Clutch Repairs

"Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again." (sir-stig)
07/16/2014 at 15:07 • Filed to: car buying

Do you think replacing the clutch of a 2000 I4 5MT Honda Accord with 220kM is a good idea seeing as it would be about $800 to get it done? The body doesn't have any rust on it, just some spots on the hood. On Kijiji in my area (Calgary) similar cars are going for about $2500-$3000 with no listed problems. The clutch as of now is getting damn squirrely to drive anywhere with, it won't even hold onto 1st now until it's at about 3000RPM.

Not mine, but you get the Idea.

Right now my choices are:

Repair the clutch and keep on driving it until something more drastic happens

Repair the clutch, sell it and buy a newer used car with under 100k (I have up to $10,000 I could use)

Trade it in and get a new Focus ST (I'm going to a dealership thursday to see what the trade in is like and to check out the ST).

As far as used cars go, I've started looking at getting possibly an RX-8 (need to see if it will fit my wife and I as well as our puppy and enough gear for camping), or importing a Legacy GT-B from Japan (or finding one that is already landed).

So Oppo, what do you guys think?

Edit: it seems like the consensus is fix it myself or at a shop. Thanks for the advice guys.

DISCUSSION (27)

mazda616 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:10

As long as rust isn't really an issue, I'd fix the clutch and keep going. Those Accords last forever and are still crazy popular on the used market. They have stupid high resale value considering how old they are, and since most have been beat on quite a bit, finding one in good condition means someone will pay well for it if you ever do decide to sell it.

RX-8s are gorgeous and beyond fun, but that Rotary is very temperamental. Especially the earlier years, like 2004-2006. The later ones, 2010 and 2011, seem to be a bit better. But a Rotary will need special care and attention and will be very, very thirsty (kind of like a high maintenance girlfriend).

ZiptieMcBumper > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:10

Option 4: replace the clutch AND get another car. If you really want that FoST, you can putt along in the Honda for a while longer to save up as much money as you'd like until you can put it towards a down payment.

Then you keep the Honda and have a beater to go with the FoST. Never underestimate the value of a reliable beater.

dogisbadob > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:11

Pep Boys sometimes has a special offer clutch install $500 parts and labor

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > dogisbadob
07/16/2014 at 15:14

I'm in Alberta and we don't have them (as far as I know).

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > ZiptieMcBumper
07/16/2014 at 15:15

This is what I have been doing up to this point. I think I will probably go with that option.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > mazda616
07/16/2014 at 15:17

I have heard the rotary is a source of problems, especially if low weight oil is used. I'm mostly considering one because they seem to have usable space in the back seat while still being sporty.

mazda616 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:21

Yes. I am in a Mazda enthusiast club and I know of two RX-8 owners who have kids and the kids' car seats fit just fine in the back of the 8s. I personally love the RX-8 with the R3 package. Just beautiful.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > mazda616
07/16/2014 at 15:22

The R3 looks fantastic, but they still go for close to $20,000 around here.

TotallyThatStupid > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:24

Fix the Honda. Likely one of the best cars ever made. If it's not rotten, it will never die.

n54 & s38 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:24

Fix the clutch. Those vehicles are awesomely reliable. My girlfriend's sister just bought one yesterday. Then you could always sell if you wanted to. Shit, I'm in Calgary. If it's in good enough shape, my buddy might be interested. Or my g/f if she'll learn to drive a stick.

I had a 1999 and, while not overtly sporty, was dead reliable and just an endearing car. Also, if you haven't check out the Fiesta ST. I test drove one about a month ago and found it way more fun to drive than the Focus ST (which was the vehicle I was looking at in the first place). I love my 335 too much to sell it but the FiST was a seriously fun car...

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > n54 & s38
07/16/2014 at 15:28

I think fixing it makes the most sense at this point. How is the size difference between the two? At almost 6'4" I'm looking at the Focus mainly because it looks like it would have a lot more space than the Fiesta, but I could be mistaken.

