8 replies to this topic

[mike.]

Took my mini to a garage to have a new clutch fitted. I took it to a garage we've used before for my mums car and they've always been great.

Anyway we paid £300 for A new clutch, a new oil seal and for them to pop my new back window in for me.

Now i've got the car back i've found that everyjob they've done they've done wrong!!

Firstly they've put the back window rubber in backwards - So the slot for the chrome strip was on the inside!! So thats useless like that...

Then i noticed a huge patch of oil under the clutch housing - So i get under the car and see that the whole housing is covered in oil and theres oil dripping from the hole in the clutch housing - theres also a split pin hanging out of this hole which he must have dropped in there by accident and not bothered to remove it unless its fell off something inside the bell housing?

So basically hes made a right mess of fitting the oil seal because the car must have dumped half a litre onto my driveway!

Am i right in thinking that now the brand new centre plate will be contaminated (i drove about 50 miles yesterday) and will need replacing again?

[Rosslin Racing]

the split pin should be there the oil should not, sounds like they naffed the new oil seal when fitting the housing back on dont have the correct tool for the job. take it back its his mistake for sure.

[mike.]

Whats the split pin there for then? Is it just for the oil to drip off because its just hanging out of the hole.

Do you need a special tool for the oil seal? I think he said he thought he needed one but 'managed' to do without!

So will the centre plate be contaminated now too?

[benb12]

The split pin hangs out of my one too and I think is usually coated with oil, but I'm not sure what it's for.

[il-barba]

the split pin is there so that the hole does not get blocked with dirt and any oil can escape

[mike.]

Oh right i see.

Anyway i've spoke to the garage he's being ok about it all and said he'll sort it out. He said he should be able to remove any oil from the clutch plate with abit of wet&dry - Does that sound about right as long as there not too much contamination?

[Ethel]

I wonder if the put the oil seal in the wrong way round too ?

I'd expect them to fit a new clutch plate if it's been contaminated, but short of watching them work you'll never know.

[Neilos]

mate, that sounds unlucky. I totally know how you feel.

My mini was at a garage for over 6 months just to have an auto gearbox change. When i got it back (finally) i did an oil change after about 50 miles and found needle bearings in the oil!!!! I then drove it less than 1K miles and the gearbox shagged itself again. The work cost me around £800 at the time.

Get the car back in there with them and make sure they do it right.

[mike.]

Yeah my dads taking it back in on monday. They're lucky im at uni atm so i'm not using the car much otherwise i would have been really peeved!