Need help with clutch installation

[atlsupra]

Well, I am changing clutch for the first time. I searched everwhere and pretty much followed instructions on FSM and a page on
http://www.240sx.org/links/installs/flywheel/index.htm

Right now I am stuck. I unbolt all the bolts around the transmission and I can get the transmission pulled back about 2-3" (hit the chasis already) but tranmission main shaft still stuck and won't come out the hole. Do I have to pull it out in a certain angle? Also, I thought the clutch and flywheel suppose to come off with the transmission case , but they are stick to the wall. Any suggestions on what should I do now? Thanks in advance.
http://www.digitalgaming.net/images/chiang/240sx/clutch1.jpg
http://www.digitalgaming.net/images/chiang/240sx/clutch2.jpg

[Djrockz415]

did u unbolt the drive shaft?..other wise it should come right off if u have all the bolts off and i assume u already disconnected the harnesses on the tranny...by the way, how hard was it to get all the bolts off? Did u use any special tools to access the top bolts? I was also gonna do my own clutch job but i did not have any time so i just paid 200 and had my mechanic do it

[EchoOfSilence]

you're supposed to unbolt the driveshaft from the differential pumpkin and remove
then you'll have room to pull the tranny off
then undo the bolts that hold the pressure plate to the flywheel.
then remove

[EchoOfSilence]

did u unbolt the drive shaft?..other wise it should come right off if u have all the bolts off and i assume u already disconnected the harnesses on the tranny...by the way, how hard was it to get all the bolts off? Did u use any special tools to access the top bolts? I was also gonna do my own clutch job but i did not have any time so i just paid 200 and had my mechanic do it
when a friend and I did it, we just used ratches and wrenches. disconnecting the a/c line helped a lot too. there was a LOT of use of a lead pipe for torqueing

[atlsupra]

Yes, I removed the drive shaft and harnesses, otherwise it won't move an inch at all

[atlsupra]

well, I borrowed air tool and long extensions from my friend, but I still end up using breaker bar to lose some of the bolts. Being the first time to do, took me a while to figure out some stuff, but It's not too bad, I took off the downpipe too so I can get some bolts easier.

[EchoOfSilence]

Yes, I removed the drive shaft and harnesses, otherwise it won't move an inch at all
well try to angle the gearbox end o the tranny down so that it slides out.

[atlsupra]

hmm, I thought it has to be pulled parallel, but I am going to let the rear end drop and try slide it out. Thanks.

[kandyflip445]

Did you unbolt the clutch line to the slave cylinder?

[crioten]

good luck lining it back up together, thats the hardest part :)

make sure to use some threadlock on the threads that hold the flywheel on (if you take it off) and proper torque is a must as always, esp on a flywheel/clutch/PP

[96twofourty]

you have to tilt the rear of the tranny down and wiggle it a little. Try rotating it and pulling at the same time. It will come off it just takes some work

[lilredstiffy]

looks fine

be a man and pull it off

[atlsupra]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try it again today.

[projectRDM]

Unbolt the downpipe from the exhaust, you can then rock the motor back towards the firewall and the gearbox will drop right out.

[shockster0429]

You need to lower your engine to allow enough clearance for the tranny to slide out, otherwise you will never pull it out. Just secure the engine with a jack, make sure you use a block of wood under the oil pan so you dont crush it, then unbolt the 4 bolts on each side of the engine, and lower it down, then you will have plenty of cleanance to remove the tranny.

[-usmd-180sx]

make sure u do this clutch job properly.. tranny work is crucial if u do it wrong. I love working on my car and all... but when i did it i had half ass tools and a friends garage with limited time =(.. Wish i just spent a good 200 bucks to get it done professionally without me breaking my back.. literally.. :hammer: But good luck. Make sure you torque everything.. and make sure u get all the bolts ontop of the bellhousing real tight.. or your gonna kick urself in the ass a couple of weeks later. Another thing, make sure u re-assemle the drive-train exactly how u took it out.. Good luck.. And let you and the bellhousing be with 1.! :wiggle:

[ThE_BoMB]

if you have access to a engine hoist you can always tilt the engine a bit and give you some more play. You have taken the shifter off right? try putting some lube on the shaft and push it back into engine and try pulling it out again. You have this properly supported right? these are very heavy, im sure you know that.

