Hi HHR people. Have gotten good advice here in the past. My mechanic tells me the clutch is going because it requires pushing in to end of travel (the floor). I have noticed some difficulty shifting lately but the need to push it further has developed gradually so I didn't really notice. Not slipping. Both the clutch and trans have always been a little funky (the pedal periodically sticks 1/2 down and the trans occasionally snaps out of first when grab the shifter). He says the clutch job is fairly complicated and it would not be something I take on myself (my last driveway clutch install was 40 years ago). He just replaced an axle seal on the trans so I want to see if that leak is cured but then ask him to work up a full estimate. My expectation is well over $1,000. The body is pretty good for New England with some bubbles under the paint and some fairly heavy rust on the pan. Suspension is original. Motor is original with no major repairs and seems OK. The tires are good. At this point there is no car I'd rather have but at some point I'll have to let it go. Meanwhile what should I make sure to include in the clutch job, what should it cost, what clutch should I use (there seem to be lots of them on the market), what are some big problems I might expect next, and is it reasonable to think about getting at least another 3 years/30,000 miles out of the machine? Appreciate any thought or advice.

 

First, look at the4 firewall around the clutch pedal. Sometimes the firewall cracks and the pedal moves too far.
146,000 is pretty short, they usually last "forever".

 

Welcome Rod, check the shifter cables they can gum up and stick.

 

Hi Rod, to the forums!

I replaced my stock clutch with an aftermarket "stage 3" clutch. It lasted less than a year. My trusted mechanic advised me to stick with the stock setup, which I have had zero issues with since(about 3 years).

I'll look around for the receipt.

 

My train of thought is , while it’s apart , clutch disc and pressure plate, slave cylinder and shifter cables

have a look at ZZP they list the shifter cables and several clutch kits.

 

 

I couldn't find my receipt. Donbrew can probably tell you how many hours they should charge for the job.

Before buying the parts yourself, check with your shop. Sometimes you won't get much of a warranty unless they source the parts themselves.

 

Make sure they know the difference between an LS/LT and the SS clutch parts! The LNF is a different beast.

 

Advantage of using a licensed pro is the warranty. Hope there would be anyway.

As I recall on my 2008 non-ss the mounting bracket for the MASTER cylinder underdash was repaired with ugly mig welding.
And I had to replace the MASTER as the last step to get the system bleed out.
Doesn't pulling the clutch pedal up from the backside help with an adjustment?

ps then I found out third gear synchronizer ring was bad. drove it like that until I sold it

 

It is around 8 hours flat rate to R&R the clutch.