ccotenj

i should have known better, having driven cars with 3 pedals my whole life, which just makes this worse...

i started thinking about 25k ago "this thing could probably use a new clutch", but "it worked", and my wife didn't complain about it (it is her dd)...

finally had it done at 125k... it's like butter now...

bad part, driving it that long with the worn out clutch has resulted in a $2500 transmission job...

hard lesson learned, especially since it is a self inflicted repair bill...

so... if you "think" it is time to replace the clutch, it probably "is" time to do it... speaking from immediate personal experience, clutches are a LOT cheaper than transmissions...

CatManD3W

iTrader: (18)

That makes no sense.....how would a clutch going bad/out do anything to the transmission....?

I have had several clutches completely fail due to be worn out....i.e clutch pedal stuck to the floor,clutch disc worn down to nothing, pilot bearing in a dozen pieces, and forks literally snapped off on pressure.....and no damage was every done to the transmission

freakness

Dude,


What was the diagnosis/symptoms of the bad transmission? 125,000 miles is low-mileage for an SC300 manual transmission. Severe up and down shifting over a few thousand miles 'can' damage any transmission but that means you're driving it 'race car' style. The input shaft can develop noise in first gear from wear as a result the result of compression braking in first gear rather than just relying on the brakes. There's the obvious 'little or no' transmission fluid angle. What exactly did the garage do to 'fix' the transmission? I hope this was a legitimate problem and not a rip-off situation.

Tommy150

iTrader: (2)

the first week I got my sc I took it to the track and it faded away really quick haha I slipped it all the way home and when I took the trans out it was pretty much down to the metal. lol it was never changed in 120k and was driven by an "adult" its whole life until I go it and beat the hell out of it. my trans was fine though. still it even with a 1jz swap

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

^^^ Sounds like this poor fella got taken to the cleaners.

I think the real lesson here is not to change your clutch on time, but to get a second shop's opinion on a $2500 repair bill.

gerrb

iTrader: (34)

Lots of crooks in this industry !

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Manual trannies are usually pretty bulletproof and hard to break stock, but a Lexus manual trans...? This is why I DIY, so shops can't screw me over. OP, my advice to you is find a new mechanic.

Studiogeek

iTrader: (6)

ccotenj,
Please list what they wrote on the repair bill about transmission damage and why.
What shop did you take it to?

ArodDaLob

iTrader: (14)

at 223xxx miles, i'm drifting my stock (engine and tranny never rebuilt) 5spd sc300, with constant downshifts, clutchkicks, and the occasional whoopsy shift locks but my w58 shifts as well as any car with a welded diff will. take another look at what they're charging you for. granted, i change out the redline tranny oil more than religiously, but still.

joe diego

iTrader: (3)

Hear, hear!

Flygfsh

iTrader: (3)

I just did the clutch on my 84 Supra w/ 7MGTE turbo motor from an 90 Supra. Car has the W-58, same as his. South Bend Clutch (one of the best) rebuilt my pressure plate, new throw out bearing, resurfaced flywheel, and their 10 puck ceramic clutch for $250 + tax. Told them I wanted it to hold 400hp. Did it myself in the garage, no issues. I think you may have got taken?

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

always ask for the old parts when it sounds fishy like that, I bet the just did a standard clutch job should have been no more than like $800-1K at a honest shop.
Everyone drives the clutch until it starts to slip, all it does is wear out the flywheel. unless you had clutch parts flying out the side or something it just does not add up as others have said.

freakness

Dude,


I'm beginning to wonder if the flywheel was scorched and that it needed to be replaced in addition to the 'regular' clutch job. That could easily account for the high bill but I'm just guessing.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

an OEM flywheel is expensive but still its only like $300-350. You can get aftermarket light weight ones for half that. Mine was shot /burned from the turbo slipping the stock clutch like it was made to do that, and they were still able to turn the flywheel for the cost of machine work < $100, because the OEM one is thick... a stock clutch can only hurt the flywheel so much. If you had a 6 puck or the flywheel has been turned mutliple times already then yeah that might be a different story, and they should tell you the thickness is to thin to turn not just replace it unless you ask for it to be replaced anyways. mine was done at about the same mileage around 130k, and if I remember right I took my own clutch kit (cost varies) and it was like 700-800 to install everything and turn the flywheel. I still think that was expensive but at the time I had no time or ability to do it myself.

Studiogeek

iTrader: (6)

He/She insinuated there was a replacement of his/her transmission with this sentence.

"clutches are a LOT cheaper than transmissions..."

Well, if you return to the thread, we will help you figure this out if you like, There could be an explanation, but it sounds extremely fishy to pretty much all the SC owners in this thread.