Changing my clutch...

[DJ_2Soxx]

i am planning on changing my clutch very soon, with oem replacement, am i getting in over my head? i consider myself mechaniclly inclined enough to do this, i read the tech article, and it seems easy. But all mechanics i talk to are gonna charge alot to do this for me, and some dont even want to attempt it themselves. Why would this be? Are they just not informed enough on DSM's specifically? I dunno, but yea, am i getting in over my head with this or no?

 

[deusxmachina]

Read the how-to at vfaq.com and whatever write-ups on here and don't worry about it. If you need the car back together in a day, that might be a problem. If you have other transportation, then no worries even if you hit a snag. It's simply not that big a deal if you aren't afraid to have a wrench in your hand and turn a bolt. "Just read the manual and bolt the shit together." I do recommend having an engine hoist for the trans, but that's not necessary. I got tired of bench-pressing transmissions, though. Kinda heavy.

Think ahead to what your plans are with the car. Make sure an OEM-spec clutch will be good enough. If you plan on 200-ish horsepower, then it's good enough.

 

[onebadtsi]

I just swapped trannies and it was alot easier then I thought. Ive done many on my older cars but never something awd. Just follow the vfaq clutch replacment how to and you will be fine. Some tips from doing mine, when you remove the slave cyl. secure the rod somehow so it doesnt fall out and you have to bleed the clutch. And mark where all you bolts came out from. Good luck

 

[drewbird91]

I just did mine, granted it took me a while, did most of it myself, but I also did motor mounts, master cylinder, slave, tob, fork, ss line, misc seals and took off emissions stuff. If you have another mode of transportation you'll be fine. I made a few trips to the hardware store also. When I took a bolt out, if I could put it back in the hole I would, (just to keep it all straight). You will learn alot about your car, thats for sure. I would look into gettting something other than oem clutch.

 

[DJ_2Soxx]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement guys. I do have another mode of transportation, but it keeps crappin out on me, (damn tempo, ). BUt i can get by, i think i am gonna start tonight after work, car is at my shop. I would like to get aftermarket clutch, but, i got this oem cltuch for next to nothing, and money is tight right now. again thanks, i will let e1 know how it goes.

 

[DJ_2Soxx]

I didnt want to start a new thread, so i will continue on with this one. When my clutch gave out on me i was on my way to work, i was about 4 miles from my shop. So i pulled over, place shifter in 2nd, and started car and drove to work slowly in 2nd. On the way i heard many noises, prob not a good idea to have driven that 4 miles, but, damage is done, and boy is it ever. I said i was gonna start this last week, but something came up. I just got back from staying late at work to start removing the tranny. I couldnt get 32mm nut loose, all i had was a wrench, forgot socket at home, so i did what i could to get it ready for tomorrow. When removing the clutch actuator, i got curious and removed the rubber grommet around actuator arm, . Pieces of a bearing came tumbling out, i saw my clutch was chewed up, and more pieces of the bearing came out, i wish i had my digi, but i lent it out. I have a sandwich baggy 1/4 full of odds and ends busted up that i took out of this small hole. I am scared to remove tranny tomorrow night and find the rest of it. Anyways, sorry for long post, but what might i expect when i take it off tomorrow night? Never changed a clutch that came out in pieces, its kind of a vague question, but what possibly could be all broken? am i prob gonna be looking at spending quite a bit of money? i know this is vague and long, but any ideas before i get surprised tomorrow would be great.

 

[thisdsm]

I am going to be attempting my very first clutch job very very soon as well (in 3 wks). Please give any tips, advice, struggles and problems along the way, etc..etc.. anyways good luck on your install. Sorry to hear about those broken pieces, hopefully it's not something thats going to cost $$$.

 

[zrk666]

i did a awd clutch on a 95 talon. was a pain. not considering we started at about 9-10 at night. the transmison was hard to get to on that 2g, havent done one in my car but plan on doing it later when i go to florida. the only baad part about it was getting the transmisson back in the car. the reason for that was using only a floor jack and not a trany jack or a engine lift. it is much easier to do on a lift or in a pit.

