"Pat Dreiding" > wrote in message
news:ehX%f.89$JY5.9@trnddc01...
> My '97 Civic Ex is experiencing clutch slippage so I'm looking for a
> reputable shop to do the repair work.
>
> Has anyone had experience with "Wallace Automotive" in Richmond, VA?
>
> I've been told that some "bearings" and the "clutch plate" needs
> replacing.
> I've taken it to a couple of places and they've told me that it will take
> a
> day or two (8-10 hrs) for about a $1,000.
>
> Is this reasonable?
>
> Suggestions appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> - Pat
>
>
That price sounds pretty high. I recommend you shop around some more - it
will probably save you a few hundred dollars. There aren't many corners to
cut that would lower the price, but some independent shops charge what they
figure they can do it for rather than the "book" rate.

A clutch job involves removing the transmission and replacing the clutch
disk, the pressure plate that clamps the disk to the flywheel when the
clutch pedal isn't depressed, the throwout bearing that lets the pressure
plate turn while the fork (operated by the pedal) doesn't turn, and the
pilot bearing in the flywheel that supports the end of the gearbox input
shaft. The flywheel surface is lathed to make it flat again.

We did the clutch in my son's Integra a couple months ago. The aftermarket
parts were about $250 and the job was an all day affair for us amateurs,
with the usual struggle to get the gearbox in place afterward. (I strained a
muscle in my jaw from clenching my face - it hurt for three days!)

Mike