clutch / flywheel question

I noticed my clutch slipping and called my dealer for an appointment. He quoted me $1600 (minus 20% PCA Disc) for the clutch kit and labor. The will also give me a free loaner car (Audi a4)for the week so I figured this sounded reasonable...at the end of the call, he said, oh yeah, we usually recommend replacing the flywheel at the same time...we have had clients not do it and it usually caused chatter. I said how much and he said ballpark $1200. I know people do change both due to being in there but this is the first I've heard that it is recommended? Anyone comment on this? I really don't want to spend$1200 extra but I guess I'll do it if I should... Also, I drive mostly on the street but If there is an updated/aftermarket flywheel I should get for similar money, please let me know? thanks, PS...63,000miles

Sounds like they want to make a few extra $$ on the new flywheel. Unless it is an upgraded lightweight flywheel which does chatter. I wouldn't have it replaced, and it shouldn't chatter. Make sure you have them install the whole clutch kit which includes pressure plates, discs, and release bearings and there won't be any chatter with your current flywheel.

Is the flywheel a wear item that should be replaced at the same time as the clutch or does it have a longer life?

The flywheel is not considered a wear item.

I had my Boxster clutch replaced at 67,000 miles and it was down to the rivets. I used an independent mechanic named Marvin Weitz who worked at 2 local dealerships. Marvin likes replacing the flywheel. Marvin use to work at dealerships. This is the kind of stuff they do - all new parts. On my Box he charges $825 for a clutch replacement, parts and labor. He said list on the flywheel was $900 but he could get it for $600. I never bothered checking out the price on a flywheel. I told him to give me a all once the transmission was out and I would look at the flywheel. I did and it looked fine to me. Had heat checking, but every used flywheel I have seen was like that. So told him to reuse it. That was a few months ago and the clutch is fine. I was at his shop a few days ago to say hi. He had a 1999 996 C2 with 140,000 miles on the rack for a clutch replacement. The clutch had been replaced once before but it had the original flywheel. This flwheel had a lip on it, like a used brake rotor. But you expect that with 140,000 miles. He gave the customer the option of having it resurfaced or replaced. Customer had a new one put in. So you need to see the condition of the flywheel in order to make a decision. If it looks good reuse it like I did. If you have it replaced your dealer is way out of line quoting $1,200. The transmission is already out for the clutch replacement, and it ony takes a few minutes to replace the flywheel. This is the flywheel with 140,000 miles.

It's really a call that should be made once the clutch is out. Sometimes they will look fine but the springs on the inside won't be working so well or at all. You can grab the face of the flywheel and turn it. It should go back to it's starting point because you won't turn the whole engine you'll just be working the springs. If you find that when you try to turn it, it doesn't return then it should be replaced. Sounds like the guy at the dealership is trying to prepare you for a possibility of a higher expense to complete the job properly.

Can't the "dampeners" wear out on these and also, aren't they a "dual plate" design making it difficult to re-surface (especially with the "dampener material" in-between)? I just replaced mine (91k miles) with the clutch and it was $790 from Sunset (for the flywheel).

so if you took off the flywheel... would it be a good idea to "maintenance" change the RMS for ony a few $ more since you are there... or is it more involved than I think? E

$1,600 less 20% PCA disc $1,280 for a new clutch sounds good. Here in SoCal I've received 2 quotes for a new clutch both being $2,500.

clutch kit from suncoast is around $430 and that includes all the parts... labour shouldn't be more than $4-500..... replacing the flywheel really depends on how many miles you have on the car and how it has been driven... and ultimately the condition of the flywheel... if you have close to 90,000 miles or above on the car... you probably want a new one; but then again if the car has been driven softly without abuse... that flywheel should last forever.. DON"T replace the RMS if it is not leaking.... there was a slew of cars in a certain porsche dealership that were replacing the RMS when clutch was out and the tool they were using was not aligning them properly and causing leaks to happen by the time the customers came home... why would you fix something if it ain't broke??

Personally I'd opt for upgrading to a LWFW. If you choose not to, have the shop check the FW when everything is apart and go from there. Should be OK at 63K miles...

