Clutch replacement

[headlight]

When I recently had my 2006 Fiat Ducato 2.3 litre based MH serviced the garage said the clutch biting point was high and that the clutch didn't have much life left in it.
The garage quoted £1020 including Vat to do the job.
Does that sound reasonable ?

 

[Figaro]

I'd wait until it failed, I don't believe because the biting point is high that it's about to fail, I think they are often like that by design.

 

[Stealaway]

When I recently had my 2006 Fiat Ducato 2.3 litre based MH serviced the garage said the clutch biting point was high and that the clutch didn't have much life left in it.
The garage quoted £1020 including Vat to do the job.
Does that sound reasonable ?

How many miles has it done.
Have you felt it slip?
Mine cost less than £500 a few years ago at my local garage. Get another quote?

 

[headlight]

It's done 34,000.
I haven't felt it slip but it does bite near the top of the pedals travel.
The quote is from a Fiat dealer but they don't sell motorhomes.

 

[Stealaway]

Avoid Fiat dealers at all costs. Massively expensive.
34,000 is not a high mileage. Wait until it starts to slip.
Mine started slipping in Germany and I did a good few thousand miles before I changed it and it still hadn't failed.

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[Dunslow]

If it's only done 34,000, and bite is near the top of the travel I'd be checking the self adjuster, and that the clutch is fully engaging on release of the pedal.
Son had quotes (3) for a clutch on a 2016 berlingo this morning highest was £1450, lowest £875. . (A clutch kit, Valeo, not LUK is around the £140-160 mark, two hours ish).

 

[Dunslow]

Avoid Fiat dealers at all costs. Massively expensive.
34,000 is not a high mileage. Wait until it starts to slip.
Mine started slipping in Germany and I did a good few thousand miles before I changed it and it still hadn't failed.

Running any vehicle with a slipping clutch risks warping/ cracking the flywheel/ cooking the springs, and factoring in a dual-mass flywheel to the cost of a clutch wouldn't be fun. And there's no meat on them for skimming properly these days so it'd be outright.

 

[headlight]

I'm going to get it done it's just whether £1020 is a fair price.

 

[Dunslow]

For the Fiat dealer to quote that I think is pretty good really. Main dealer "should" also be fitting OEM clutch too (check!), with some sort of warranty, but they should investigate the short life of the original. See my earlier post.
There will always garages over/ under priced. If you use this garage regularly and trust them then use them. Trust, and the reasons you trust them counts for a lot.
The price is middling I'd say, and being a fiat dealer 'should' mean that you get higher than middling standards.

 

[Stealaway]

I'm going to get it done it's just whether £1020 is a fair price.

No it's not.
You local garage will be happy to fit OEM parts. They are no more expensive.
It's only a Fiat van after all

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[jollyrodger]

Just had the clutch, cambelt and aux belt done. 1999 2.8 ducato .engine out job.
I supplied the parts coolent and oil total cost £760. Local garage.

 

[headlight]

No it's not.
You local garage will be happy to fit OEM parts. They are no more expensive.
It's only a Fiat van after all

Unfortunately my local garage who I trust, and look after my car, work van and girlfriends car can't do my MH as it's to high to fit in their bays.
The Fiat dealer who I've had the quote from is an independent Fiat dealer, I think.
They've been a Fiat specialist for years, over 40 years that I know of, although that may not necessarily mean anything.
I've never used them before.

 

[Two on Tour]

Unfortunately my local garage who I trust, and look after my car, work van and girlfriends car can't do my MH as it's to high to fit in their bays.
The Fiat dealer who I've had the quote from is an independent Fiat dealer, I think.
They've been a Fiat specialist for years, over 40 years that I know of, although that may not necessarily mean anything.
I've never used them before.

What about a mobile clutch fitter that comes to you and will do the clutch change on your driveway.

We have a company that operates in our area and are so confident in their work that they post weekly videos of the clutch changes they have done that week. They did a 2015 Citroen Relay van a few weeks back.

https://www.youtube.com/user/kanmarad/videos

 

[sonar]

When I recently had my 2006 Fiat Ducato 2.3 litre based MH serviced the garage said the clutch biting point was high and that the clutch didn't have much life left in it.
The garage quoted £1020 including Vat to do the job.
Does that sound reasonable ?

About right price for here in Southampton. If you include the timing belt. £ 1076.35.

our clutch was within the first inch of pressing the peddle.
if at that time you just released the peddle you could clearly hear the clutch spinning.

however moving painfully throught the gears made for a better drive but Uber revving when first pulling away.
so far as I know that one of the signs that the clutch needs replacing .

ours did that from the day we bought it. We knew at that time it was one of the many things we had to sort of.

a Knowledgable member here said the clutch is not adjustable. I would have expected the sign of the clutch going with an inch or less of lifting ones foot from the clutch pedal from the floor.

totally the oppisite with a non adjusting clutch so it seems.
the clutch was removed yesterday and the garage said it was due to be replaced as it looked like someone had been constantly ridding the clutch.

this was the only thing he could say about it due to the mileage of 19 k.

