Good Mechanic in Washington?

[Scott0911]

Brand new to the forum just got approved. I drive an 86 Tercel 4wd wagon and love her. Absolutely love her. Bought it about a year ago in the Seattle area for just over 3K. She's in immaculate shape, got it with 120,000 original miles. She's been garaged her entire life. Now she sits in a heated garage. I've gone through and tuned her up, she ran great before and now runs perfect but im down to the clutch.

I was quoted $1,300 for the clutch not including resurfacing the flywheel. $1,500 seems steep for almost anything on this car minus a new engine or tranny.
I have access to a lift but do not have a tranny jack.

My question, is it really going to cost more than $1,000 bucks to get the clutch done? Does anyone know a shop that will work on this car that is trustworthy? I do a lot of work myself, should I look into renting a tranny jack or somehow getting one? I've been told its a tough clutch to access and to skip this project. However, anything over $500 bucks right now is really going to hurt.

I have learned a ton of info from reading through your guys website and am excited to now be a part of it. Here is a picture of my 86. Everything is original minus the Rigid lights in front, a tachometer, and some ski racks soon to be on. Also the wheels are from an MR2. These pictures we're taken by the owner before me. Thanks for your help guys and gals!

[irowiki]

The clutch is definitely a $1,000-2,000 job if you take it somewhere. Part of that is the "old car tax"

You don't even need a transmission jack, you just need a floor jack or two, and some bottle jacks.

[Gottolovem]

Under 200 if you do it yourself

[dlb]

car looks great. welcome to the forum.

$1300 sounds about right for a clutch job. keep in mind that most shops charge somewhere in the neighbourhood of $80-$100/hr for labour so that's where the majority of the cost is coming from. but i would also be hesitant to take it to a shop. most shops now will have never seen this car so they won't be familiar with it, and that makes me nervous. so if i were you, i'd do it myself or find someone familiar with tercs and pay them to do it. there are a few guides here on how to replace the clutch, i think xirdneh wrote one. he's been making tons of how-to videos too so there might be one of those, if you're lucky.

you might try sending xirdneh a message, see if you can hire him to do it. you could assist him and learn a lot along the way, i'm sure. not sure if he'd be game for that but no harm in asking.

good luck.

[xirdneh]

my brother pulled 7 tercel trannys this year
he charges 200 to replace a clutch
clutch kit is abt 120
just have to get it to east bremerton

[Scott0911]

Thanks a ton for the help everyone. I'm talking with xirdneh and hopefully will have my problem solved. Thanks again

[Petros]

It is a big job to replace the clutch, but it does not require special tools, I have done the job about a dozen times, never used a trans jack, just regular floor jack, I have also done it with a scissor jack.

might be worth paying someone $200-300 in labor, not $1000. order a clutch kit from rockauto, they have clearance sales on them regularly(do not get a chinese made clutch, most others are okay, particularly Japanese made clutch are very good).

Unless the clutch face is badly over heated, scoured or has metal transfer, it is okay to install a new clutch without resurfacing the flywheel. THat is just people trying to separate you and your money to help pay for their costly flywheel resurfacing machine. If the face is damaged, than a resurface is a good idea, otherwise it will never make any difference at all.

good luck.