wayland1985

I've been reading through some write ups, and watched a video or two, and it has me wondering, really how difficult a clutch swap is?

I'm in need of new hydraulics, and was going to get some price quotes from a local shop or two for their cost, but I'm wondering if it's something I can tackle myself.

There seems to be a few frustrating steps (transmission mount bolts up top...) but the rest seems straight forward.

How many of you have done it yourself?

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

On paper its a pretty straight forward job.

But once you start unless you have a lift you will quickly realize just how tough a job it is. Having done it my advice is paysomeone. It can be done but without the right tools its a fight

rsrevil347

iTrader: (1)

Im in the middle of doing mine now, in the garage on jack stands, no lift. not hard at all. (this is the third clutch job ive done on an f-body) Helps if you have a friend to help hold the tranny on the jack when you remove it. Also i find it easier to remove the tranny from the bellhousing and then the bellhousing from the block. (makes install A LOT eaiser) When removing the tranny from the bell housing some times the dowls (pins to line up the tranny and housing) are rusted and require a rubber mallet to loosen it up. (i usually sand these before install so everything slides back together easily) also when removing the tranny from the bell i use a floor jack and a piece of 2x4 to jack the front on the motor up (lightly, dont jack the heck out of it or things will break!) to get the shifter to clear the tunnel. Things you might want to remember are,

they're are 8 bolts holding trans to bell, the top pass side bolt is hard to get to. (they are hard to get to but with the right swivels and extensions its not too terrible)
you may want to tape something over the tail shaft of the tranny to keep fluid from pouring out while you remove it
make sure the car is lifted off the ground high enough to get the tranny out from under the car
with the tranny out of the car you may want to install a speed bleeder on the slave to make bleeding the clutch A LOT easier
If you are taking the trans out, CHANGE EVERYTHING. (pilot bearing, slave,throw out bearing, pressure plate, disc, and cut old flywheel or replace)
this is a big job doing it on your back so my theory is do it once and do it right.

I'm sure they're are other tips and tricks guys can chime in with but these are what have worked best for me. Good luck

wayland1985

A transmission lift... Or a vehicle lift?

I was figuring I'd have to buy a few more tools to get the job done right and was looking at harbor freights transmission lift (the scissor jack). My upper body isn't what I'd consider fit enough to bench a 150lb chunk of metal....

I was more concerned about fitting everything back together safely. I consider a transmission a precision item, so I wouldn't want to miss the alignment of something, or slightly over/under torque a bolt you know?

rsrevil347

iTrader: (1)

I use a floor jack with a piece of wood on it under the tranny when lowering it/installing it, i dont have a tranny jack, most clutch kits will come with an alignment tool, and yes when putting it back together it takes a little effort and force but it is a bit of a precision job, if everything is installed properly it should slide back together almost as easily as it came out. As far as torque specs, i would contact the manufacturer of what ever clutch you are using and see what they recommend.

_JB_

iTrader: (33)

Have you swapped a clutch before?

wayland1985

Nope. This would be a first time for me. I've done some wrenching on cars before, but this may just be the most adventurous I've ever gotten (if I decide to try it).

I heard bleeding the clutch can be a headache too...

Rsrevil: how about the pilot bearing? Is that a straightforward replacement too?

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

Vehicle lift is better but then you would also need a transmission jack or at minimum something tall enough to get under the car and catch it once you unbolt it all. Its also a PITA to bleed once you get the new clutch installed.

But I'm also a bigger guy and getting under the car isn't as easy for me

rsrevil347

iTrader: (1)

Bench bleed the master if you are replacing it and also get the remote bleeder it makes life very easy when bleeding or changing fluid.
Also to remove the pilot bearing it isn't too hard you can rent a blind hole puller from auto zone or buy one, also there are a few trick ways to remove it. Ive seen ppl used slices of break and hammer it into the hole and it will pop the bearing out also wax from a candle. google pilot bearing removal ls1 or something like that and people have some pretty strange/creative methods for removing it. Some say you can damage the seal on the crank like that other swear by it.

tadams72

If you are made of money or impatient, pay someone. If you are mechanically inclined, it's not tough but it does take time. If you don't have use of a lift it will take quite a bit longer to do though. I did the clutch on my Camaro on cribbing blocks a year or two ago. Toughest part of the job was getting the transmission to line up and mate to the block again. It harder lying on your back using a cheap Harbor Frieght scissor jack than on a lift with a buddy to help. Give yourself a weekend to do it and take your time. Clutch plate alignment is probably the most critical piece of the job so absolutely make sure you've got it right. Other than the alignment tool it just requires common hand tools.

Bleeding is not difficult and if you put the Tick Speed Bleeder in it is extremely easy. Plenty of DIY articles on the net to guide you for your first time.

wayland1985

So it seems like this could be a relatively do-able project.

I did notice in the video I watched (the user's name slips my name, but he is a member here), that aligning the clutch was a bit difficult, even with the alignment tool. Will the pressure plate bolt up if it's not perfectly centered? Or could you theoretically line it up a few mm off ???

I have plenty of time. It's not a DD, so I wouldn't have to rush, but again, I'd hate to spend $1000 on the clutch and hydraulics only to screw it all up.

