Can a crank shaft be damaged during a clutch replacement? As in: I brought in a car with 50,000 miles that was running great but needed a new clutch and it was returned to me making a horrible noise only to find the crankshaft is broken and it needs a new engine. Could this damage have been caused accidently during the repair?
No.
Tester
I don’t see any way that replacing a clutch could cause a crankshaft to break. A broken crankshaft is rare. I’ve only seen two broken crankshafts in my life–one was on a 1956 Plymouth V-8 and the other was on a 1958 Plymouth V-8. This was more than 50 years ago.
If the mechanic was an angry guy with a big hammer anything is possible.
There is more to this story… If the crankshaft was “broken” the car would not run, period. Was the flywheel removed (to be re-surfaced) during the clutch replacement?
I’ve seen meathead “mechanics” really mess up FWD clutch jobs…Anything is possible…
Maybe I should not have used the word “broken” They said “it’s the crankshaft” but I guess there could be something wrong with it other than it being “broken” Any clue how a crankshaft problem could happen on a car with only 50,000 miles on it?
Yeah. But if you mess up clutch installation the clutch takes a dump. Not the crankshaft.
Tester
I’ve seen only two broken crankshafts in my entire life, and both of those were on late '70s era Austins. Trust me–Mazda has far better technology and far better quality control than British car makers did years ago. Thus, I think that there is more to this than the OP is aware of.
What is happening that you don’t want to happen? Please describe the problem.
The car is making a rattle/clicking type noise when the RPM reach around 2500. The noise get’s louder the higher the RPM. I was told it was the 4th cylindar by the dealer and they offered to pull it apart and if it looked like it had been maintained they would try to get Mazda to cover the new engine.
When they pulled it apart they told me the engine looks clean but it’s not the cylindar it’s the crankshaft. Even though the engine looked well maintained Mazda wouldn’t cover a crankshaft.
What ever broke they broke it. They not mazda need to cover the fix under their mechanics insurance.
Thanks, that is what I thought. THEY is a Mazda branded repair shop.
“They” may still be able to wiggle out of warranty coverage.
Think about it–a car that needed a new clutch after only 50k miles sounds like a car that has been raced or otherwise abused. A vehicle that has been abused will not be covered by warranty.