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MG MGF Technical - Clutch

Now being the clever lad i am i have succesfully destroyed my clutch in 30k miles and three track days. actually the way i drive it on the track days would have done it on its own. so nobody to blame but myself.

question is, how much, who to get to do it, should i upgrade the clutch? and is there anything that i might aswell get done at the same time?

oh i am annoyed with myself.
Matt

Right then, i have got one quote so far, thats at F W Mays and that £750.

Come on somebody here must know something about the exciting subject of clutches
Matt

OK Matt so what is it you want to know?

I can tell you that changing a clutch aint exactly hi-tech state of the art science but it is time consuming as I think you will find you need to remove the gearbox, which will mean removing the engine (possibly) but I am sure Roger or Dieter will know more about it than I do.

But the labour is going to be the expensive part a new or replacement clutch aint that pricey.

Ted
Ted Newman

What are you doing on a track day to destroy the clutch? Do you spin off at every corner and then do a GP standing start each time? Track days aren't normally hard on the clutch plates 'cos you don't do much in the way of slipping the clutch (or if you are then you're doing something very wrong!).

Mike
Mike Bees

Mike, believe me i've been doing something very wrong. and i knew i was, but it was a bad habit i got into which i will have to get out of. i was using engine braking alot as well as the brakes. i was getting abit carried away and i won't be doing it again.

Anglesey is a brilliant circuit for the F by the way.

I'm not really sure what info i'm after, i think what i really want is somebody to tap me on the shoulder, and say Matt, its going to be OK, its not that expensive really.

which i don't think is going to happen.

Things on my mind are, what would the clutch kit that B&G (fast road/competition) sell be like, and is it worth getting one. On parts it cost £40 more than the rover clutch.

Also is there anywhere other than a dealer i can get it done so i don't have to pay for the sky high labour costs they charge.
Matt

Matt

If you are 'out of warranty period' then frankly any competent mechanic can change a clutch for you.

As to the B & G clutch kit, who knows? Perhaps someone can tell us if it is worth the extra £40.00.

Ted
Ted Newman

Matt - learn to blip the throttle as you change down, that way there is little or no slip required from the clutch as it re-engages.

Mike
Mike Bees

OK, not talking uprades for track days, how much is a standard MGF clutch, fitted?


Dave
Dave

Clutch fitting specialists (the guys that only fit clutches) will be cheap as hell, probably less than £500, but you should be wary. If it is a complicated job that they haven't done before, you could wind up with a knackered MGF (I am curently suing one of these fitters for wrecking my old Peugeot). The benefit of these people is that they charge a fixed price, and they do it really quickly. Best to look in the back of an autotrader and get some quotes, and then check them out.
Andrew Hay

FIVE HUNDRED QUID!!! CHEAP?????????????

I have had a clutch on my last three cars (yeah, that is how I drive!), and not one of the has cost over £150!!

Dave
Dave

For the unit, but surely not the fitting too. Well, I had a gearbox bought and fitted to an XR3 once for £50 by a scrap dealer, but wouldn't recommend it. Cav's can have their clutches replaced through the inspection panel in around 30 minutes, but if you have to loosen the engine mounts and/or lower the engine or take off the gearbox, you surely must be talking over £300 - surely, c'mon, must be!
Andrew Hay

My last car was a '91 J Orion 1.6i Ghia, and I had a clutch on that for £130 fitted!
Dave

Mike, i know i know. but blip the throttle doesn't help when you are trying to feed the clutch in at 90 mph and you are in second. stops you quick though and gets the car sliding around at times. Now you can see why the clutch is buggered.

Andrew, the getting a buggered F is the thing i'm worried about. Which is why i want to be careful if i don't use a dealer. I imagine not many places have changed a clutch on an F.

I have had a quote of £617 from swain & jones which is nearly bearable, and i'm confident they'll do a good job.

Dave, price of the clutch itself is - standard £149
AP fast road/competition - £170

so not much in it really.

I just don't have any experience of non standard clutches, and don't know what it would be like to drive.


