I am looking for a good AND reasonably priced shop in Chico that can:
A) Install a new ACT clutch
B) help solve why why the car is eating clutches every 23K-25K miles.
C) Not rip me off - hopefully flat rating the work or at least sticking to a reasonably priced quote.
D) Stands behind their work (doesn't try to tell me that some slippage on slight hills after a new clutch install is "normal")

The back story:
I bought my '06 WRX used with ~12K miles on it. At about 25K miles the stock clutch went out (& yes, having driven performance cars for 30 odd years I know how to drive with a clutch). I took the opportunity to replace the stock clutch with the complete ACT HD clutch kit (on stock flywheel). I supplied all the parts and had a local transmission shop in Marysville do the work though and that was a HUGE mistake as by the time they were done they had charged me $1200 & I was concerned about whether they had even done it right as after a couple of days I was getting some mild slippage and burning occasionally when starting up slight inclines (like my driveway!) - I call them on it, and they try to tell me this is normal until the clutch breaks in (funny - it's never been normal on a clutch that I have done). But they refused to take it back or look at it again, so I continued driving it. It seemed 98% OK 98% of the time on the street.

Fast forward 23K miles and the ACT clutch goes out, just as suddenly as the stock unit did (from first detectable slippage on acceleration to completely gone in one trip of 40 miles or so of highway driving) again leaving me calling AAA.

Now I can hear/feel that the clutch is not moving perfectly freely on the splines at the moment - there is a bit of a gritty feel in there about halfway through the travel, and I would guess that this may be a factor in the rapid wear - but not having taken it apart myself I can't be sure.

So yet again I am sitting here with a new ACT clutch plate, throwout & pilot bearing sitting on my shelf waiting to go in; and I still really don't feel like trying to tackle the WRX clutch in my driveway (though I've done a few clutches in my day, this is a bigger headache than I want to bite off in my life at the moment).

Thus I am looking for a good shop, familiar / good with Subarus that can not only swap the clutch out, but which can help diagnose and fix the problem that is causing them to be eaten every 25K to begin with so I am not doing this again 2 years from now. I would really like a shop that knows the car well enough to say "if you have the parts we can do the clutch for $400" or something to that effect.

My well loved red WRX has been sitting in my car port on jack stands for far toooo long - I needs my car back 80) any and all help finding a good shop is appreciated and of course they would be rewarded with a loyal (&vocal customer).

Thanks in advance -
Dave in Magalia

 

terrible idea using ACT

Ive seen so many of them fail on subarus

 

ACT is garbage. I put one in myself and it only lasted 14 months. I have a feeling the clutch choice is part of the problem.

 

+1 on the ACT is crap post. Dave, there are a couple of dedicated Suby/Evo shops in Chico. Check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/505771772809248/ for the local meet time and welcome to the area if you're new!

 

Yes, only part.

Unless the car was insanely abused when he bought it with only 12k on the clock, or has a major flaw or defect, I don't see the stock clutch going out on a stock wrx, at 25k.

I'm also getting the feeling you like to blame everything on others and not take any responsibility for the fact that maybe you suck at driving stick and/or fry your clutch while driving. Either the clutch or part of the clutch system (fork, lines, master, slave, etc) is defective, or you just plain need to learn how to drive stick. Its one thing that the ACT didn't last long, but if your stocker went out at 25k....well.....I dunno what else to tell ya

Just sayin.
(unless you have some real evidence of the shop messing it up, in which case do share. there's not a whole lot they can do to make it slip or not slip after a few weeks. its either messed up from the beginning or the product is defective)

 

stick with OEM exedy clutch or stage 1 exedy. w/ a resurfaced OEM flywheel.