Clutch gone at 16,000 miles. Not covered by Lotus - Don't panic!

[me73]

@RevMonkey - Have you had other manual cars that you used similarly? How long did those clutches last?

I agree with other posts that there doesn't seem to be a defect from what you posted in the video, which is what a warranty is meant to cover. It seems like just very hard use.

 

[RevMonkey]

Wow!
This is certainly going to make me drive more mechanically sympathetic towards the clutch (no more quarter mile runs on the Draggy!).

Also makes me cautious about modifying the car for more power.

Did you consider getting any quotes from independent specialists? As the majority of the bill is labour this seems like a way to save a significant amount.

I did some research but AFTER I had given Lotus the car. I expected it to be covered under warranty. Haha.
When I mentioned it to Lotus they said they had ALREADY ordered the OEM parts so that ship sailed by. Not that sure it would have made a huge difference. The Lotus clutch, though a relatively weak point on the car, is still better than the norm.

 

[RevMonkey]

I was quoted 12k for a clutch replacement and immediately decided I’d rather have an auto V6 even if it’s slightly slower just for the maintenance cost difference. Has made it difficult to find a car, but I will eventually.

$12K!?? Blimey

 

[RevMonkey]

Ugh. Not what you want to experience. I watched the video and you've already had the clutch replaced with factory parts. What you should consider (and something I'm going to do whenever the time comes for clutch replacement) is upgrade to the Jubu unit. It's lighter and stronger than the factory setup, and the flywheel is one-piece of steel instead of a 3 part assembly like the stock setup. The full setup including pressure plate, clutch disk, throwout bearing, etc. costs €1,455.00, but for your driving style would probably be worth it.

JUBU single disc sports clutch (road & track) + steel flywheel + starter ring | JUBU Performance

If you drive your car in a very sporty way, the OEM clutch reaches its limits soon - also if you drive your car with a higher power output or if you want to have some trackday fun with your Lotus.…

www.jubu-performance.com

View attachment 77832

If you really want to go all out, they have a heavy-duty twin-disc sports clutch that's €2,145 but it's a serious setup.

JUBU Twin disc sports clutch (road, track, race) + steel flywheel + starter ring | JUBU Performance

If you drive your Lotus in a very sporty way (even when only on roads), the OEM clutch reaches its limits soon - also if you drive your car with a higher power output or if you want to have some…

www.jubu-performance.com

View attachment 77833

Yeah, it was bloody too late! I did look at this one and some other solution.
Maybe next time, in 3 years!

 

[RevMonkey]

Why isn't it covered under warranty? Is it because it's a wear item?

Yes

 

[RevMonkey]

A couple of things you can do to minimize wear is don't ride the clutch for fast launches, and don't rest your foot on the clutch pedal. Only put your foot on the clutch pedal when you're engaging the clutch. People don't realize how much wear resting their foot on the clutch pedal can induce over time.

Yeah, never ever did that. BUT I did a lot of spin outs from junction under clutch and some launches when kids were egging me on

 

[RevMonkey]

@RevMonkey - Have you had other manual cars that you used similarly? How long did those clutches last?

I agree with other posts that there doesn't seem to be a defect from what you posted in the video, which is what a warranty is meant to cover. It seems like just very hard use.

Nah, been driving manuals for 40 years. Never got close to a clutch issue BUT I set out to drive this car on the road aggressively but I am still surprised it looked THAT bad.
Carwow had the car for a while - perhaps they do more than that run we saw on the video. Either way, of course, it is still my fault! I do know how to drive but chose to drive it as I did so I am cool really.

My manual Ferrari.... I drove as one would expect it to be driven.. Lotus the opposite.

Lotus would of course cover a defective clutch. It was immediately clear the clutch did not have a normal life.

 

[me73]

Nah, been driving manuals for 40 years. Never got close to a clutch issue BUT I set out to drive this car on the road aggressively but I am still surprised it looked THAT bad.
Carwow had the car for a while - perhaps they do more than that run we saw on the video. Either way, of course, it is still my fault! I do know how to drive but chose to drive it as I did so I am cool really.

My manual Ferrari.... I drove as one would expect it to be driven.. Lotus the opposite.

Lotus would of course cover a defective clutch. It was immediately clear the clutch did not have a normal life.

I'd have the same attitude about it as you have. A little frustration but acceptance.

 

[scc.131.fe]

I paid $5k in labor, fluids and and small pieces parts (not including the clutch, flywheel and slave cylinder /throw out bearing) a few years ago for a top-notch Aston specialist to change a 4.7L V8 Vantage single-plate factory clutch to a V12 Vantage twin-plate clutch. Required removal of the center torque tube and both exhaust headers, but not as complicated as the Emira job.

I don't wish for a penny of that money back, the lighter clutch totally transformed the car's engine reaponse (and it was good to begin with).

If I ever wear out the Emira clutch, I'll look forward to picking an upgrade!

