How Many Hours Should This Procedure Take?

[Stargazer]

My 1995 Nissan Micra had a new clutch put in last March and it took five and a half hours for solely replacing the clutch. My brother said it should not have taken that long and to question it. I remembered that only three years ago in May 2016 I had a new clutch which took four hours at the same local garage. Again this was the only work done. Because it was so recently replaced I believe that it should have taken less time rather than more as all bolts etc would be freer to undo. That is not to say why it lasted such a short time. I had the car for many years before that without clutch going? I am wondering if they put a young lad on the job which may explain the 5.5 hours labour

[TonyV]

How long is a piece of string. If after 1st clutch exchange bolts were re torqued to required settings, will take the same time to remove and replace. Always ask for quote first, most garages will have software to tell them how long job should take.

[TheDevil]

Did you ask them how long they were spending working on the car?

Were any breaks taken by the labourers?

Sometimes a garage will have other cars to work on before they get around to working on yours. The car may have been in the garage for 5+ hours but that isn't to say it was worked on for 5+ hours.

Anyhow to answer your question, you'll have to ask the garage that worked on the car.

[tonyav]

4 hours or less.


Were any breaks taken by the labourers?

LOL, a mechanic would love being called a labourer.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Slightly off topic but how did you manage to wearout a clutch in 3 years.

[Buenchico]

There are 'book times' for jobs like clutch changes. i.e. the manufacturer (either of the vehicle or of the replacement clutch) has put down in black and white how long they think the job should take.

Some garages charge for the 'book time' irrespective of how long it took them to complete the task. (That works to your advantage if they have to struggle but works to the garage's advantage if they get the job done very quickly). Others might use the book time as a maximum figure but (generously) only charge you for the actual time if they can do the job a bit quicker.

So it's possible that the 'book time' for the job is 5½ hours but that (possibly because they'd got the most experienced guy on the job) they completed the task in just 4 hours on the first occasion.

When I had a clutch replaced on a Citroen BX, the garage made a point of showing me the 'book time' before they started, as they didn't want me to complain when I got charged for 8½ hours labour. (The whole suspension system has to come out to get at the clutch on a BX). It was only after they'd charged me mega-bucks for all that work that they found that they'd misdiagnosed the fault in the first place and that there had been nothing at all wrong with the original clutch! (It was the last time that I used that garage!)

[Stargazer]

Thank you for your very helpful advice. I, too, would like to know why the first clutch lasted only three years, never having needed it replaced in the previous 10 years and living in the same place.

[tonyav]

Probably cheap replacement clutch kit ( from China or somewhere like that ).
What were the symptoms that made you you know that you needed a new clutch ( this time ) ?

[Stargazer]

The garage I use is a family one and I have used it for years, first the father and now the son and grandson. They are honest and reliable. The clutch "went" in March just packed up with smoke coming out of the back of the car. I have to practically let the clutch pedal fully up before it bites which is the opposite of what I believed to be how a new clutch should respond. It is a hydraulic clutch and garage says that is normal.