Clutch Replacement in Newton Abbot

Newton Abbot is a market town at the head of the Teign estuary with a racecourse and railway station, busy A380 and A382 junctions and a gateway to Dartmoor and Torbay. Junction queues and moorland climbs are rough on a clutch.

We are Automaster, trading as Clutchmaster at Automaster, and clutch work is what we are known for. This page walks through the signs, the work and the quote.

What clutch faults appear around busy junctions?

Queuing at the A380 and A382 junctions means repeated starts and clutch slip. A tired clutch slips, judders, smells hot or has a biting point that has moved. On the way up towards Dartmoor, slipping becomes obvious.

Pedal faults and gear selection problems also deserve attention.

Because Newton Abbot is a gateway to Dartmoor and Torbay, many local cars carry loads, caravans or a full family on the weekend. That extra weight on a climb makes a marginal clutch fail sooner than a flat commute would.

• Slipping under load
• Judder at junctions
• Burning smell
• Biting point moved
• Pedal heavy or sinking

What does fitting a clutch involve?

We remove the gearbox, fit a new clutch kit, check the flywheel and seals, and bleed or adjust the hydraulics. The kit comprises a pressure plate, a driven plate and a release bearing.

Before the gearbox goes back, we check the input shaft splines and the seals, and make sure the new driven plate slides freely. We then bleed or adjust the hydraulics and check the pedal travel.

Why replace the whole kit?

Components wear at similar rates and the labour is the same whichever you change. A full kit reduces the chance of a repeat job.

If a part is still good we will say.

Replacing a clutch in stages might look cheaper, but the gearbox has to come out every time, and that labour is where most of the time goes. Doing it once, with a matched kit, is usually the sounder choice.

Do flywheels and hydraulics matter?

Yes. A dual-mass flywheel can fail and ruin a new clutch. Hydraulic faults from a slave or master cylinder, leaking pipe or air in the system may need repair alone. Cable faults are possible too.

We inspect before promising anything.

Dual-mass flywheels are common on modern diesel and petrol engines. Typical signs of failure include rattle at idle, a shudder as you pull away and vibration through the floor. The flywheel is judged on inspection, not on guesswork.

Do you cover Newton Abbot and where is Automaster?

Yes. We are at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. Drivers from Newton Abbot, Milber, Abbotskerswell, Bickington and Heathfield come to us.

Tell us the symptoms when you call.

Tell us when you call if the car has been lifted, modified or regularly carries heavy loads so we quote on the right parts.