Have had a good look through the site and also the service manual, and haven't found a decent guide to changing the clutch. Has anyone on here done one themselves? If so an idiot's guide would be appreciated. I'm not uprating at all, just replacing, as it's gone bye-bye.
Good question, if it's not a DIY it'll be the first thing I haven't fitted myselfso hopefully someone has a good guide
I'll do this in steps to make it clearer:
Step one:
Remove the gear lever:
1. Unscrew the leather gear knob.
2. Pull up the gearlever surround trim from the rear, it just pops off
3. Remove the 4 screws holding the rubber gator in place, and remove it
4. Carefully cut the zip tie holding the small rubber gator in place, and slide the gator up.
5. Remove the cir-clip holding the lever in place and remove the leaver
Step two:
Remove the gearbox:
1. Jack the car up on axel stands
2. Drain the gearbox oil by removing the drain plug with a ½ inch drive ratchet or breaker bar
3. Remove the 4 bolts joining the two halves of the prop shaft together. Mark the two halves so you can align them the same way as they came apart. Pull the front half of the prop shaft out of the gearbox
(Alternatively remove the 4 bolts joining the prop shaft to the differential, and unbolt the prop shaft carrier from the chassis. Remove the gearbox with the prop shaft still connected to the gearbox. This will avoid spilling any remaining gearbox oil (credit to Nismo Mark for this alternative))
4. Remove the gearbox mount (it wont fall on you!)
5. Disconnect the 3 electrical connecters
6. Unbolt the two bolts holding the clutch slave cylinder to the gearbox, and tie the cylinder out of the way.
7. Jack the front of the engine up, to give better clearance in the transmission tunnel
8. Find the two bolts that hold the starter motor in place and remove them (the starter motor is on the same side as the clutch slave cylinder
9. Remove all the bolts that bolt the gearbox to the engine.
10. The gearbox will now slide off with a good pull.
Step three
Change the clutch:
1. Unbolt the ring of bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel, and remove it. The friction plate will fall out too.
2. Inspect the friction surface on the flywheel for scoring (similar to warn break discs). If needed, have the flywheel skimmed to remove these marks. If you are fitting a ‘Paddle’ clutch you MUST have the flywheel skimmed or replaced.
3. Using a clutch alignment tool align the new friction plate.
4. Fit the new pressure plate to the flywheel
5. Remove the clutch alignment tool.
Step four
Changing the release bearing:
1. Pull the clutch release arm from its pivot point in the bell housing.
2. Slide the bearing carrier and clutch release arm from the gearbox input shaft
3. The bearing carrier is connected to the release arm by means of a spring clip. Note the orientation of this spring clip and remove the carrier from the arm.
4. Using a socket with a slightly smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the release bearing, tap the old bearing off the carrier with a hammer.
5. To fit the new bearing, place the bearing carrier in the freezer and the new bearing in tied sandwich bag in hot water for 30 minuets. Then the carrier and bearing will just slide together (check the bearing is the right way round). Once they are back to room temperature the bearing will be firmly on the carrier.
6. Refit the bearing carrier to the release arm.
7. The centre bore of the bearing carrier has a recess that needs to be packed with molybdenum grease.
8. Lightly apply molybdenum grease to the gearbox input shaft and the release arm pivot ball.
9. Refit the clutch Release arm.
Step Five
Refitting the Gearbox:
1. Jack the front of the engine up, to give better clearance in the transmission tunnel
2. Use 2 zip-ties to hold the bell housing surround plate in place against the engine
3. Offer up the gearbox to the engine and slide the gearbox input shaft into the friction plate of the clutch (easier said than done. It can be difficult to locate in the centre of the clutch and might need a lot of wiggling.
4. Remove the zip-ties holding the bell housing surround plate
5. Bolt the gearbox to the engine
6. Bolt the starter motor in place
7. Refit the clutch slave cylinder
8. Reconnect the 3 electrical connecters
9. Refit the gearbox mount
10. Refit the prop shaft
11. Fill the gearbox with oil (2.4 litters)
12. Lower the car from the axel stands
Last edited by Jem; 19-11-2004 at 18:35.
I will need to do this soon. I think the worst part is getting to the top gearbox bolts. Manual is shit, not thing in there
I think I will pay Gary at APT to do it as I am a chicken shit!
Its actually quite easy.... i went white when my mate suggested we to it ourselves, but on reflection its really is basic.....
The abridged version is:
- jack up car so you can get under it (do it proberly, sx's arnt light when they land on you) undo the propshaft and remove. (there'll be a mark on it to show how it was orientated.... put it back in the same way)
- remove all gearbox supports/plugs.
- drain GB oil - optional but saves you getting covered - which you will... and it doesnt wash out or smell nice.
- remove gear stick from inside of car (easy just a circlip)
- Undo gear box bolts and get the box off (takes a bit of persuation) may also have to rotate the box round (ahh thats why you drain the oil)
- unbolt clutch cover and remove, plate comes with it if it hasnt already come out and clocked you on the head.
