Changing the Clutch

Warning: This DIY is a general guideline and to be used ONLY as a supplement to a repair manual and your own common sense. It's designed to help an otherwise experienced mechanical Do-It-Yourselfer more than a step by step process. If you don’t have a wide selection of tools, a friend to help, and 10 hours to do it, then pay to have it done.

In addition to the normal collection of tools you should have you will also need:

12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm, 21mm, 22mm Impact Sockets
17mm combination wrench
Another large wrench
17mm 12 point ½” drive standard socket (needed to remove and install the flywheel)
1-2 floor jacks
High Torque Impact Wrench (450lbs min)
Tie-Rod Fork
High Strength Loctite Stick (prefer the Red, but Blue should work)
Spray White Lithium Grease
Moly-Lube (multi purpose grease)
White Gloves (for installing the flywheel and clutch assembly)
1 2x4x2’ wood stud
Miscellaneous chunks of wood

The more combinations of extensions, ratchets, knuckles, standard and deep well sockets, and wrenches you have, the better off you will be.

I changed the clutch on a garage floor. If you use a hoist it will be different.

1. Position front end of car on jack stands. Give yourself plenty of room to move around underneath the vehicle because you will be under there a lot.

2. Set the floor jack with a piece of wood on top of it underneath the bell-housing of the engine (not the transmission). There is a casting with 2 small bolts at the lowest point of the engine. This is where you want to support the engine from. If you do it from any other spot you could crack the oil pan which is cast aluminum.

3. Disconnect battery. Remove wiring harnesses, shifter cables and brackets. Clutch slave cylinder, and air intake. NOTE: The bracket that the shifter cables are attached to has 4 grommets on it. Two for each bolt. They are not attached to the bracket and will fall out. The reinstall of this bracket is very frustrating. Good Luck!!!!

5. Remove the suspension, steering, and driveshaft from the transmission. This includes the lower control arm. It is easier to remove than work around. You will need a 14mm, 19mm, and 22mm impact sockets. There is triangular shaped plate that connects the lower control arm and sub-assembly to the chassis. Take this off.

6. Remove the front bolt of the sub-assembly and the assembly will drop down about 4 inches.

7. Support the engine and remove the motor mounts and the bracket from the transmission. The front bracket upper bolts will need to be removed with a 17mm combination wrench. To get leverage, interlock another large combination wrench on it. You will need to do this when re-installing the bracket.

8. Remove the transmission mount located behind the battery. (Remove the two plugs in the fender well to get two 14mm bolts)

9. Drop the engine about and support the transmission with another floor jack and wood.

10. Remove the transmission. This includes removing the started. Tape these bolts together and mark them as starter bolts.

11. The transmission will slide off far enough to reach the clutch assembly bolts and the flywheel bolts.

12. RESURFACE THE FLYWHEEL. It can be done. Regardless of what anyone might tell you, it is NOT a dual mass flywheel. Have it resurfaced or replace it with a different one, i.e. Fidenza lightweight flywheel.

13. When reinstalling the flywheel, where white gloves to help protect your hands and to keep oil and grease off the engagement surface. Torque the bolts in 30lb increments up to 90-95ft lbs. Torque them in a star pattern.

14. Install the new clutch assembly. DO NOT install the throw out bearing on the clutch assembly. Use a spline guide to keep the clutch disk centered and torque the pressure plate bolts in a star pattern little by little until seated. Torque to tight or 10-14 ft lbs.

16. Install the Throw Out Bearing on the clutch fork on the transmission. Use Moly-Lube or multi purpose grease on the contact points for the fork and TOB. Once the transmission is back together, take a hammer with a chunk of wood and whack the fork lever. The TOB will pop into place.

17. Reinstall the transmission. If you vehicle is older, or you damaged the outer seals for the drive shafts, then replace them. Make sure to guide the passenger side drive shaft into the transmission. Your Friend will really come in handy here. Once you have the transmission within about 2 inches of being completely seated, take the 2’ long 2x4 and wedge it between the inside fender well under the hood, and the end of the transmission. Pull on the wood and the transmission will slide the rest of the way in.

18. Reinstall everything else. This includes the terrible shifter cables bracket with the grommets.

As a practice I spray white lithium grease on every bolt that I have removed before I replace it, unless it requires Loctite. This means that when I have to remove it in the future, it is more likely to come out without a problem related to rust or dissimilar metal corrosion. I have done this for years and it has never failed me.