Thought I could swap a clutch in one Saturday, that was cute

Picked up a 2002 Civic for $1,800 in Denver with a slipping clutch, figured I'd knock it out in a day. Watched a couple videos, got the car on stands, and then the real fun started. The flywheel bolts were torqued to hell and I snapped one off clean, took me 3 hours just to drill and extract it. Then the transmission wouldn't budge off the dowel pins, I ended up prying and wiggling for another 2 hours. Total job ran me about 14 hours across two weekends, plus $90 in specialty tools I didn't budget for. My neighbor came over and said, 'should've just paid a shop,' but the quote I got was $950. Has anyone else had a simple job spiral like this, or am I just slow with a hammer? I'm curious what your worst 'quick fix' turned into.

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ryanhayes10d ago

Did the flywheel bolt extraction take you as long as it sounds, or did it just feel like forever? I had a buddy try to swap shocks on an old Focus, figured it was a two hour thing, and he ended up rounding off the top nut on the strut. He spent the whole afternoon with a torch and a hammer, and the neighbor kid actually came over and asked if he was okay because he was cussing so loud. Eventually he got it, but the car sat on jack stands for three days while he waited for a new nut and a proper socket. I swear, sometimes the "simple" jobs just pick you up and shake you until your wallet falls out.