OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
And my wallet is ~$2600.00 lighter.
I'm going on a bit of a trip next week and didn't want to go without getting the clutch done.
Tried to get the car into Maranello's but the guy wouldn't get back to me and I was on a short timeline, so I ended up calling into Endras in Ajax (BMW Durham) where this really nice woman named Irene told me that they should be able to get it done this week (this was on Wednesday, today is a holiday, so very short notice!) but she wanted to confirm with her head mechanic that it was doable and that they had all the necessary parts in stock. I thought that was reasonable. She called me back an hour later and told me that they could do it, but asked if I could bring it in today (today being Wednesday). I said certainly, and took the car up immediately.
When there, I dealt with a service adviser who warned me that if the car needed a flywheel, it was an extra $2,800.00. I told him that I doubted the car would need a flywheel and that as soon as the slip was detected in the higher gears, I stopped romping on it in them. He said OK, and that they could machine the flywheel, but it would be $500-$1000.00 and there was no warranty on it. I asked if it mattered with respect to the machining that the flywheel was dual mass and he didn't really acknowledge what I said, but did make it a point to mention that there was no warranty on having it machined several times.
Having followed SEVERAL clutch replacement threads on M5board, usually the flywheel is perfectly serviceable and just gets cleaned up with a 3M disc. It is very rare that they need to be replaced.
So I get a call back yesterday morning telling me that they couldn't machine the flywheel because my car had a "dual mass" flywheel
But, good news! The flywheel was in fantastic condition and they were just going to clean it up.
But the bad news was that my rear main seal was leaking (I knew this, as there had been some oil observed at the drain holes in the bellhousing the last time I had it on the hoist) but that this job was like $2000.00. I said "excuse me?" He then tells me that the job is "very involved". I replied "I'm aware that it is very involved, in that the whole powertrain assembly behind the engine needs to come off. But that is all off already because you are doing the clutch! The only thing you need to remove to get at it is the flywheel at this point." There's a pause then he replies "give me a second....". A few minutes later he comes back and says that because they are so close to it, that he can do $1030.00. I ask him if he'll do $900.00, he says "no".
But then he tells that they don't have the Rear Main Seal in stock. And that he needs to check to see if he can get the parts in. I told him that the car HAD to be done today (Thursday) as was indicated in the initial work order and if they couldn't do the RMS today, that they'd just have to put it back together with the new clutch. He said "OK". I said "to be clear, if you can get the RMS parts and get it done today, go ahead, if not, just put it back together with the new clutch". He says "OK, I will call you back."
He doesn't call me back.
Gets a bit later in the day, I call up, spoke to Irene again, she said she'd get him to call me. I end up e-mailing him and then calling him back again 3 hours later. Left him a voicemail, he calls me back and says that the car is back together and out for a road test. I said "wonderful!" then asked if the rear main had been done. He said that they were able to get the parts, and that it had been done. He had two mechanics on it to get it done today, but wasn't going to bill me extra for that because of what he had quoted me earlier. I thanked him for his efforts and he then told me that he'd call me back when the car was back and that I could then come up and get it.
He called me back about 30 minutes later saying it was good to go and I could come up and get it.
We went over the bill. They replaced a lot of parts. So in light of that, the price really wasn't that bad.
Got in the car and almost put the clutch pedal through the firewall. The clutch has felt, since the day I bought the car, just a bit lighter than the Centerforce Dual-friction I had in my 5.0L. Now it feels like the one in my buddy's focus. Engagement is much quicker, greatly reduced pedal effort, and the vibration I had (which I had assumed was the clutch or guibo) is now gone. Car drives like it is brand-new
Very happy with that!
They replaced ALL of the exhaust hardware.
Here's the list of the parts:
1. Clutch set
2. Fillister head screws x6
3. hex bolts x4
4. gasket ring x2
5. Grease
6. Rear main seal covers
7. Rear main seal
8. Sealing compound
9. All new hardware x15
Total parts were $992.49, the rest was labour. Their hourly rate is $123.30.
I paid list for a lot of the parts (most). And given the short turnaround on the job that I demanded, I think that is somewhat expected.
BTW, some of the parts:
RMS "Covers"
Clutch
Clutch-plate bolts:
Catalytic converter to header bolts:
Header gaskets:
This is the first real repair I've had to do on the car since I bought it, and one I had been putting off for an extended period of time. I am surprised that RMS gave out so early in the car's life though (mileage-wise). I replaced the one in my Mustang when I put in the Centerforce, but that was at like 260,000Km. And the seal cost $10.00 and I changed it on my back in the driveway.