[sepulchral]

jack up front cross member so that the engine slants down, ur gunna have to pull hard as shit to take the tranny off.

[atlsupra]

I got the transmission off last night (Tilting the tranny works! lol). I really appreciated all the responses. Dang, it looks dirty has hell. Dirty and sticky oil in it. Now I need to take off the flywheel, but my air gun isn't strong engough. Any suggestion to keep the flywheel from moving around so I can use the breaker bar?

[kandyflip445]

There is a tool you can buy called a "flywheel turning tool". It uses the teeth on the outside.

[crioten]

get someone else to help you when getting the flywheel off...

what you do is get the other person to use a breaker bar and have them place it on the crankshaft pully bolt (you apply opposite force there compared to the flywheel) and it will hold the force of you jerking on the flywheel. then you crawl under the car and go at it with the breaker bar on the flywheel

[s14 blacktop]

get a screwdriver and place it in between one of those teeth and in a crevase of the engine block, once you start unbolting it off the scredriver should be stuck in place so you can unscrew the rest of the bolts..

[ThE_BoMB]

DONT USE A SCREWDRIVER

for christ sake lol. You can break those teeth off. Do this get some liquid wrench. I used an electric airgun (rated at maybe 100-200 lb ft) and I used the liquid wrench maybe twice and all the bolts came out second try. Also get some loctite and make sure you get those back on at 102-112 lb ft of torque. seriously get loctite so that those bolts dont come loose.

[atlsupra]

Ok I got a new airgun (500lb/ft max), the flywheel came off so easy, makes me hate myself not get the bigger gun at first place lol. So the flywheel is being resurfacing now, and I just pick up loctite threadlocks blue, is this what you guys would use?

[MisfitFlesh]

loctite isnt totally needed, but if you feel safer using it get the red stuff. I work at a tranny shop and have never loctited the flywheel bolts and have never had a problem. (knock on wood)

[crioten]

loctite isnt totally needed, but if you feel safer using it get the red stuff. I work at a tranny shop and have never loctited the flywheel bolts and have never had a problem. (knock on wood)

its just an added precaution...

a while ago i had a clutch explode (the reason why it did that still escapes me) and in the process of ripping apart the PP it took off the whole flywheel (it stripped all 6 of the bolt heads right off)

fun shit :)

[ThE_BoMB]

honestly for 5$ loctite is worth it. Its just a precaution, so that there is no chance that you didnt torque the bolts on right and that they dont come off and destroy your drivetrain.

[MisfitFlesh]

yea im not saying not to get it its helps of course just makes the bolts a little harder to get back off if you dont have air tools, and crioten that sucks man, ive never seen a clutch do something like that before.

[EchoOfSilence]

nope. jam a screwdriver into the flywheel spaces and into one of the gaps in the IRON BLOCK. works.

[s14 blacktop]

see what did I tell ya.. damn i'm good!

oh by the way can you guys see the pic I attached cuz I cant!

[-usmd-180sx]

i used a flat headed bamboo stick euthentic from asia. It did the trick for me.

:bow:

[atlsupra]

Well it's time to put the transmission back and I am having a bad luck to put it back. We got the main shaft in, but I am about 1 inch to close the transmission. It seems like something is in the way, could it be the pliot bearing (surprisly, the tranmission didn't have one when I pulled it apart) that I hammered in or something I didn't do right? Any suggestions?

[atlsupra]

anyone? :(

[speeddreamz]

Try to match the teeth on the transmission shaft to the teeth inside the clutch. Spin it if you can, the most important thing is if you're under the car to have manpower. It helps a lot, get a couple buddies, usually 3 more people total so you don't have to work too hard. Just get under there try to line it up, also remember its not gonna go in exactly straight, your motor is leaning one way, and you can't be sure you're lining it up exact. Just give it the jiggles. Rotate it, jiggle it, and push hard once you're sure the output shaft is lined up and atleast the non teethed part is in. Good luck, be careful.