excluding parts. and said it would take about 3-4 hours. H2Sports is located in Missisauga Ont. Depends on where you are.;)
 

Ed's TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 30, 2001
Location
Victoria, BC, Canada
TDI
2001 Bora and 2016 Touareg
How long the job takes and how uch you get charged can be 2 different things depending on where you take your car.

If the job is listed in the service manual as taking 5 hours, and the job only takes 4, you'll still get charged for 5 hours. At the same time, if the job takes 6.5 hours, you should still only be billed for 5 hours. That's something a lot of people aren't aware of and have trouble understanding. There is a standardized rate for almost every repair job on almost every car and that's what most mechanics will quote you when you inquire about time/cost for a job.

Some smaller independant shops will only bill you for the time taken, so that's why there are some guys paying way less for the job than others. It's roughly around $4-500 depending on the shop's hourly rates.
 

G60ING

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Location
MD
TDI
No TDIs Currently, I have an R36 Corrado. I've had an ALH Corrado swap, AHU Corrado swap and 2003 TDI Jetta
the local enthusists charge $300 for this job. The dealer will charge a whole lot more and may refuse to do the work if you don't go to the right dealer.
 

Pat Dolan

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2002
Location
Martensville, SK
TDI
2003 A4 Variant, 2015 Q7
oilhammer said:
The clutch is 6 hours labor book time. Our shop is $90/hr.
But WHO'S flat rate time? Anyone got the official VW number (used to be much much less than Mitchell's). Just curious, haven't been in the trade for decades.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
DieselSmoker said:
..trying to figure out who/where is gonna install it. How much should labor be to do this swap?
DS, the dealer path scares me. I can think of a couple of folks out your way. What about Metal Man (PA) or Marty in MI?? I don't know if that's too far to travel. Can you trailer the car?? :)

dd
 

LA@JSPerformance.ca

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Location
Abbotsford, BC
Pat Dolan said:
But WHO'S flat rate time? Anyone got the official VW number (used to be much much less than Mitchell's). Just curious, haven't been in the trade for decades.
The time is based from Mitchell on Demand. The Dealers here in BC also use the Mitchell guide to estimate times - the delaer does have 2 rates one for warranty and the other is the acceptable industry standard time (AKA Mitchell or other equivalent est. time books).

And remember the reason you pay more at a Service Centre vs. backyard mechanic is that the service centre has far more overheads (rent, taxes, wages, Workers Comp. and the list goes on and on and on and on .... you get the picture). Plus most backyard mechanics will not stand behind any warranty, whereas shops provide and stand behind their warranty programs.
 

G60ING

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Location
MD
TDI
No TDIs Currently, I have an R36 Corrado. I've had an ALH Corrado swap, AHU Corrado swap and 2003 TDI Jetta
The dealer will only stand behind the work if you are using dealer supplied parts intended for the car being worked on hence why I said it might be tough to get a dealer to do the job.
 

KROUT

persona non grata
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Location
JAX FL
I will install customers parts but give no warranty. If the clutch goes bad in 10,000 miles and you provided the parts you have no warranty. I would think this would be the same at any good shop. If they dont provide the parts there is no warranty unless installed wrong.
 

doc_m

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Location
somwhere
TDI
None
KROUT said:
I will install customers parts but give no warranty. If the clutch goes bad in 10,000 miles and you provided the parts you have no warranty. I would think this would be the same at any good shop. If they dont provide the parts there is no warranty unless installed wrong.
this is true as far as I have found out anyways especially if the customer can get a good deal on the initial product in the first place. If the work has anything to do with it most people would honour that, at least the people I have dealt with.
 

tonywong

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2000 Jetta
doc_m said:
I paid just under 350 cdn for mine to be installed by one of our trusted mechanics from this site, and nothing is ever simple for a dealer to do for the most part, why pay them 90 bucks an hour to probably mess it up?
hey doc_m, where did u go to get the clutch installed for under $350 if u dont mind me asking?
 

doc_m

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Location
somwhere
TDI
None
kevin did it for me up in Kelowna, Tony i think charges 375 IIRC Canadian bucks :)
 
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tonywong

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2000 Jetta
buckweat diesel said:
:D i charge 240.00
to do clutch job;)
club members 220:D
oh man... you're in Portland... if i didnt have so much school work i wouldnt mind driving 6hours, a short trip. i havent drove long distance for quite a while.
 

oldstreetracer

Well-known member
Joined
May 31, 2006
Location
Holland, MI
TDI
2013 Passat SE
H2 sport just quoted me $300 install, $299 for a 14lbs SM flywheel and $495 for a stage 2 SPEC, got a few more quotes coming in but it looks like I'm going to be making a trip up to Georgetown to have these guys put one in.

Regards
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
LA@JSPerformance.ca said:
shops provide and stand behind their warranty programs.
G60ING said:
The dealer will only stand behind the work if you are using dealer supplied parts.
KROUT said:
If they dont provide the parts there is no warranty.
Clutches are "wear items" and as everyone here knows, one can wear out a clutch in under 10,000 miles if one really tries... shops - especially dealerships - will try to deny warranty coverage if they have any possible means to do so...

So basically, there's no warranty unless something is physically broken (such as a spring in the SMF clutch plate) - and even then, getting coverage may be difficult...

Yuri.
 

03TDI=Awesome

Active member
Joined
Jun 20, 2006
Location
Indianapolis
TDI
2003 VW Golf TDI
I just had mine put in for around $350 USD by our foreign specialty shop. Also they rebuilt my engine because it blew up on me.
 

tonywong

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2000 Jetta
DAMN all the local shops in Vancouver area want $500 CDN for the clutch and flywheel install!!!! :mad: with the prices ppl r listing on this thread, does it sound like they are over charging?
 

doc_m

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Location
somwhere
TDI
None
tony duanes in langley will charge ya $350 CAD, along with bleachedbora's kit that you can get mailed to blaine or pt roberts for $365 US i think? not to bad a price and get the standard weight flywheel :)
 
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