Manual Transmission & Clutch Repair
Grinding into gear, popping out of gear, a slipping or chattering clutch. If you drive a manual in Dallas-Fort Worth, SM Transmissions in Irving repairs and rebuilds the gearbox and replaces the clutch in-house.
Manual transmission repair for cars, trucks and performance vehicles
Fewer shops work on manual transmissions every year. We still do, for everything from work trucks and Jeeps to Mustangs, Miatas, Civics, WRXs and European sports sedans. Manual gearbox problems are usually mechanical and specific: a worn synchronizer, a failing input bearing, a leaking seal, a worn clutch or a bent shift fork. The free diagnostic includes a road test, a clutch engagement check and a look at fluid condition, and it tells us which.
Repairs are done at our Irving shop with free towing anywhere in the Metroplex when we do the work.
Manual transmission and clutch symptoms we fix
Each of these points to a different part, which is why we diagnose before quoting.
- Grinding when shifting into one or more gears: worn synchronizers
- Popping out of gear under load: worn gears, detents or shift fork
- Clutch slips under acceleration: worn clutch disc or pressure plate
- Clutch chatters or shudders on takeoff: contaminated disc or flywheel surface
- Pedal goes to the floor or clutch will not release: hydraulics, master or slave cylinder
- Whine or growl in neutral that changes with the clutch in: input shaft bearing
- Gear oil leaking from the case or axle seals
- Hard to shift when cold or when hot
Clutch and flywheel replacement
Clutch kits including disc, pressure plate, release bearing and pilot bearing, with the flywheel resurfaced or replaced. Dual-mass flywheels are inspected and replaced when worn. We also replace clutch master and slave cylinders and bleed the hydraulic system.
Synchronizer and gear repair
Grinding into a specific gear almost always means a worn synchronizer ring or hub. We disassemble the gearbox, replace the worn synchros and any damaged gears, and reassemble with new bearings and seals.
Bearings, seals and leaks
Input and output shaft bearings, countershaft bearings, axle seals and the rear main seal are replaced with the transmission out. A gear oil leak left alone starves the bearings and turns a seal job into a rebuild.
Manual transmission rebuild
When the gearbox has multiple worn parts we rebuild it in-house: full teardown, new synchros, bearings and seals, worn gears and shafts replaced, and the case reassembled to spec. Rebuilds start at $1,795 including parts, labor and installation.
Shift linkage and adjustments
Loose or sloppy shifting is often the linkage, bushings or the shifter itself rather than the transmission. We adjust and replace linkage and bushings, and adjust clutch free play where the vehicle allows it.
Manual gearbox rebuilds from $1,795
Teardown, new synchronizers, bearings and seals, worn gears replaced, reassembled to spec. Parts, labor and installation included in the floor price.
- Clutch and flywheel service while the transmission is out
- Free diagnostic and written estimate
- Free towing in DFW with repair
- Warranties up to unlimited-mileage lifetime on labor
How a manual transmission repair works
Road test and clutch check
We drive it, feel the engagement, listen for bearing noise and check the fluid.
Written estimate
Clutch, seals, synchros or a rebuild, with the price and warranty on paper.
The work
Transmission out, repaired or rebuilt in-house, clutch serviced while it is out.
Road test and pickup
Shift quality confirmed on the road before you get the keys.
Manual transmission and clutch FAQs
Common questions from DFW drivers who still row their own gears.
How much does clutch replacement cost?
It depends on the vehicle, whether the flywheel is resurfaced or replaced, and whether hydraulics are needed. Diagnostics are free and you get a written estimate before we start. Dual-mass flywheel vehicles cost more than single-mass.
My transmission grinds going into third. Is that the clutch?
Usually not. Grinding into one specific gear is a worn synchronizer in the transmission. A clutch that does not fully release causes grinding into every gear, especially first and reverse. The free diagnostic tells us which.
Can a manual transmission be rebuilt?
Yes. Manual gearboxes rebuild well: new synchronizers, bearings and seals, worn gears and shafts replaced. Rebuilds at SM Transmissions start at $1,795 including parts, labor and installation.
How long does a clutch last?
Anywhere from 50,000 to well over 150,000 miles depending on driving. City traffic, towing and riding the clutch shorten it. Slipping under acceleration is the sign it is done.
Do you work on performance and older vehicles?
Yes. Mustangs, Camaros, Miatas, WRXs, Civic Si, older trucks and European manuals are all regular work at our Irving shop.
Is towing included?
Towing is free anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex when SM Transmissions performs the repair.