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Exahust system for 07 tsx, manual

3K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  goforbroke 
#1 ·
My 07 tsx needs a new exhaust system and clutch and Acura wants to charge me more than the car is worth! Any recommendations for parts at a reasonable cost? Thank you!
 
#2 ·
Needing a new clutch on an 07 6MT in August 2021 makes sense...

But needing a new "exhaust system", now, what is that? The muffler? Cat converter? It can't be that the whole shebang from nose to tail needs replacing at the same time!

And stealerships charging high labor rates (and padding the time) is well known, try to find a local independent shop that has good reviews from trusted sources, and see what they say. (Mind you that an independent shop charging really low labor rates might be a bad thing, too...)

And what is "more than the car is worth"? Inclusive of both parts and labor, I could see a new clutch costing $1500-ish, and a new cat converter something like $600 for the part (a Magnaflow HF cat, say) and whatever 2-3 hours of labor would be (if needing welding to fit in), call it around $900?
 
#4 ·
I love "stealerships", they quoted me more than $10,000 for a clutch and exhaust system! I do have verification of clutch needed from my local shop and they will let me know what parts of exhaust need replacement. I have an estimate for clutch replacement for around what you mentioned but wanted to know about reliable exhaust parts such as catback and catalytic converter. Your pricing is accurate, I just don't know yet what parts are needed. My mechanic said to only buy a clutch made in USA or Japan, I've looked onto Exedy, any idea about that? Thanks for your response.
 
#3 ·
Not sure if putting on parts that are a "reasonable price" is worth it if your car isn't worth much. Like Robardin said, find a reputable exhaust shop and see what they have to say. And get second opinions from auto repair shops for clutch work now that you know what a dealer charges. This is pretty basic footwork. Maybe you can take a trusted friend along that knows more about cars to help you with your decisions. More details would be so helpful, good luck.
 
#5 ·
The car has 100k and is in very good condition but Acura claimed the entire exhaust system needed replacement and that some parts for the exhaust are no longer available and that it would be expensive to get them. But more than 10 grand for a clutch and exhaust was mind boggling and I got out of there quickly. My regular mechanic can do the work for far less and I can supply my own parts but I don't know enough about what parts are good as I've never had to put anything into this car for 14 years! Thanks for your response!
 
#11 ·
Right? I had a local exhaust guy look at it and he thinks some of the exhaust needs replacement but probably not all. I really appreciate your feedback, as I said I've never had to put anything into this car for 14 years so I wasn't sure of what parts might be needed. Three people have already said the clutch needs replacement so I guess it does!
 
#7 ·
Now I know where you're coming from. Those dealership quotes sound outrageous. I don't know much about clutches since I have an auto. Definitely go to a reputable exhaust shop and see what actually needs replacing. I still find it hard to fathom that a whole exhaust system would need replacing without a second opinion.
 
#8 ·
I should add that 100k is not a lot of mileage for needing a new clutch either. I've had cars with 200k miles on the stock clutch and they still feel fine (and I've taught multiple people to drive manual in them so it's not like it was babied its whole life).
 
#9 ·
My clutch made it to 150K and even then it probably would have been fine but my wife smoked it trying to start up a steep hill. The clutch in these cars will last a long time, but it's also not the most user friendly clutch in the world and has to be operated properly.

An indie shop could probably do the clutch for 1500, but they will use the hack method where they don't remove the tranny. The dealer will use the book procedure, which involves removing the subframe and tranny. The hack method should be fine, that's how I did it.

My dealer (SOCAL) is not cheap, but 10K does seem like a lot. I'm guessing they were planning on pulling the motor and manifold?
 
#15 ·
Road salt would make no contribution to the wear of a clutch. It's an internal component. It's most likely maintenance. You've had the car 14 years so I'll assume you know how to drive manual properly. The only other way it would wear more quickly is if it's being used improperly i.e resting foot on clutch pedal when driving, slipping excessively when starting, etc
 
#16 ·
Your dealer sounds like they don't want to do the work, judging by that outrageous quote. I don't know what OEM exhaust components cost (if you can source them), but certainly not what they're saying. An independent would be worth talking to, but you have to be careful with aftermarket exhaust stuff. I have 3 TSXs in the family, and all 3 (2004 with 345K miles, 2004 with 280K miles, and my 2006 with 227K miles) still have the original exhaust. What specifically is rotted out on yours?

I have 227K miles on the original clutch in my 2006 TSX. I'm expecting to pay around $1000 to have it replaced when the time comes - is that in line with what people have paid?
 
#24 · (Edited)
Absolutely makes sense. If the damage is that severe then the extent of replacing as much of the exhaust as needed will warrant a much higher cost. You now can compare what the dealer quoted with what an independent exhaust shop charges. Another difference will be that the independent shop can tailor it more to your liking if you want.

Keep in mind that if it's just surface rust then you shouldn't need any replacing because that's normal. But if the rust has caused a lot of damage and ruined the integrity of your exhaust system then replacing damaged parts makes sense. I've had exhaust systems where the bolts rusted but the exhaust system was still intact. I just cut off the bolts and replaced them with new bolts. Also. if the exhaust is that badly rusted then you may want to take a closer look at your underbody/suspension as you may have other serious rust issues.
 
#31 ·
My 08 TSX is at 176K on the stock clutch and my Tacoma has 131K on the stock clutch. A stock clutch will last a long time if you don’t abuse it.
Honestly I’m not surprised your clutch went early, these cars do not have the smoothest clutch engagement and can be tricky to master.

Dropping the subframe is a PIA and a lot more work, especially if you live in the salt belt and have to deal with rust. You have to get an alignment after dropping the subframe as well, just a thought.
 
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