Clutch Replacement in Buckfastleigh

Buckfastleigh sits on the edge of Dartmoor beside the A38, and its hills, moorland roads and steady tourist traffic make life hard for a clutch. Hill starts with a loaded car, or a slow crawl behind steam railway visitors, can show up any weakness quickly.

At Automaster we trade as Clutchmaster because clutches are our speciality. We look at everything from worn clutch kits and flywheels to leaking cylinders and stretched cables, so you get the right repair rather than a guess.

What are the warning signs on a hilly route?

Hills expose a tired clutch. If the revs flare on a steep pull-away, the car smells of burning, or the biting point creeps higher over a few weeks, the friction plate is probably wearing out. Judder, a heavy pedal and gears that grind going in are also worth taking seriously.

• Slipping on climbs or with a full load
• Burning smell after a hill start
• Pedal sinking slowly to the floor
• Grinding when selecting first or reverse

What parts go in with a new clutch?

A full clutch replacement includes the pressure plate, driven plate and release bearing. We fit them together as a matched set, because the gearbox must be removed either way. The flywheel is inspected, and where it is a dual-mass design that has worn, replacing it at the same time avoids the new clutch being damaged.

Skipping the flywheel check is a common reason a fresh clutch judders again. A flywheel with heat marks, deep scoring or internal play can wear the new friction plate quickly, so we look at it closely every time the gearbox is out.

Repair or replace: how do you decide?

The pedal feel tells us a lot but not everything. A hydraulic fault, such as a failing slave or master cylinder, a leaking pipe or air in the system, can mimic a worn clutch. Cable faults are another possibility. We test the system, tell you what we find and only then recommend work.

If the car has been slipping for a while, the pressure plate and flywheel may already be damaged. That is another reason to have the symptoms looked at early, while the repair is still a straightforward one.

What changes the price of a clutch job?

Mainly the vehicle, the parts it needs and the amount of dismantling involved. A job that needs a flywheel or hydraulic components takes more parts and labour than a simple clutch kit. Ask for a quote and give us the registration, the symptoms and how the car behaves hot and cold.

We cannot promise anything until the car has been inspected, but we can usually tell you quickly whether the symptoms point to the clutch, the hydraulics or something else, and explain what each outcome would involve.

Do you cover Buckfastleigh and where do I find you?

We do. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, and we regularly see drivers from Buckfastleigh, Buckfast, Holne and South Brent. The garage is a full-service one, so other jobs found on the way can be handled too.

If the clutch will not release or the car lurches, do not keep driving it. Have it looked at before it becomes a safety problem on the moor roads.