- check flywheel for condition, possibly clean off any glaze etc.
- Fitting is basically reverse of taking apart, getting the clutch plate properly positioned is alwaysa good plan, jack the front fo the engine up a bit to help getting the box back on, and rememebr to fill it back up with oil. We ended up putting the GB back in nearly upside down due to the lack of room in the tunnel, then spinning it round.
If you find your starter makes a really whizzy noise for a second after starting (start will feel laboured like you have a flat battery) its cos you did it back up too close to the flywheel, get underneath and loosen the two bolts holding it to the gearbox, big screwdriver behind it to pull it away a bit and do the bolts back up...jobs a goodn
i probably missed something in there but its pretty fool proof. Even i managed it
It still seems a bit intimidating but that's probably because i've not done it before.Originally Posted by SMiFFAD
Its actually quite easy.... i went white when my mate suggested we to it ourselves, but on reflection its really is basic.....
The abridged version is:
- jack up car so you can get under it (do it proberly, sx's arnt light when they land on you) undo the propshaft and remove. (there'll be a mark on it to show how it was orientated.... put it back in the same way)
- remove all gearbox supports/plugs.
- drain GB oil - optional but saves you getting covered - which you will... and it doesnt wash out or smell nice.
- remove gear stick from inside of car (easy just a circlip)
- Undo gear box bolts and get the box off (takes a bit of persuation) may also have to rotate the box round (ahh thats why you drain the oil)
- unbolt clutch cover and remove, plate comes with it if it hasnt already come out and clocked you on the head.
- check flywheel for condition, possibly clean off any glaze etc.
- Fitting is basically reverse of taking apart, getting the clutch plate properly positioned is alwaysa good plan, jack the front fo the engine up a bit to help getting the box back on, and rememebr to fill it back up with oil. We ended up putting the GB back in nearly upside down due to the lack of room in the tunnel, then spinning it round.
If you find your starter makes a really whizzy noise for a second after starting (start will feel laboured like you have a flat battery) its cos you did it back up too close to the flywheel, get underneath and loosen the two bolts holding it to the gearbox, big screwdriver behind it to pull it away a bit and do the bolts back up...jobs a goodn
i probably missed something in there but its pretty fool proof. Even i managed it
Especially stuff like "Jack the front of the engine up"!
SMiFFAD beat me too it, but I've edited my first post with a step by step guide
Jeremy
If you have not got a clutch alignment tool align use a small socket
and extension arm put some tape round the socket saw it is a
tight fit
Jeremy, excellent guide but i would like to edit it slightly
Firstly it is easier to unbolt the prob carrier, so when you drop the box the prob stays in the back of it.
Secondly, when removing the box its best to jack the front of the engine up then, makes it easier to pull the box off.
also be aware it isnt a case of just bolting the box back on, it can be a complete bitch to locate in the spline of the clutch and might need some damn good wiggling
I also remove the exhaust from the bottom of the elbow to get more access to the bolts etc
Great Post Guys, should this be added to the usefull threads thread?
Mark,
I've just added you points about jacking the engine before unbolting the gearbox, and the need for a goos wiggle when refitting the box.
I cant see how its easier to unbolt the prop carrier, so when you drop the box the prop stays in the back of it. I found doing it as is currently in my guide very simple and straight forward. I cant see how having the prop still in the box will be avantageous. Feel free to explain/correct me
Jeremy
Main reasons are
1) you dont get surplus gearbox oil (you can never get it all out the drain plug) dripping on the floor where you are laying (not the nicest of stuff).
2) Zero likelyhood of refitting the prop out of balance
Not saying my way is the only way, just nice to have an alternative
the garage book time for this job is only 3 hours, so if you can find a decent garage @ £25 p/h that works out at £75 plus parts and you keep your hands clean
Seems I was talking to someone else about this and I'm sure they said to undo the upper 2 bolts from the top. Can this be done? Reason was, as it was easier than using extensions from underneath
No fun that waythe garage book time for this job is only 3 hours, so if you can find a decent garage @ £25 p/h that works out at £75 plus parts and you keep your hands clean
Mark, I've added your alternative.
The prop shaft is balanced in the same way your wheels are when you have new tyres fitted. It's balanced as one unit, if you then split this unit at the middle flange, but reconnect them in a different position, the prop shaft will be out of balance and give a vibration through the car at speed.
Jeremy
Yes this is the normal way myself and Grinder tackle it, although its a pain on a S14 if it still has the EGR valve on
Ok, so now I find out
Only had the bloody thing off three times.
And what would be the prefered way to have it re-balance, if need be?
Ahh right. Thought it was Paul that said it, but you know what its like when the memory starts to goYes this is the normal way myself and Grinder tackle it, although its a pain on a S14 if it still has the EGR valve on
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