LS1powerhouse02

iTrader: (9)

like the title says....has anyone done a clutch swap on your back in the driveway? I have a new clutch coming in and MIGHT have a lift i can use at an auto shop i used to work at....but no promises. I know the lift would be soooo much easier but incase of a worse case scenario i just wanted to know if anyone had some pointers of doing it "shadetree mechanic" style.

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

Well, I did it in my garage, which would be the same as a driveway only covered!

Put the rear tires up on a pair of ramps, then use a set of the heavy duty (3 ton I think?) jackstands that go up about 2' or so somewhere under the front. This should get the car up enough to drop the trans. A trans jack is nice, but I just used a pair of floorjacks - one in the front of the trans, one in the rear - to maneuver the trans around to drop it. Then had a 6'4 250lb brother in law bench it into place for the reinstall. But the pair of jacks would've been fine there too.

Its not much harder to do that way, and I'd venture to guess most on this board like myself don't have the luxury of a lift, and we've all been successful at it - heck it was the first clutch job I'd ever done.

LS1powerhouse02

iTrader: (9)

how long did it take you?

CW00BlackTA

iTrader: (31)

I've pulled it numberous times in my garage that way. Plan on a whole day (8 hours or so)the first time (easier to do it in two half days).

Robinator

iTrader: (1)

I pulled everyting apart myslef in just under 2 hours. I put it back together with the help of a buddy in 3. This was on 6 ton jackstands that put the car 3' in the air.

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

I did it over the course of a week's vacation in the summer, but that was going extremely slow and waiting for some additional parts/tools to come in. Plus it was my first time and I was triple checking everything and running back and forth to the computer to reference the install docs. And I changed the pilot bearing which was a bit of a PITA with the shitty harbor frieght bearing puller that had to be severely modified to work. I would say working diligently straight through, with the right tools probably about 8 hours. With the added experience now, I could probably do it in 4-5 hours.

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

Mine was also my first clutch install. Took about 2.5 hrs to disassemble, and about 4 or 5 to assemble(had trouble lining up the input shaft). Had car on jack stands a little over 2 feet up. Had to have my step dad help me bench press the tranny into place over and over (about 5 times) trying to line up the input shaft and slide it home. Here is a tip: open the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder when you go to slide the tranny back in. If I had done that the first time we tried to install the tranny, it would have worked on the second try .

LS1powerhouse02

iTrader: (9)

did you just use a floor jack and lift up one corner at a time or what?

Robinator

iTrader: (1)

???? Lift from the rear end and from the front frame before the oil pan. If you have SFC's, those are great lift points as well.

LS1powerhouse02

iTrader: (9)

alright thanks for clafiying that for me....i'm a little slow sometimes....

bulletLS1

buy about three full lenght extensions for your rachet to make a loooooooong extension, to reach the uper bellhousing bolts from the rear!

tici

iTrader: (1)

Do you remove tranny and bellhousing together?
I prefer to remove the tranny alone, it's easier for me...
Same for the install: first the clutch, then the bellhousing, the the tranny

flash12t

iTrader: (1)

is there a write up on how to change a clutch . . i know its pretty straight forward ive changed a clutch on my friends integra. . but i dont wanna forget anythign . . if u guys could help me out. .

ujslost2

iTrader: (27)

Ive also changed my clutch in my driveway. I have always found it easier to pull the tranny, then the bellhousing, then the clutch.

LS1powerhouse02

iTrader: (9)

yah...when my car only had 40,000miles on it the transmission decided to lock up on me. I was working at an auto shop in my hometown so thankfully i got to use the 2 post lift...but i do remember trying to pull the bellhousing and all at once. It was a BITCH!! we had to end up taking off the tranny first b/c the bellhousing was stuck on the motor. Has anyone else had a problem trying to get the bellhousing off the motor? and if so any pointers?

tici

iTrader: (1)

My alignment pins were rusted and the bellhousing was also stuck.
Some WD40 helped a little.

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

Yeah I used I believe a 24" extension to get the top pass side trans to bellhousing bolt, and went from the rear of the trans.

And a tip when putting the bellhousing back on during reinstall - put a bit of anti-sieze on the alignment dowels so the next time you have to drop the trans, the bellhousing won't be so hard to get off.

bulletLS1

Ive always pulled my trans (RWD & FWD) complete, with bellhousing.

Ill check if mine could be easier that way, because I finished a fresh engine and im with the dilema of installing engine from top (a PIA) or complete w/tranny and Kmember from bottom.

Robinator

iTrader: (1)

I didnt even know you could reach the top bellhousing bolts with the tranny still attached. I have alyways removed and replaced it seperatly. Plus when you seperate them, it is easier to manuver because it is lighter and less bulkier.

BTW... I am a proud owner of 12' worth of extensions. 1 alone is 3' long.

SPEEDYws6

iTrader: (9)

You really can't reach the bolts with out a woble socket. But those poor A4 guys have no other choice, I put a stall in a buddies car last week and it's really not hard to get to the belhousing bolts with the tranny in (if you have the right tools).