Why we only do clutches and gearboxes
Most garages will happily take on a clutch replacement. It's a well-paid job and the procedure is documented. What they do less often is the part that actually decides whether the repair works: measuring the flywheel, checking the release system, reading the wear pattern on the old friction plate and understanding why it failed at 68,000 miles when it should have lasted 120,000.
Doing this work all day, every day, changes what you notice. When a Golf comes in with a rattle at idle that disappears when the clutch is dipped, we're not guessing — we've seen that particular dual mass flywheel fail hundreds of times. When a Focus judders pulling away in the wet only, we know to look at the rear main seal before condemning the clutch.
How we work
1. Talk it through
Ring us or send the details through the quote form. Tell us the make, model, engine, mileage and what the car is doing. Most of the time we can tell you on the phone whether you're looking at a clutch job, a flywheel job or something much cheaper, and give you a realistic price range before you commit to anything.
2. Road test and inspect
Bring the car in and one of our technicians will drive it. We check biting point, pedal feel, slip under load in the higher gears, judder from a standing start, noise with the clutch engaged and disengaged, and gear selection through the box. On automatics we also read live data and fault codes, and check the fluid condition.
3. Fixed written quote
You get a price that covers parts, labour and VAT, plus a clear explanation of what we've found and what we'd recommend. If we think you can safely leave it a few thousand miles, we say that too.
4. The repair
Most clutch replacements are booked in and completed the same day. Gearbox replacements and automatic transmission work take longer and we'll be straight with you about timescales at the quote stage. We keep every part we remove.
Parts and guarantee
We fit OE or OE-equivalent components as standard — typically LuK, Sachs, Valeo and Exedy depending on what the vehicle was built with. Cheap pattern clutch kits are a false economy on a job where the labour is the expensive part, so we don't offer them. Where a vehicle has a known weakness, we'll discuss uprated or solid-mass conversion options and be honest about the trade-offs, including the extra noise and vibration a solid flywheel conversion brings.
All work carries a 12-month parts and labour guarantee. If something isn't right after we've had the car, bring it back and we'll put it right.
Where we work
The workshop is in east Manchester, easily reached from the city centre, the M60 and the A57. We regularly look after cars and vans from Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Stockport, Trafford, Tameside, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and the surrounding North West. Collection and delivery within about fifteen miles can usually be arranged, and courtesy vehicles are available on longer jobs — worth asking about when you book.
If you already know what you need, start with clutch replacement, dual mass flywheel replacement, manual gearbox assessment and replacement or automatic transmission replacement. If you're still working out what's wrong, our clutch symptoms guide is the place to start.