Clutch replacement log (with pictures)
01-19-2013, 02:01 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 3
Clutch replacement log (with pictures)
Just bought the car, and the clutch is already slipping
Anyway, got clutch kit, drive axle nuts, and tranny fluid, and got to work. Here's my story...and the tools needed to do it:
remove transaxle:
disconnect battery negative terminal 10mm box
jack up car jack & 2 stands
remove front wheels lug wrench
remove engine underpan 10mm (driver is handy)
drain transaxle fluid pan, 24mm (or 15/16"), aluminum washer 18mm id x2
replace plugs & washers
remove cylinder head cover 10mm driver
remove air cleaner assy
3 10mm bolts under air filter, plus 1 near headlight
leave upper part with all the wires on it laying on top of cylinder head
remove battery & tray 10mm x3
remove transmission electrical connector
remove harness bracket & air cleaner bracket 12mm x3
and one more fluid line bracket right next to the above 1x12mm
instead of removing the fluid line from the slave cylinder, I took out the 2 bolts holding it to the transaxle (it was a real pain getting it back against the spring, but I didn't have to bleed the clutch).
12mm, ratcheting box wrench handy here
remove hairpins, washers, and bracket clips from both shift cables
I don't know what the right tool is, but I managed to get the clips off with a great big crow bar
remove axles:
remove axle hub nuts 30mm
make sure you do as good a job as possible getting the dent out of the groove; whatever you leave will mess up the threads and make it harder to get off.
I used a board jammed between brake pedal and steering wheel to hold brakes on; 26.5" worked for me
impact wrench didn't touch it, breaker bar and jack handle did fine
remove (left side first): speed sensor, 10mm bolt
sway bar link, 12mm nut & 10mm link shaft
ball joint, cotter pin & 19mm nut
had to get ball joint separator from NAPA (BK 7769096), had to grind it down on top and open it up on bottom to fit
tie rod end, cotter pin & 17mm nut (leave this until after ball joint; stabilizes strut while you work on ball joint)
remove driveshaft from hub
had to make a tool from aluminum bar to fit over a lug to drive against, & get a big hammer
drilled 2 1/2" holes 4" apart, then angled the holes until one of them went far enough on the lug to start a nut
remove driveshaft from transaxle
slide hammer didn't work (hook not big enough, & not enough room), so made another tool from aluminum bar to pry against with big hammer. I took another piece of 1/2" x 2" bar, then used a belt sander to grind the end thin enough to fit under the solid portion of the axle.
repeat on other side
manual calls for using brass drift through transaxle, but I found it easier to use bar & hammer like other side
continue with transaxle removal:
support engine
manual calls for removing hood and suspending from ceiling, but I used two 2x6 on edge to suspend from fenders
2x m10x25 fine pitch bolts
8" & 10" eye bolts (or 12" & 14" if you want to drill through the 2x6's instead of use brackets)
remove crossmember 10mm, 12, 14, 17, 19, 6" extension for 19, jack
note: leave nuts/bolts attaching control arms
you have to detach the steering rack and sway bar from the crossmember; support the passenger side of rack
remove starter 12mm
remove: ground cable from transaxle bracket 14mm
transaxle bracket 5x 14mm
rear engine mount 4x 14mm
bolts from side engine mount (so engine can slide away from transaxle)
remove 7x 14mm bolts from engine to transaxle (2 on top)
disconnect harness clip from shifter bracket
separate transaxle from engine; engine will have to tilt down for transaxle to clear frame which means loosening whatever you have holding up the transaxle end of the engine (careful, you don't want to drop it)
Now, you get to do what you started this whole project for: replace the clutch. When putting the new disk on, make sure the center part that sticks out is away from the flywheel. Also, make sure the disk is still centered after tightening the cover bolts; you won't be able to get the transaxle back on if it's not.
Then, just put it all back together opposite the way it came out.
I had recently got a bunch of small plastic bins; I put nuts, bolts, and hardware in these as I took them off. Then, when I finished any particular assembly, I set that one aside and grabbed another. Made it much easier to keep track when putting it all back.
If you forget to put a speed sensor back in, you'll get an ABS/TCS warning light when you start driving. Hopefully it won't get tangled up and torn off.
Anyway, got clutch kit, drive axle nuts, and tranny fluid, and got to work. Here's my story...and the tools needed to do it:
remove transaxle:
disconnect battery negative terminal 10mm box
jack up car jack & 2 stands
remove front wheels lug wrench
remove engine underpan 10mm (driver is handy)
drain transaxle fluid pan, 24mm (or 15/16"), aluminum washer 18mm id x2
replace plugs & washers
remove cylinder head cover 10mm driver
remove air cleaner assy
3 10mm bolts under air filter, plus 1 near headlight
leave upper part with all the wires on it laying on top of cylinder head
remove battery & tray 10mm x3
remove transmission electrical connector
remove harness bracket & air cleaner bracket 12mm x3
and one more fluid line bracket right next to the above 1x12mm
instead of removing the fluid line from the slave cylinder, I took out the 2 bolts holding it to the transaxle (it was a real pain getting it back against the spring, but I didn't have to bleed the clutch).