I'm going on a bit of a trip next week and didn't want to go without getting the clutch done.
Tried to get the car into Maranello's but the guy wouldn't get back to me and I was on a short timeline, so I ended up calling into Endras in Ajax (BMW Durham) where this really nice woman named Irene told me that they should be able to get it done this week (this was on Wednesday, today is a holiday, so very short notice!) but she wanted to confirm with her head mechanic that it was doable and that they had all the necessary parts in stock. I thought that was reasonable. She called me back an hour later and told me that they could do it, but asked if I could bring it in today (today being Wednesday). I said certainly, and took the car up immediately.
When there, I dealt with a service adviser who warned me that if the car needed a flywheel, it was an extra $2,800.00. I told him that I doubted the car would need a flywheel and that as soon as the slip was detected in the higher gears, I stopped romping on it in them. He said OK, and that they could machine the flywheel, but it would be $500-$1000.00 and there was no warranty on it. I asked if it mattered with respect to the machining that the flywheel was dual mass and he didn't really acknowledge what I said, but did make it a point to mention that there was no warranty on having it machined several times.
Having followed SEVERAL clutch replacement threads on M5board, usually the flywheel is perfectly serviceable and just gets cleaned up with a 3M disc. It is very rare that they need to be replaced.
So I get a call back yesterday morning telling me that they couldn't machine the flywheel because my car had a "dual mass" flywheel
But the bad news was that my rear main seal was leaking (I knew this, as there had been some oil observed at the drain holes in the bellhousing the last time I had it on the hoist) but that this job was like $2000.00. I said "excuse me?" He then tells me that the job is "very involved". I replied "I'm aware that it is very involved, in that the whole powertrain assembly behind the engine needs to come off. But that is all off already because you are doing the clutch! The only thing you need to remove to get at it is the flywheel at this point." There's a pause then he replies "give me a second....". A few minutes later he comes back and says that because they are so close to it, that he can do $1030.00. I ask him if he'll do $900.00, he says "no".
But then he tells that they don't have the Rear Main Seal in stock. And that he needs to check to see if he can get the parts in. I told him that the car HAD to be done today (Thursday) as was indicated in the initial work order and if they couldn't do the RMS today, that they'd just have to put it back together with the new clutch. He said "OK". I said "to be clear, if you can get the RMS parts and get it done today, go ahead, if not, just put it back together with the new clutch". He says "OK, I will call you back."
He doesn't call me back.
Gets a bit later in the day, I call up, spoke to Irene again, she said she'd get him to call me. I end up e-mailing him and then calling him back again 3 hours later. Left him a voicemail, he calls me back and says that the car is back together and out for a road test. I said "wonderful!" then asked if the rear main had been done. He said that they were able to get the parts, and that it had been done. He had two mechanics on it to get it done today, but wasn't going to bill me extra for that because of what he had quoted me earlier. I thanked him for his efforts and he then told me that he'd call me back when the car was back and that I could then come up and get it.
He called me back about 30 minutes later saying it was good to go and I could come up and get it.
We went over the bill. They replaced a lot of parts. So in light of that, the price really wasn't that bad.
Got in the car and almost put the clutch pedal through the firewall. The clutch has felt, since the day I bought the car, just a bit lighter than the Centerforce Dual-friction I had in my 5.0L. Now it feels like the one in my buddy's focus. Engagement is much quicker, greatly reduced pedal effort, and the vibration I had (which I had assumed was the clutch or guibo) is now gone. Car drives like it is brand-new
They replaced ALL of the exhaust hardware.
Here's the list of the parts:
1. Clutch set
2. Fillister head screws x6
3. hex bolts x4
4. gasket ring x2
5. Grease
6. Rear main seal covers
7. Rear main seal
8. Sealing compound
9. All new hardware x15
Total parts were $992.49, the rest was labour. Their hourly rate is $123.30.
I paid list for a lot of the parts (most). And given the short turnaround on the job that I demanded, I think that is somewhat expected.
BTW, some of the parts:
RMS "Covers"
Clutch
Clutch-plate bolts:
Catalytic converter to header bolts:
Header gaskets:
This is the first real repair I've had to do on the car since I bought it, and one I had been putting off for an extended period of time. I am surprised that RMS gave out so early in the car's life though (mileage-wise). I replaced the one in my Mustang when I put in the Centerforce, but that was at like 260,000Km. And the seal cost $10.00 and I changed it on my back in the driveway.