Matt

Changing down into 2nd at 90mph - I'm surprised the engine didn't burst.

I assume that the AP clutch is the same one that Caterham fit to their K-series engines - if so then the only difference you'll notice is that it needs more force on the pedal.

Mike
Mike Bees

I'm suprised aswell. Obviously i didn't try and fully engage 2nd at that speed.

The chances are the clutch is the same, but i wouldn't really know. My left leg needs building up anyway, so i shall go for that clutch i think.
Matt

My F went in today for it's annual service to find I to need a new clutch only after 32,000miles
£650 quoted +service£250 + new ball joint + this and that.
Total £950 help
Haven't even seen a track day.
Back brakes also 70% worn replaced front to green stuff a month ago and they were only 50% worn.
What should I do with the backs green stuff or standard or something else?
The only signs of dodgy clutch was twice in the last week the pedal seemed to stick.
What can I do but take them at there word the clutch is Knackered.
I'm sure an M.G garage has enough work not to invent it.
Rich

Clutch pedal sticking has been a known problem on the *F*. Mine used to do it ocassionally especially after prolonged use. New clutch slave cylinder. Part 50 quid and I guess another 50 for fitting.

Gaz
Gaz

The day an MG dealer charges only £50 for fitting anything....

I have decided the problem with my clutch is that hte clutch plate is bent or something. because it doesn't slip once its engaged, but getting it engaged fro ma standstill is a bit of a rough ride.
Matt



Maybe we should make a list of what MG dealers
labour charge per hour is, so we know where the cheapest deal is!

-matt
matt

Yeah but don't forget cheapest isn't always best.

The two i know of though are F W Mays in Chiswick woh charge a stupid £75/hour and Swain & Jones who i think charge £60. I would personally say Swain & Jones have the edge and are cheaper.

But I'm sure theres dealers out that are cheaper still but haven't got a clue.

Swain & Jones will actually say - we charge this much because we know what we are doing and have very experienceed MGF mechanics. which is fair enough and probably worth paying for.
Matt

£65 an hour!!!/£75 an hour!!! Plus VAT of course. I had my car serviced in Kent by an MGF specialist who restores old MG's as well as modern cars and races their own midgets - £30 an hour. I don't trust most mechanics, but I tend to have more faith in the restorers because rather than unscrew and replace, they actually seem to know what is in the box - rather than just how to replace it. I know motoring aint cheap and everyone has to make a profit, but come on, they are not making a loss on parts or new car prices are they?!
Andrew Hay

Don't worry andrew i'm on your side. but its a case of being able to find somewhere like you have that can do the work well at a reasnoble price.

Matt

Got my F back today £8.50 change from £1000
It was a seized clutch arm that killed my clutch
The labour excl vat was £418.20
The clutch kit was £127.00
service £144
+vat
+Few bits and pieces.
I Think I will change my own back brake pads as they were going to charge £115.
Rich

do like to over charge don't they.

I have found quotes from some garages in london below £400 for clutch. MG garages, not main dealers.

brake pads. bought my own, then all 4 chaged for £40 at any brake/exhaust type place
Matt

Well i have taken the plunge and decide to get the clutch fitted by somebody other than a dealer.

Getting the competition clutch from B&G delivered this week and the garage to fit it next week. a grand total of £420. Which is a saving of £200 over the cheapest of dealers.

Lets just hope i don't live to regret it.
Matt

matt

let me know how you get on with the B&G clutch....

-matt
M66 MAT
matt

Matt,

Are you absolutely sure the clutch is gone and it's not just an oil seal leak?
This happened to mine (not sure how common it is) and had a major effect on performance.
30K miles and 3 track days sounds pretty harsh...
Mike

The way i wa streating the clutch i'm pretty sure its damaged it.

Its not actually slipping, but pulling away it chudders enough to nearly rip the back end off the car. and the pedal is very sloppy and there is a lot of vibration.

Matt

This thread was discussed between 12/02/2001 and 21/02/2001

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.