What would you do? Pretty certain on my decision but want to make sure.

Phate · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:40

Hey all,

Right, with the impending sale of the Saab I should be able to pick up the MG this week \o/ hooray!

anyway, Dad had a look at the car and reckons the clutch is on it's way out because it seemed a bit high. It felt and drove fine to me, but regardless we asked the guy at the dealer how much to supply and fit a new one, he made a call and said £150 - I was expecting it to be a lot more...

Anyway, would you guys delay the car a bit and get the dealer to fit a clutch? or use a local indy that I've used before? who could potentially be a lot more...

if he fits it I get a years warranty, opinions?

[TW]Fox · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:41

Just sell the car. It's a 10 year old used car - people are not expecting a fresh clutch and it isnt slipping so I would expect it to have no effect on the value of the car.

Phate · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:42

[TW]Fox;11849607 said:
Just sell the car. It's a 10 year old used car - people are not expecting a fresh clutch and it isnt slipping so I would expect it to have no effect on the value of the car.

I should have made it more clear, it's not the Saab, I'm talking about the MG dude

M0T · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:57

I used to own a rover and the consensus of everyone I knew that owned an MG/Rover was that they all had high biting points on the clutches, it was just a Rover group quirk.

I'd try and find out from other owners where their clutches bite before spending any money on a new one.

Berger · 9 Jun 2008 at 08:56

£150 sounds too cheap to me, id be double checking with them about that.

Its going to be at least 3 hours work id say to change the clutch, 3 hours at 30+VAT i imagine for main dealer labour, plus the cost of a clutch, id be expecting at least £250 if not more.

Jonnycoupe · 9 Jun 2008 at 09:58

Has your Dad driven a fresh off the production line MG then?

I imagine theres nothing wrong with it.

paradigm · 9 Jun 2008 at 10:02

At that price (assuming you can get it pre-agreed in writing), does it not make sense to just get it done anyway? :confused:

I think that's what I would do.

Jonnycoupe · 9 Jun 2008 at 11:43

If your going to fix something on a MG cos your think its broken you will forever be fixing a pseudo broken car.

What happened to fixing stuff once it broke?

If there is something genuinely wrong with it get the dealer to sort it out BEFORE you buy it.

Janesy B · 9 Jun 2008 at 11:44

I wouldn't even bother with the MG mate.

richolmes72 · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:22

fix the clutch when it begins to slip badly. Put it in 5th and floor it, if it doesn't slip, it's fine.

And if it's fine - leave it. You could leave it as a bargaining tool to get some money off.

Janesy B · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:26

^
surely flooring it in 1st or 2nd would make the clutch slip if it was going to?

Lashout_UK · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:28

Buy something else

Skeeter · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:34

richolmes72 said:
fix the clutch when it begins to slip badly. Put it in 5th and floor it, if it doesn't slip, it's fine.

And if it's fine - leave it. You could leave it as a bargaining tool to get some money off.

Actually, its put the handbrake on, put it in 5th, and try to pull away. If the car stalls, its fine, if it runs for a bit then stalls, the clutch is sliping, if it runs fine with the clutch fully out, its completely borked!

Janesy B said:
^
surely flooring it in 1st or 2nd would make the clutch slip if it was going to?

5th has low torque, so if the clutch slips under so little torque there is a problem. Flooring it in 1st will make a lot of perfectly fine clutches slip.

Janesy B · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:35

Skeeter said:
5th has low torque, so if the clutch slips under so little torque there is a problem. Flooring it in 1st will make a lot of perfectly fine clutched slip.

Makes sense now

But this doesn't really apply to my car, if i floor it in 5th not much happens. 55bhp (Probably more like 45bhp after 11 years of use) pulling along an escort and a tubby bloke isn't much fun

Jonnycoupe · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:46

The gear has no effect on the torque the clutch has to deal with. Just higher gears mean the clutch will be loaded more as its more reluctant to speed up with the engine.

Janesy B · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:52

I thought the relation to Revs and torque was reletive?

BigDannyO · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:53

Janesy B said:
But this doesn't reall apply to my car, if i floor it in 5th not much happens.

That's the trick though - if nothing happens and the car struggles to move your clutch is fine. If the revs rise and the car still doesn't move, your clutch is slipping.

Janesy B · 9 Jun 2008 at 12:55

BigDannyO said:
That's the trick though - if nothing happens and the car struggles to move your clutch is fine. If the revs rise and the car still doesn't move, your clutch is slipping.

I was just making the point that my car sucks more than anything

I do get a little bit of judder on the clutch on cold mornings, it annoys the hell out of me :mad:

Phate · 9 Jun 2008 at 13:39

Jonnycoupe said:
Has your Dad driven a fresh off the production line MG then?

I imagine theres nothing wrong with it.

No but he has driven and seen 1000's of cars and just said to him the clutch pedal seemed a bit high. Nothing wrong with an opinion, it might not be right, but it's something I wouldn't have spotted anyway...it might be that height as standard, who knows!

paradigm said:
At that price (assuming you can get it pre-agreed in writing), does it not make sense to just get it done anyway?

I think that's what I would do.

That's what I think I'm going to do, and I'll get it in writing first!

Janesy B said:
I wouldn't even bother with the MG mate.

How very helpful. :rolleyes:

Jonnycoupe · 9 Jun 2008 at 14:12

Get what in writing? A quote for clutch change you dont actually need or them to do the work at no cost to yourself? :confused:

How much have other places quoted before you get too excited about this quotation? Great to see you can get excited over what your Dad says, interestingly what I gave you was only, as requested, an opinion.