How difficult is replacing a clutch in FWD?

[flattire]

The clutch is going in my 03 civic si. I'm thnking ot tackling this myself. To date the most involved DIY job ive done is timing belt. Pulling the gearbox looks a little daunting... should I go for it?

Or option 2: I called a local shop in tri cites area inquiring how much a clutch job is and they srangley said the clutch for my car would range from $250 to $500. Labour would be fixed at about 4h. They said it depended on the size of the clutch and they could only tell when they had it apart. This seems odd to me. So grand total $750 to 1K. Ouch!

Option 3: anyone recomend a shop in tri cities area with reasonable rates?

thanks guys

[godwin]

that's reasonable 4 hour at ~100 bucks/hour + clutch price.

If you go for it, make sure you got your chilton/hayes manuals.

[nickmak]

it shouldn't be too bad, you have to take the subframe off though. i don't know how easy it would be to do that on jackstands though, i've never done it!

[BoostLover]

Front drive clutchs are a pain in the ass. Especialy on the ground. may have to pull motor from the top. Dont plan on driving it anytime soon once you start. If you know someone with a shop or the right tools/equipment i would recomend asking for some shop time. Or just buck up and save the hassle. Not what you wanna hear but i wouldn't want to do one without a hoist.

[Puck Luck]

Originally Posted by nickmak

you have to take the subframe off though. i don't know how easy it would be to do that on jackstands though

Once the sub frame comes out, there's tons of space. This is a job i wouldnt want to do without a hoist though. It can't be easy bench pressing
that subframe in and out of the car. Its not too heavy, just very awkward. You'd also need a jack stand under the oil pan or an engine hanger to hold up the engine.
The engine stays in the car.
How did the engine light go after the t-belt?