12mm, ratcheting box wrench handy here
remove hairpins, washers, and bracket clips from both shift cables
I don't know what the right tool is, but I managed to get the clips off with a great big crow bar
remove axles:
remove axle hub nuts 30mm
make sure you do as good a job as possible getting the dent out of the groove; whatever you leave will mess up the threads and make it harder to get off.
I used a board jammed between brake pedal and steering wheel to hold brakes on; 26.5" worked for me
impact wrench didn't touch it, breaker bar and jack handle did fine
remove (left side first): speed sensor, 10mm bolt
sway bar link, 12mm nut & 10mm link shaft
ball joint, cotter pin & 19mm nut
had to get ball joint separator from NAPA (BK 7769096), had to grind it down on top and open it up on bottom to fit
tie rod end, cotter pin & 17mm nut (leave this until after ball joint; stabilizes strut while you work on ball joint)
remove driveshaft from hub
had to make a tool from aluminum bar to fit over a lug to drive against, & get a big hammer
drilled 2 1/2" holes 4" apart, then angled the holes until one of them went far enough on the lug to start a nut
remove driveshaft from transaxle
slide hammer didn't work (hook not big enough, & not enough room), so made another tool from aluminum bar to pry against with big hammer. I took another piece of 1/2" x 2" bar, then used a belt sander to grind the end thin enough to fit under the solid portion of the axle.
repeat on other side
manual calls for using brass drift through transaxle, but I found it easier to use bar & hammer like other side
continue with transaxle removal:
support engine
manual calls for removing hood and suspending from ceiling, but I used two 2x6 on edge to suspend from fenders
2x m10x25 fine pitch bolts
8" & 10" eye bolts (or 12" & 14" if you want to drill through the 2x6's instead of use brackets)
remove crossmember 10mm, 12, 14, 17, 19, 6" extension for 19, jack
note: leave nuts/bolts attaching control arms
you have to detach the steering rack and sway bar from the crossmember; support the passenger side of rack
remove starter 12mm
remove: ground cable from transaxle bracket 14mm
transaxle bracket 5x 14mm
rear engine mount 4x 14mm
bolts from side engine mount (so engine can slide away from transaxle)
remove 7x 14mm bolts from engine to transaxle (2 on top)
disconnect harness clip from shifter bracket
separate transaxle from engine; engine will have to tilt down for transaxle to clear frame which means loosening whatever you have holding up the transaxle end of the engine (careful, you don't want to drop it)
Now, you get to do what you started this whole project for: replace the clutch. When putting the new disk on, make sure the center part that sticks out is away from the flywheel. Also, make sure the disk is still centered after tightening the cover bolts; you won't be able to get the transaxle back on if it's not.
Then, just put it all back together opposite the way it came out.
I had recently got a bunch of small plastic bins; I put nuts, bolts, and hardware in these as I took them off. Then, when I finished any particular assembly, I set that one aside and grabbed another. Made it much easier to keep track when putting it all back.
If you forget to put a speed sensor back in, you'll get an ABS/TCS warning light when you start driving. Hopefully it won't get tangled up and torn off.
01-19-2013, 11:35 PM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Tucson, Az
Posts: 5
man this makes me so happy to find that people do these write ups 
thanks a trillion man.
What would be the story if the engine is getting replaced and I want to replace the clutch which is slipping? I am just starting to do my research and I haven't worked on cars in a while. I've located a write up on how to remove the engine from the front. While the engine is out and the transmission in place supported of course, could the clutch be changed then?
thanks a trillion man.What would be the story if the engine is getting replaced and I want to replace the clutch which is slipping? I am just starting to do my research and I haven't worked on cars in a while. I've located a write up on how to remove the engine from the front. While the engine is out and the transmission in place supported of course, could the clutch be changed then?
01-19-2013, 11:38 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 3
01-19-2013, 11:51 PM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 3
Well, that depends. The only fluids I had to deal with were 2 quarts gear oil. To pull the engine, you have to deal with all the antifreeze, the exhaust, and a LOT more wires.
It's probably a 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, situation.
OTOH, if you need to pull the engine anyway, then it's a no-brainer.
It's probably a 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, situation.
OTOH, if you need to pull the engine anyway, then it's a no-brainer.
04-13-2015, 05:30 PM
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 4
Do you know where the 'transmission electrical connector'is located? Car had previous transmission work before we bought it and now has no reverse lights. Bulbs are good and there is power at the taillights so I am thinking they forgot to plug something in. I searched around under the car and in the engine bay but can't seem to find anything. Any guidance would be appreciated.
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