But... If I do the work myself that'll open my budget up for perhaps an MGW or Subframe connectors.

wayland1985

Has anybody used the speed bleeder with a motive power bleeder?

tadams72

Lining the clutch plate(s) is relatively easy. I put a twin carbon disc clutch in and plate alignment was not an issue for me. Just make sure that you tighten the pressure plate down gradually in the pattern suggested by the manufacturers while checking the alignment tool for ease in movement. When you have the pressure plate tightened completely, the alignment tool should remove easily.

I had more difficulty with getting the transmission to mate up to the engine. Keep in mind I was trying to muscle it up solo laying on my back. I messed with it for an hour or so before I gave up for the night. Came back the next morning and it slid on in less than a minute so I guess the elves must have visited my garage the night before. Bottom line, if you are mechanically inclined, this is a very doable job. Just don't force anything and be patient. Good luck.

Titokang

iTrader: (2)

I've dropped mine 3 times on my driveway alone just had my bro help with reinstalling it. Not hard at all just time consuming to do. I highly recommend a speed bleeder saves a lot of time bleeding. I ended up buying it after my 2nd time dropping the trans, and never will I work on a clutch swap without it.

Macs98Z

iTrader: (16)

Good advice there. The most frustrating part of the swap is thinking you have the clutch disk lined up, getting the trans in place and trying to stab the input shaft through it, then figuring out its not aligned and taking it back down and realign the plate.

Bottom line, is first time will be a huge learning curve and time consuming. But isn't that every job we do on our cars? I had to do this job twice in the course of a week in July one summer. I was not a happy camper, but I've found that after doing it once you'll probably be able to do it again in half the time. You'll learn so many tricks to do it faster. One thing I highly recommend is getting a trans jack from Harbor Freight--just the cheaper scissor one. It's not the greatest piece but it gets the job done and sure makes it a more convenient one man job. Also, like someone else said, replace everything while you're in there: pilot bearing, slave cylinder, and I would really recommend grabbing a Tick master or at least their remote bleeder. Makes bleeding a breeze.

You can do it. Don't stress about it.

BrntWS6

iTrader: (7)

I did my own H/C and 9" install but when it came time for a clutch I just paid my tuner shop for the job. If I had a lift and necessary jacks I would have done it but for $350 it was well worth it to me.

Jr.Samples

Just jack up your car as high as you can. I used a motorcycle jack borrowed from a friend and was able to do it myself. If I recall on the bell housing top passenger side I hade to use a couple feet of extensions to get in there. Pretty straight forward.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

I love my Harbor Freight scissor trans jack, it also works for removing the rear end and cradles the T56 just right. I'm just finishing up my 2nd clutch change in 2 weeks (first one was a crappy Competition Clutch 2250 that wasn't balanced correctly).
Here's my thoughts on the job:
The torque arm is unloaded with the rear end hanging on the shocks with the wheels off the ground, I removed the TA completely. TA rear mount bolts,nuts 13/16 sockets, torque spec 97 ftlbs.
When reinstalling the trans it will engage the clutch disc and pilot bearing easiest when the mounting flanges of the trans and bellhousing are parallel. Have the trans in gear with the DS or yoke installed so you can spin the transmission while pushing the trans fwd to engage the splines.
It's not necessary to remove the trans from under the car just lower your Harbor Freight trans jack all the way down and roll it towards the rear of the car in the driveshaft tunnel.
I used a 24 inch 3/8 extension with a u-joint to get the trans bolts. Leave the upper passenger side trans bolt in place after you unscrew it (it will be stuck in the trans vent line support clamp), that way it will aready be in place when you go to install it later. It's very hard to get your hand up in there.
I had the front wheels sitting on my Rhino drive-up ramps, and that was plenty high in front. Used jack stands in the rear with some old rims under the rear tires. I don't completely trust jack stands.
To keep the engine from spinning when you remove and install the flyheel bolts I used a length of chain wrapped through the chassis tie down points to a 3/8 bolt threaded into one of the PP mount bolt holes.

If yours is a LS motored car don't use the grease or wet toilet paper method of removing the pilot bearing you'll dislodge the welch plug in the end of your crankshaft. Borrow a slidehammer puller from the auto parts store.
I used a sintered bronze pilot bushing instead of the roller bearing. When a roller bearing fails it usually takes your input shaft with it, the bronze bushing just wears out after many miles. If you go for a bronze bushing be sure it is non magnetic, the cheap ones that come with clutch kits are magnetic because the bronze is mixed with steel and are prone to galling the input shaft. Advance Auto has the good full bronze bushing made by National (Federal Mogul) p/n PB656HD, fits SBC and LT1 not sure about LS engines. Note: the ID of the bronze bushing may shrink down alittle after it is pressed into the crankshaft, in this case the ID will have to be opened up so it's a slip fit on the trans input shaft.

A clutch change isn't particularly difficult it's just uncomfortable laying under the car. Give yourself a weekend if you have all the parts in hand.

WS6wanted

Great info in this thread for sure. I'm planning on dropping my tranny too soon for the first time. It's to replace a noisy pilot bearing on a fairly new (10k mile) clutch, pp, and flywheel. Do you think there will be any problems when reinstalling used parts. Should I get new flywheel bolts or pressure plate bolts. Is there a way to know the slave was updated ever by part stamping or what not?

WS6wanted

Also, if I just have to remove the pilot bearing, can I keep the flywheel bolted on if I'm not replacing it?