Clutch Replacement Expense on SW1 & SW2

I just spoke to the shop manager at a Saturn dealer here in town
(Columbus, OH) and he said that SW1 & 2 clutches are very durable but
extremely expensive to replace. He said that "you need to take the
transmission apart" and quoted something like $1,300 for the job!

Is this really a typical price for clutch replacement? How about when
done by a good independent mechanic?

Had anybody had experience doing the job themself?

Does anybody know if the same applies for a LS1 or LW1?

Thanks,

Mike

 

They need to remove the tranny to replace the clutch but not take it
apart. And I think the price is steep here in Canada I had one replaced
for under $800 CDN$ with todays exchange rate that only $700 USD. I
would shop around for a better deal.

 

Thats a dealer price? Heck thats no more if not much less than most
import car dealerships.

Probably 1/2 to 2/3rds the cost.

Same engine cradle, same front end, same price.

 

The S-Series tranny doesn't need to be taken apart, or removed. A Haynes
manual will tell you the engine needs to come out, but that is not the case
either. I've done the clutch myself about 5 times, and here's a great
writeup for the backyard mechanic to do it himself/herself in an afternoon
with basic tools:

http://www.cristhomas.com/cars/Clutch/ClutchHowTo.html

There's a thread on SaturnFans that includes this write-up here:
http://saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37616

The last time I did it, my goal was an hour but I didn't quite make it.
Sometimes it is time consuming to line up the input shaft on the trans and
get it back into the clutch disc hub blind so that can take some extra time
and swearing. But all-in-all, it's not a difficult job.

You can find clutches on eBay similar to stock with throwout bearing for
around $100 - $125.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]