LWFW is only good if your gonna do some serious tracking... around town its not that good as the revs drop a lot faster making the car less smooth... but for the track its a nice upgrade...

Shop called this morning and said the flywheel was Ok and didn't need replacing. Might have had something to do with me asking the service manager to keep the old flywheel for me if it did in fact need replacing. The did replace the RMS...said there was a slight seepage coming from it. I have never noticed a single drop so I'm not 100% sure about it. It did cause me 1 additional hour of labor (and an oil change...only about 1 month since the last one so really unnecessary)...I pick her up tomorrow...can't wait to get it back. The A4 is a nice loaner but I really miss the 996.

I just had my clutch replaced at the dealer as well - TTL $1,100 out the door.

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Hot looking car there!! Really nice shot of it... Thanks for pricing info, very helpful!! it would be good to hear what they hit you for with RMS replacement and oil change TTL E

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Hey - thanks bud. Oops - been awhile but I have a total of 1283.49 - Not 1,100.00 This was for: Clutch Repair Kit RMS replaced IMS Removed and reinstalled - replaced flanged Shaft Housing Shaft seal ring Seal Ring Mobil 1 Alum Seal Ring

Not bad! I was thinking it was going to be really high!! If I DIY I might not save enough to make it worth my time, then again... I like a good feeling of doing it (unless I hate that I did it wrong... LOL) E

At $1100, I would have somebody else do it. I went with the DIY because I was looking at over $3500 up here, where the dealership is about the only place you can take the car. At 45K miles, the DMF looked fine so I didn't touch it and had no problems since. If there was an issue, I found a local qualified machine shop willing to machine the surface for $50.

You are being taken for a ride

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I do business with sends flywheels out for resurfacing unless inspection indicates some other condition renders flywheel not reusable. (Cracks, excessive overheating, etc.) Another dealership I approached about doing a clutch job on my 02 Boxster (with just over 200,000 miles on its original clutch and yes I'm bragging a bit...) says it either simply reuses the original flywheel if inspection doesn't turn up anything amiss with no resurfacing other than roughing up flywheel friction surface with coarse grit silicon carbide abrasive paper or if inspection determines flywheel not reusable replaces the flywheel. I was told resurfacing removes material (naturally) and this weakens the flywheel. Yes, but there's generally a minimum thickness call out (like for brake rotors) but person I was speaking with I didn't feel was qualified to know enough for sure to continue so I didn't press on this issue. He also mentioned that any overheating even if minimal results in cracks and this renders flywheel not reusable. Well, no. Some overheating is ok as long as not excessive and deep. If deep enough and widespread enough flywheel friction surface has varying coefficient of friction and smooth clutch engagement will never occur and even with new clutch car will be a pain to drive. But if shallow, small in area, overheating areas not a real problem and with proper resurfacing most if not all of these will be removed. I've resurfaced my share of flywheels (ex-machinist) and if not cracked or over heated to severely or under sized are perfectly suitable for resurfacing. I suspect some shops just don't want to bother with resurfacing and the increased risk of some complication from this affecting customer's satisfaction with 'clutch job'. Also, dealership avoid the ugliness that will ensue after customer brings car back having to explain flywheel at fault and oh that's another $1500 (parts/labor) to replace flywheel. Don't know what I'm going to do. I would prefer to reuse the old flywheel if it is reusable. I'm tempted to take car to dealership where they routinely send these out for resurfacing. Not tempted to just replace flywheel with new due to cost. Do not want to replace with LWFW either. May be ok for track use but street use I don't want to deal with a more easily stalled engine and the transmission rattle that can come from LWFW installation. May approach dealership that simply reuses old flywheel -- if reusable -- with maybe some manual roughing up and get a quote of a discount on new flywheel if old one proves to be not reusable. Thus I know going in what I'm facing. OTOH, I've managed 200,000+ miles from clutch/flywheel. If I keep car and likely I will and have clutch replaced I intend to get another 200,000 miles out of car and of course new clutch. If a new flywheel is necessary I don't necessarily feel this is out of the ordinary. A new flywheel would go a long way to ensuring the next 200,000 miles is as trouble-free (at least in the clutch department) as the previous 200,000 miles. Sincerely, Macster.