Clutch replacement help

Post by **joseph** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:42 pm

hello all,

Need sugery services for my minor. Need to change clutch
Need sugestions, dismount gear box from underneath or remove motor
What is quickest to gain acces at the clutch ?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:28 pm

If you have full dealer equipment (hoist ramps etc..) then removing the engine is probaby the quickest way. If you unbolt the front mounting rubbers AND the one of the engine mount turrets it is easier to remove and refit. Also take out the radiator (v.quick) to get more room. If you are DIYing then removing the complete grille and front panel means you don't have to lift the engine so high, but adds time for all the fiddly fasteners. Therefore on DIY it's more common to do the box to get at the clutch.

The gearbox can be done as a 1 man job, either under the car, or from within the car. Each person has his/her own preference.
To remove from the inside, take out front seats and the floor carpet. Then unscrew the gearbox floor panel (the screws can be a pain if it's not been done in the last 10 years). This gives access to the gearbox mounts which also need to be removed.
Removing the gearbox crossmember is close to essential but if the captive nuts spin under the master cylinder you can just about get away with leaving it on.
To get the box past the rack, you need to rotate it about 30° clockwise (clocwise when sitting in the driver seat) and lower the back of the engine which should be supported on a jack.
If you remove the rear heater connection / valve from the head, you can drop the back of the engine a lot further which saves time and makes it easier (unless the studs break or the heater valve comes apart in your hands..

)

Removal under the car is similar to inside the car, and if you have a pit or ramps is maybe more comfortable. I don't like doing it on lying on a concrete floor, so I use the from the inside method.
Some mechanics used to raise the rear of the car not the front as it makes the box easier to handle (you are not putting it back 'uphill' but personally I find it more natural to raise the front on wheel ramps, and this gives easy access to removing the bolts between the engine and box / starter motor etc..

When removing the prop from the box, oil will go everywhere so it's best to drain it with the car oin the level first. (Refill using 20/50 not 'gearbox' oil otherwise you'll be doing a replacement box withtin a few years!)

Good luck!

Post by **catsoup** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:54 pm

Hi,

Personally I always go for the engine out route. I hate working under the car which rules out the removing the gearbox from underneath, and the zillion screws that hold down the gearbox cover plate are often seized, making it tricky to do the work inside the car.

The gearbox cross member also sometimes has seized bolts, which have captive nuts - nasty. (Didn't know you can make do without removing that tho...)

Obviously if the car is in good nick, the gerabox out option may be easier.

Its kind of rewarding to take the engine out anyway – you can have fun standing in the engine bay…

Remove the bonnet.

Drain the radiator. Disconnect the top & bottom hoses. Remove the bolts on each side, and pull it out.

Disconnect the battery.

Remove the air filter.

Disconnect the exhaust from the manifold. (You can try leaving this on, but it will probably need re-jointing when you are done anyway.)

Undo/remove the studs which hold the manifold to the engine. Tie it up out of the way. (I use the wiper motor.)

Remove cables which go into the loom. (Points, coil, oil pressure & oil filter.)

Go underneath (yuck!) and remove the lower bell housing bolts.

While there remove the lower starter bolt.

Remove the clutch return spring.

Get yourself vertical again, and remove the top starter bolt and tie the starter out of the way. (Carefully the big cable is BIG and does not like being bent.)

Attach an engine hoist. (I tend to use a couple of cylinder head bolts – others may cringe at this…)

From now on be careful you don’t get hurt if the engine moves.

Undo the remaining bell housing bolts.

Undo the front engine mounts on one side, and the whole mount pedestal on the other side.

The engine should be hanging off the hoist now.

Prop up the gearbox with a trolley jack.

Pull the engine up to clear the mounts. (Try to protect the threads as much as possible), then foreword to break the drive shaft.

It should now come out with a half twist and a bit of manoeuvring and by adjusting the jack under the gearbox.

Replace your clutch and release bearing. Centralise the clutch carefully or it won't engage the drive shaft when you put it back.

Stand back and think how sad your beloved car now looks.

Now is a good time to clean your engine bay!

Replace by revering the above. A certain amount of 'jiggling' is usually required to get the drive shaft engaged. (Turning the engine, (by hand!) also helps.)

When done you will need to adjust your clutch. Make sure there is a bit of play down there.

I am sure there are a lot of other ways of doing this job. I like this one because it does not disturb anything that’s likely to be seized, and it gives you the opertunity to have a good clean.

I am sure that others will have refinements. Or maybe even have a paddy about some of this!

Hope this helps.

Good luck – keep it safe – and don’t rush it!

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 8:02 pm

i prefer the engine out method

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 12:21 am

faire point but for those of us without a hoist, the gearbox can nbe done as a 1 man job and I don't have the strength to do the engine on my own anymore

mind you - i've had a lot of practise changing gearboxes (had a run of bad luck) so I got it don to 5 or 6 hours out and in.

Post by **Kevin** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 12:24 am

Quite right Ray and if space is a bit short its a better solution.

Post by **Matt** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 1:17 am

i took out the engine without a proper hoist, made a large A frame out of 4x2 with a block and tackle......

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 9:25 am

dont need a hoist to take engine out , just a large trolly jack and a couple of friends, gear box is dark dirty and dangerious if your underneat it

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 9:29 am

its so easy to remove the engine after the front has been removed

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 9:35 am

joseph there is another post on second page of mechinical by ad avenger about the engine removal, its got many posts on this subject

Post by **Cam** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 4:57 pm

I always use the engine out method, but I built a proper hoist that straddles the car and could easily lift the whole car up!! (overkill as usual!).

Either method is OK, it's just what you feel easier with. I personally never liked the underneath method as last time I struggled to disengage the gearbox from the engine and manouvre it past the steering rack. But it can be done, it's just awkward.

Post by **joseph** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:12 pm

Hello All

As I am DIYing, I choose in the solution of rayofleamington to have all front grill and radiator dismounted. When the all thing is discoupled from underneath I lifted motor and gearbox on the same piece of wood , motor glide easily on that piece of wood.
When disconnected from the gearbox shaft, I made sure I protected cable loon and brake oil pipe so that I could lift and continue gliding the engine on a trolley (of course I builded up some wood plateforme so that the engine stayed at same level for retuning in. Than some manpower and hop the engine is on trolley Very easy.
Replaced and centered the clutch, presented the trolley back in front of the engine bay and glided all in place . Of course as all stayed in place in the engine bay, gearbox shaft was presented straight to the engine. Small touch at the engine shaft and ok engine and gearbox back in phase. Rebuilding the all front grill and radiator and back on the road.

Really easy job and it can be a ONE man job

Thanks for all comments

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:59 pm

nice joseph!