Clio MK3 1.5 dCi 106 - Need advice on clutch, flywheel & concentric slave cylinder change

[Ray_]

Hi all,

I have a mk3 1.5 dCi Clio that's wanting a clutch doing. It's just gone over 100k miles and the clutch pedal is high, stiff and it's getting a bit more difficult to put into first gear. Dealer also said it needed doing at a health check.

I've never done a clutch job before, and it looks really rough on this version of the car in particular. I would much prefer to do it myself, but I just don't think I'm well enough equipped at this point in time. I love the current clutch in the car and if I take it to a garage, I'm worried they'll put something shite in it and not change all the seals. I'm also worried they'd get a single-mass flywheel in instead of a dual-mass. From what I've read, people usually regret that conversion. So, does anyone have any recommendations of good clutch garages in the East Kent or the whole of Kent that might install the items I'd specify, or at least good quality items? Or just any advice in general around how to go about this job?

Cheers

 

[Mcaff]

Not the worst job, but if you’ve not got the tools I wouldn’t bother, you can pick up a valeo clutch and flywheel from the likes of autodoc fairly inexpensively for them. Worst job about it is getting the clutch bled back up again. While the flywheel is off consider changing the bolts they are about £5 each from Renault, and change rear main seal as they like to leak think they are about £40/50 from memory.

It’s all stuff that is doable on the drive but at the same time it depends how motivated you are for skint knuckles and a lot of swearing, far easier on a lift with a transmission jack.

 

[Ray_]

Not the worst job, but if you’ve not got the tools I wouldn’t bother, you can pick up a valeo clutch and flywheel from the likes of autodoc fairly inexpensively for them. Worst job about it is getting the clutch bled back up again. While the flywheel is off consider changing the bolts they are about £5 each from Renault, and change rear main seal as they like to leak think they are about £40/50 from memory.

It’s all stuff that is doable on the drive but at the same time it depends how motivated you are for skint knuckles and a lot of swearing, far easier on a lift with a transmission jack.

The clutch bleed looked particularly annoying, and ofc filling the transmission fluid on this car is a b*****d. I think it is possible on the drive, but I'd be more confident about saying that if I were to letter-box it. I'm not sure if it would be possible to jack the car high enough to get the box out, though maybe it wouldn't need to be removed from under the car. If I were to do it, I'd definitely renew the bolts and rear seal. Good shout. I'd basically renew everything that is only accessible from inside there as it's a once-every-100k-miles job for me I think. I do have another pair of hands to help out, who has actually done a clutch before. Maybe I can make the clutch last long enough for the weather to warm up a bit first though haha.

There is a place near me that rents a lift, but I don't think I could do it quick enough to make it worth while.

 

[Martin_172]

the mk3 isn't a bad car to do a clutch on as you get plenty access when everything's off - the dci 106 6 speed is a fairly big box which makes doing it on your own on the deck a bit of a s**t job!

For me, just use a recommended well regarded garage if your worried, ask them for a good quality clutch from a certain brand, place I worked at it wasn't unusual for people to book a car in for a clutch and ask for a genuine one or a Valeo or LUK etc what ever they had read on a forum.

I'm fussy so for me on that car it would be Valeo/LUK/Genuine clutch, last time i used a LUK one (there's 2 options with or without the slave cylinder, always go with!)

Bleeding them is a little fiddly but any decent garage will have no issues with that, I always do a brake fluid change at the same time and renew it all

I've done quite a few clutches on DCI 106/110's and I've never done a flywheel on one as the customer never wants to, they are about £300 for a Sachs one looking at autodoc, meaning add a clutch at £150-£170, including labour your pushing it over into 4 figures - only you can decide if that's worth it...

I wouldn't bother supplying your own parts, some garages are ok with it, others wont. For me as a customer if I'm paying 4 figures I want them to supply the parts as what happens if you have an issue 2 months later? who's fault is it? who's paying to strip the box back off to investigate? I had a clutch fail on a Kia Sportage we had fitted a few months afterwards, it got recovered back in, we removed the box, found it had failed, supplier sent a new one out straight away, we refitted and got the car back to the customer the next day, customer went away happy - We then send the faulty clutch back to the supplier who sent it back to the manufacturer and a few weeks later we had the credit back for the cost of the clutch + labour to re do the job.