I can already feel the roast coming on from this one but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with a duralast clutch. The dealer is quoting me for 690 for the oem clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing. Then he quotes me for 15 hours of labor but said he could try to cut me a deal because they are doing the tranny right now.
Yeah.... about that. Anyway, "they" (Autozone) say the duralast is a replacement for the stock one and it's going for 211 with a lifetime warranty. I'm pretty much looking for a stock/stage 1 clutch as I'm sure the 89 hp and 111lb of tq. from my spoiler won't wreck too much havoc on my drivetrain.
I know some will probably talk about "for the love of RayJ" don't do it, but if the "knowledgeable" folks on the forum could give me a hand, that would be great.
So is duralast too good to be true or too good to pass up?

 

I've had no experience with the duralast clutches and honestly I wasn't even aware they made them.

That being said, I've always been a supporter of pay now or pay later. True you could skimp now on the cost of the clutch but chances are the dealership will not warranty parts because they cannot vouch for the quality (aka OEM parts only). The other aspect is should that clutch fail you will not only have to pay for the labor again but then pay for the OEM clutch.

So, I would highly suggest just spending the money up front to have it done properly otherwise you risk having to spend double down the road.

 

Check out the clutches offered by BHR, their prices are good, maybe some of the best. Find the one that fits your needs and price point. While you are their, consider a new lightweight flywheel.

I believe the exedy stage 1 is basicly the same as stock. If you get the exedy mazdaspeed clutch it will be a nice upgrade for a part time track car.

If the dealer is repalcing your transmission, they should not be charging you much if anything to replace the clutch and flywheel. More then 1 hour labor is a crime and tell them you will go to another mazda service center. When I had my motor replaced they replaced the clutch and flywheel for no extra charge.

 

I would stick with an OEM clutch.

Also I would tell the dealer how much you are going to pay for it. Say "I'm getting the OEM Exedy clutch. since you have the transmission off, all you need to do is put the flywheel stop on and take the clutch and flywheel off. That shouldn't take more than an hours worth of labor... Will you install it for $150 and refinish the flywheel?"