 

[deusxmachina]

DJ, it doesn't matter how bad the clutch is since you're replacing it anyway. Sounds pretty beat up. If you are talking about having stuff fall out of the slave cylinder actuator hole, that should all be clutch or throw-out bearing parts since about the only other thing in the bellhousing area is the input shaft from the tranny. So, I expect the tranny itself is fine.

 

[DJ_2Soxx]

thx for the reply deus, i wasnt too worried about the tranny itself, just didnt how many moving parts were in there that could be broken. I am working on this slowly, after work(after midnite), and i am on the floor, i hope i dont struggle to much putting tranny back in, tonight i am gonna get it out, take a look at the damage. Does any one know how much a new throw out bearing would be? cant see it being too much. As for advice, follow the tech article on this site for replacing the clutch it has been very helpful, and remmeber to put every bolt back in its hole if you can so you know where it goes later. The only bolts that i didnt leave in place were the starter bolts, everythign else can go back, which makes for good organization. Thx for help again guys, i will post later tonight on how it goes.

 

[DJ_2Soxx]

Ok, after work tonight i got the car up again, was ready to remove axle, but it was stuck, i mean really stuck. I thought i remembered reading that you should be able to pry them out after everything was disconnected, nothing was holding it, just the fact that they have prob never been out before. Now i seen on the rotor that there are 2 threaded holes, and a dimple on the end of the threads where the wheel nut goes(sorry if terminology is wrong). Anyways, this tells me that i would have to prob use a puller of some sort to get axle to break loose? Am i wrong here? If so, what would be the "by the book" way of removing them? Thx again for the help.

 

[greeneclipse]

this might help with the axle removal

http://www.plymouthlaser.com/axles.htm

 

[deusxmachina]

I can't tell if you mean break the axle loose from the rotor (since you mention the rotor) or from the trans. From the rotor is easy once you get the two strut bolts off and can swing the rotor/hub out and away. I don't bother removing the tie-rod ends unless I have to. Take the big end axle nut off, swing the hub away from the strut, and give the axle some whacks with a rubber hammer. Getting it out of the tranny... big screwdriver. Driver's side of course has the second mounting bracket under the a/c compressor since that axle has two sections if you're AWD.

If you're good, you can pop the axles out and swing them away from the trans while leaving them connected to the hub/rotors.

Throwout bearing is around 25 bucks now, I think. Just like most maintenance parts, don't waste your time with a non-Mitsu one. Pay the few extra bucks.

I used to benchpress the trannies up, but I either got smart or I got old. An engine hoist is $150. May as well buy one since you'll need one anyway when you eventually replace the engine.

 

[DJ_2Soxx]

The prob is at the rotor, i removed the two bolts so the hub swings freely, axle nut is off, i didnt have a rubber hammer, but i hit the end with a big ballpeen hammer, but with 2x4 in between, was the wood taking too much of the blow, not loosening the axle? Another guy at the shop has a rubber hammer, i will have him leave it out of his toolbox, i will try that. Yea, bench-pressing this tranny isnt gonna be fun, screwed my back up in accident 2 yrs ago, i got a friend helpin me after work tomorrow, i figure with a floor jack, and him under there, we should be ok. I would love to get a hoist but i cant leave my automotive tools at the shop, owner wouldnt like that, need a house with a garage first. Thx again.

 

[deusxmachina]

I only said rubber hammer because if someone's not careful with a regular hammer they can scrunch the end of whatever they're hitting and then not be able to get a nut over the end and have to buy a new one. Learned my lesson on a tie-rod end a long time ago. I got off cheap with it only being a $20 lesson.

No matter what happens, just remember that the first clutch job is a pain in the ass. The second one is annoying. The third one is "this shit's easy."