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm going to get it done it's just whether £1020 is a fair price.

Has it a dual mass flywheel? Does price include that if so?

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[Stealaway]

Unfortunately my local garage who I trust, and look after my car, work van and girlfriends car can't do my MH as it's to high to fit in their bays.

Did they give you a price?
OEM clutch kit --https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275161672210?hash=item4010e9ea12:g:biMAAOSwSUZiBPp0

This is my clutch 3000 miles after it first slipped on a mountain pass in Germany

 

[headlight]

No idea.
It's 2006 with the 2.3 jtd engine and 5 speed box.

 

[headlight]

Timing belt and water pump were done 6 months ago.

 

[Dunslow]

Did they give you a price?
OEM clutch kit --https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275161672210?hash=item4010e9ea12:g:biMAAOSwSUZiBPp0

This is my clutch 3000 miles after it first slipped on a mountain pass in Germany


View attachment 603871


View attachment 603872

That clutch looks good? was it the auto-tensioner on the cable? seems there may be a theme/ pattern amongst you?
The OP would have to buy a different van to fit that clutch? it's for up to 1994? (I haven't cross referenced numbers). But Valeo at that price is good.

 

[Stealaway]

But Valeo at that price is good.

I was recommended a LUK clutch by the mechanic, which I ordered. The plate that arrived in the LUK box was made by Valeo

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[ambulancekidd]

I'd shop around, paying over the odd's doesn't make a clutch or any other part any better, personal recommendations are probably best.
However, many forum members seem to feel that paying twice as much as their neighbours makes them feel safer or better off, tyres being a classic example.

 

[599]

when we had our 3.0 clutch replaced on our tag about 26000 miles the clutch itself was ok the fitter said it was the pressure plate gone weak
our started to slip at 2000prm when the turbo cut in

 

[Dunslow]

I was recommended a LUK clutch by the mechanic, which I ordered. The plate that arrived in the LUK box was made by Valeo

Funny how different positions favour different things. When I was doing it to earn money I'd say LUK. When I was able to get out of the chase I'd only fit what I'd fit to my own vehicles. Given a choice of LUK/ Sachs/ Borg & Beck/ Valeo, I'd currently always go Valeo regardless of cost and delivery time (within sensibles obs.)
Everyone will have their preferences based on experience or recommendations in every sphere of life.
Incidentally, sons van will be done here at home when it comes off the road Saturday afternoon ready for Monday morning.

Edit: Very interesting that LUK supply a Valeo friction plate in their kits. If a Valeo was below par to an LUK, would they use them? Or are they trying to get their reliability backup?

 

[sonar]

Just had another look at the estimate .
for just the clutch that’s all parts plus gear oil and labour comes to £ 524.45
and that’s from a well established garage that have dealt with motorhomes for over 30 years.
so your need to shop about.
some garages would love the work but ours is a high line model. Just over 3 mtrs so a lot could not accommodate it.

 

[headlight]

Same here, mine is 3.1m high hence my local trusted garage can't do it.

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[Catpirate]

I had mine done last year cost £250 labour just less than £100 parts (used LUK but would be happy with Valeo) total £350. Used a local specialist who did on a fine day outside. Took him 4 hrs.

 

[headlight]

Just spoke to my local garage who said wait till it starts slipping before getting the clutch replaced.
They said if they could fit it in their workshop it would be £500-£600 if it didn't have a dual mass flywheel and £800-£900 if it did so assuming it does have a dual mass £1000 isn't far out.

 

[Catpirate]

The problem with clutches is until it has been removed you cannot see the extent of problems. This is especially true when a dual mass flywheel is fitted. The workshop should be able to determine the condition of the flywheel but may recommend change as if it fails in the future it will cost you the same again. Clutches are sensitive to driver use, many people ride the clutch at traffic lights etc and the fiat ducato clutch in your year is prone to being slipped in reverse which quickly wears it out. Mine was a solid clutch and undamaged, skimming is not recommended on these flywheels.

 

[sonar]

I don’t know what my clutch was or is but the garage said they had to re jig their works as the gearbox had something unexpected. So I can’t say what the problem was but they are a well known and trusted garage.
never asked what it was.

 

[Stealaway]

Just spoke to my local garage who said wait till it starts slipping before getting the clutch replaced.
They said if they could fit it in their workshop it would be £500-£600 if it didn't have a dual mass flywheel and £800-£900 if it did so assuming it does have a dual mass £1000 isn't far out.

Just what I've been saying - there's no rush.
Very few 2.3 Ducato vans have a Dual mass flywheel and you would then be wasting £400 - which would be better spent for a solar panel kit
Any commercial garage will have fitted dozens of these clutch's