How many hours should a mechanic take to replace a clutch on a standard beetle 1967

Well, let's see:

Remove the fuel line(s) and all wires.  20 mins

remove the heat shields   30 mins

Pull the engine    30-45 mins

Remove the clutch and replace:  30 mins

So that's 2 hours to get it out and ready to put back

Then, Replace engine and put everything back:  90 Mins 

Adjust clutch:  30 mins

Add 15% for breaks, phone calls lunch and misc:  30 mins

So that all comes in around 4-1/2 hours 

Could it be done in less time?  Maybe, but this looks pretty realistic for a Beetle.

Spot on Gordon. 

Initially it took me 4 hours to pull the trans and swap the clutch on a Rabbit/Scirocco.

After doing it a couple times for myself(and others!) I had it down to 2 hours.

A couple short 2 x 6, a long 2 x 4, and a threaded rod with a hook to hold the engine up was just as good as the factory tool.

One of the highest $-per-hour jobs I ever did. Parts from Globe Auto Parts were about $80 for all 3 parts. The job paid me $400 back in the 80s.

The VW shop I worked at years ago we billed 4.5 hours and that included that Customer sponsoring our lunch that day ~ A side note, the day the owner's (Larry)  son was born all invoices over $200 included a line for " Seals gaskets and misc hardware "after 18 years that charge  put Larry's son through the University of Alabama.

in the 60,s my buddy and I had a deal with a gas station that specialized in VWs of that period...they'd give us $20(big money then),  we could take a motor out in 15 minutes and drop it on some old tires

A long tome ago now at the OCIR drag strip out here they had a competitive event and these two guys did it in 3 minutes 29 seconds. The car was parked 15 feet from the starting line. The competitors had to carry their floor jack, tools and jack stands from the starting line to the car, jack it up, remove the engine, pull the engine back on the jack to the starting line, then back to the car, install the engine, lower the car, start it up and back the car back over the starting line.......in 3 m 29 s !  If I hadn't been there I would not believe it.  I think others beat that time later ..  That's the kind of guys you want in your shop on "flat rate" !.......Bruce

I got pretty good at jerking the engine out of my speedster the first year (11 times) I never timed it but an R & I took longer than 4,5 hours.  There is more to get out of the way first than a stock VW.   I did buy and modify a motorcycle jack from Harbor freight the would then lift the engine from flat on the floor to total height with the car on two stands. I modified the parallel bars so the lift plate tilted down slightly to match the tilt of the car on the jack stands. There was a lip on the lift plate to keep the engine from falling off as well. Worked really well !   Sold it at a VW swap meet for 180.00 when I got my Max Jack.

By the way, I have an set of heater boxes with 1-5/8 " tubing. They do not have the aluminum fins inside like stock ones but they do work OK. They only have a few thousand miles on them. They are nice for a 2110 that needs larger diameter exhaust. They have chrome ceramic paint on them too. PM me if you want them and make an offer. I can send photos if needed..................Bruce

@aircooled posted:

A long tome ago now at the OCIR drag strip out here they had a competitive event and these two guys did it in 3 minutes 29 seconds. The car was parked 15 feet from the starting line. The competitors had to carry their floor jack, tools and jack stands from the starting line to the car, jack it up, remove the engine, pull the engine back on the jack to the starting line, then back to the car, install the engine, lower the car, start it up and back the car back over the starting line.......in 3 m 29 s !  If I hadn't been there I would not believe it.  I think others beat that time later ..  That's the kind of guys you want in your shop on "flat rate" !.......Bruce

UHMMM, id have to see that in person, not doubting U but thats faster than is humanly possible..

I don't know, have you seen an F1 pitstop lately? Between 2 and 3 seconds now, 4 tires on and off. No built-in jacks like other series.

Three minutes is a lifetime compared to 3 seconds.

I can see being billed 4-6 hours.  Often the flywheel has to be trued up (so might as well change the red silicon engine seal).  The flywheel needs the gland bearing cleaned and re-greased, starter bushing cleaned and greased, transaxle seal checked for leaks as well as clutch throw-out arm checked for cracks.

@aircooled posted:

A long tome ago now at the OCIR drag strip out here they had a competitive event and these two guys did it in 3 minutes 29 seconds. The car was parked 15 feet from the starting line. The competitors had to carry their floor jack, tools and jack stands from the starting line to the car, jack it up, remove the engine, pull the engine back on the jack to the starting line, then back to the car, install the engine, lower the car, start it up and back the car back over the starting line.......in 3 m 29 s !  If I hadn't been there I would not believe it.  I think others beat that time later ..  That's the kind of guys you want in your shop on "flat rate" !.......Bruce

I bought an engine from a guy in Las Vegas that had two so he could run in both <2L< classes and he'd swap them out between runs. 

I guess he grew tired if it because he sold me his 1835 because his wife wanted it out of "her" garage.

@DannyP posted:

I don't know, have you seen an F1 pitstop lately? Between 2 and 3 seconds now, 4 tires on and off. No built-in jacks like other series.

Three minutes is a lifetime compared to 3 seconds.

How about RBR rebuilding Max's car in 15 minutes after he binned it during the warmup two weeks ago?

"How about RBR rebuilding Max's car in 15 minutes after he binned it during the warmup two weeks ago?"

I really wish I'd seen that.

Barncob.....It's a fact!    I just sent an email to Dune Buggy & Hot VW to see if they have any info or videos on the engine pulling contests. If any of you navigate thru Samba (I don't) I'm  sure someone will  have something on this.  I know it seems impossible and even when I watched it, it was hard to accept what I saw happen.........Bruce

My best engine drop time with hand tools is 7 minutes with explanation...I had a Bradley GT 1 that was completely open around the engine:  It went like this ... Floor jack under the frame horn center yoke, fuel line, coil +  &  - ,  oil sender spade, throttle cable and 4 engine bolts  (the upper driver's side engine bolt was and is still a pita) grab the exhaust yank it back dropping the engine onto an old tire.

@Lane Anderson posted:

"How about RBR rebuilding Max's car in 15 minutes after he binned it during the warmup two weeks ago?"

I really wish I'd seen that.

You and me both.  

It was 4:30am here. I just heard all about it during the pre-race. 

In ??? What year is it now??? 2016, my buddy and I went to Sebring. Sometime late in the night, we decided to hit the garage lane and raid the hospitality tents for some coffee. Just as we crossed the bridge, one of the Corvettes backed into the wall at Turn 1. 

Just as we got to Garageland, here it comes, lumping onto the pits. 

We stood there and watched as they completely tore down the rear end of the car and rebuilt it. Took them about 15-20 minutes. They learned a lesson from the Audis. The whole car, aft of the driveline. Was modular. A few fluid conex, a few multi pins, a few bolts, and the whole back of the car came off, then a replacement went back on.  

We tried to poach a few bits for souvenirs, but they weren’t having it.