 

[netsinah]

I'll add this to the discussion in case it helps someone with facing a clutch replacement. In my City of just over 1 million inhabitants, we have 2 shops who have been doing Lotus work for several decades, have worked a lot on Evoras, both have good reputations, and I'd trust them with my Emira clutch replacement no problem. As well, my closest Lotus dealership is a 3-hour one-way drive away. So if I was presented with a ridiculous dealer quote for a clutch replacement, I'd quickly get competing quotes from both shops in my home town and likely go with one of them, to avoid the drive to the dealership. Just a thought, since sometimes people don't consider alternatives to dealerships. An Emira is a vehicle and there are good mechanics capable of doing good work on them.

This brings to mind my now long deceased father (a journeyman mechanic in his past). He and I rebuilt a 1973 Toyota Celica engine (top/bottom) together many moons ago. He initially scoffed at the engine, since it wasn't the North American brand he was used to, so he thought it would be poorly designed (cheap "Jap-crap"). Keep in mind this was 50 years ago, so Japanese vehicles weren't as well known then. At the end of the job, he was ++ impressed by the Toyota engineering and found it applied the exact same ICE principals he was used to, so he knew what to do w/o problem.

 

[PS1_Emira]

OK, so I have always driven the car in anger, done two track days and the Carwow drag race didn't help.
The car is meant to be driven hard so am disappointed.

Painful to watch! You have been warned.

Thanks for sharing this openly with the community.

A bit shocked the clutch is such a big labour job to replace, something to factor in for the future - really helpful to know about this.

Hope you keep enjoying it and glad you've kept it - it's a great car and I love it even on mundane motorway journeys.

 

[767Driver]

Totally agree with your sentiment regarding good independent shops. I have a great guy I use for the Maserati and he’s saved me a bundle I’m sure. As a side note, a friend and I replaced all rotors and pads on my GT not too long ago for about $1500 in parts. Labor, well, I’ll call myself pretty cheap and reasonable.The Mas dealer wanted about 5k for the job! Obviously, warranty repairs etc I’d do at the dealer of course. But yes, a good tech can do this work without issue imho. Out of curiosity I called a Indy shop to get an estimate on this job and am awaiting their response.

 

[767Driver]

It's 23.3 hours of labor by the book to change the clutch and about $1000-$1500 for the clutch and various parts depending if you are resurfacing the flywheel or replacing. $12K sounds about right at a dealer service center. You might be able to get it down to $8-9K at a cheaper shop and hopefully they know what they're doing.

View attachment 77836

A local to me independent exotic/Lotus shop, just quoted me $9200 for a clutch job fwiw. Still a lot, but much better then 12! And yes, that’s Indy pricing not dealership so…

 

[cyanmauve]

I enjoy my Emira, but there’s no way I’d shift it half as hard as my 2006 Mustang GT. I’m afraid of breaking it! The drivetrain seems a bit “fragile”.

My Mustang, on the other hand, seems invincible. 142k miles, got the car when I was 21, and the stock clutch, transmission, etc., is still going strong.

$12k is absurd.

Just for fun, I could buy a brand new Tremec Magnum XL 6 speed (rated to over 700 horsepower), dual plate clutch, billet flywheel, carbon fiber drive shaft, and all the parts and pieces to make it work for $7-8k…..

These Emira’s ain’t cheap!

 

[seriously]

yeah, don't need to change clutch under 100k unless not driving properly or burning up the clutch being a hooligan. you can drive the car all out (track, etc.) without wearing the clutch much as long as you are not slipping the clutch. don't look forward to paying the bill when it comes eventually, but I knew that going in.

 

[Mal-lotus]

I enjoy my Emira, but there’s no way I’d shift it half as hard as my 2006 Mustang GT. I’m afraid of breaking it! The drivetrain seems a bit “fragile”.

My Mustang, on the other hand, seems invincible. 142k miles, got the car when I was 21, and the stock clutch, transmission, etc., is still going strong.

$12k is absurd.

Just for fun, I could buy a brand new Tremec Magnum XL 6 speed (rated to over 700 horsepower), dual plate clutch, billet flywheel, carbon fiber drive shaft, and all the parts and pieces to make it work for $7-8k…..

These Emira’s ain’t cheap!

$12k is because this is a complete engine-out service, not because of the cost of the clutch components (they're not expensive).

 

[cyanmauve]

$12k is because this is a complete engine-out service, not because of the cost of the clutch components (they're not expensive).

If the 23.5 shop hours to replace a clutch is accurate (thanks kitkat), and the parts cost is $1,500, that's $446/hour for labor.

I may be missing something, and I'm glad to learn if someone wants to fill me in. Otherwise, that's a silly amount of money.

 

[RevMonkey]

A local to me independent exotic/Lotus shop, just quoted me $9200 for a clutch job fwiw. Still a lot, but much better then 12! And yes, that’s Indy pricing not dealership so…

Blimey, why is it even MORE expensive over there? Just demand and supply and proximities?

 

[RevMonkey]

Either way, none of us early Emira owners knew about this, the engine and gearbox having to be removed, so hopefully this is all good information and perhaps people can start budgeting for it as it will happen at some point if its driving like Miss Daisy.

Right.. now am looking at loads of Mods - going all in!

 

[cyanmauve]

Blimey, why is it even MORE expensive over there? Just demand and supply and proximities?

Labor and specialized services seem comparatively cheaper in the UK than the U.S., as do used performance cars.

Houses, land, and food seem cheaper here.

Can’t I have both cheap?!?!?