Cixelsyd > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:32

Replace the clutch yourself. A buddy and I did one on my Corolla in college over a weekend. Even though none of us had ever attempted the job before, it went smoothly and wasn't very complicated.

n54 & s38 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:34

Yeah, that's the one thing that would bug me about it as a daily driver. I'm 6'2" and while there was enough room for me to work the pedals easily, there was zero room behind my seat. Oddly though, the Focus doesn't feel that much bigger inside, partly because the dash is so far away from you. I also thought the performance seats (which are standard in Canada) were a little tight, especially the thigh bolsters. Hella fun though, moreso than the Focus, IMO. Focus might be a more practical DD though. Sat in a new GTI the other day and they're pretty nice inside. Almost $40k Cdn though...

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:35

I assume you wouldn't do the work yourself since you said you wanted to bring it in. So in an effort to help you defray costs, check out rockauto.com. Full Sachs clutch kit runs 95 dollars on there. Installation will probably be around 4-500 dollars. I would say keep running the Honda until it dies, if it works, why not ya know? But if you want a new car, here is your perfect excuse to get one.

Edit: And also, if it isn't grabbing until 3k rpm's, your clutch is already pretty toast, I wouldn't continue to drive it. Before you know you're at a stop sign or light, and your clutch won't grab at all.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > n54 & s38
07/16/2014 at 15:36

Hmm I might have to see if I can sit in a FiST while I'm at the dealership to compare the two. Yeah if I was going to go over $30,000 I would probably get a WRX hatch, MPG's be damned.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Cixelsyd
07/16/2014 at 15:38

How many hours did it take? How did you manage the transmission?

n54 & s38 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:38

That's what I had before the 335xi. 2008 WRX hatch. World Rally Blue.

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > n54 & s38
07/16/2014 at 15:39

I own a FiST. And I agree it is damn fun. I enjoy it more then my 944. And from the looks of the ST club I'm in, the FiST seems to be more reliable then the FoST. FoST seems plagued with problems, like the wiring TSB, RMM issues, idling issues.

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:39

The Fiesta is pretty small, but I'm 5'9 and I fit comfortably with the seat way up front. I know our height is a big difference but I don't see you having Miata levels of being uncomfortable in a FiST

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom
07/16/2014 at 15:40

Well I've considered doing it myself but I'm a little leary of attempting something of that nature, I'm fine with brakes and stuff but this would be my biggest project to date.

It's not that it's not grabbing till 3K rpm, it's that I can still feel that it slips a bit. I definitely need to make a decision in the next day or two, it's not a fun time to manage the slip with the gas pedal.

n54 & s38 > Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom
07/16/2014 at 15:40

I was really surprised at how neutral the handling is for a front wheel drive car. And while the steering didn't have quite as much feel as my E90, it was fast and direct. Love the induction growl when you step on it too...

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:42

Well, if you can swing it, why not get yourself that FoST, and in the meantime attempt the repair yourself? The car is old enough that there will be more then enough information out there for you to be able to do it on your own. It is a big project, but my (probably not the smartest) advice would be to just go in and try it. It's what I did with my 944, and now it's turned into a, 'fuck it lets do everything' project. It's a pain but I have learned an amazing amount of stuff.

Cixelsyd > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/16/2014 at 15:44

It's been a while, but I recall it taking a solid 12 hours or so, but we were novices and spent a lot of time consulting the repair manual, discussing next steps, and downing beers during the process. Doing it again today would likely go much quicker.

For the transmission, we rigged an ingenious (in our minds) system where we had a bar from a weightlifting set in the front passenger area and a chain that went down through the hole where the gear shift used to be and under the transmission. That allowed us to put on guy on each side of the bar and lift it up and down pretty easily while another person lined up the bolts.

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > n54 & s38
07/16/2014 at 15:44

Yeah, it's not bad at all. What Ford actually did is the faster you go, the less power assist there is, so you've got better control over it.

Yeah, that would be the symposer, quite literally it's a valve that connect the engine to the firewall so you can hear the engine better. It's nice until you get mods, mods sound much much better. I do love hearing that turbo spool too.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Cixelsyd
07/16/2014 at 16:01

Very clever!

crowmolly > Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom
07/17/2014 at 11:08

Many garages will not offer any warranty if you bring your own parts.

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > crowmolly
07/17/2014 at 11:46

Every shop I've been to offers warranty on the work even if you bring parts. Never seen a shop outright refuse a warranty on labor before.