OK, I went by to spend some time with my "free" GTA (my friend gave it to me). Lo and behold, we changed some stuff, flushed some fluids, ,etc. and after 4 years of sitting, she fired right up. Things went so well (which NEVER happens when working on a car), it was like the car wanted to be fixed.

Anyway, the car was originally parked because it needed a clutch (118K and original clutch). My friend never got around to it and the car wound up parked for four years. I offered to take the car as a project and to get some hands on experience with things I haven't yet attempted (like clutch replacement). My question is, is the clutch something I can do in my garage on jackstands, or do I really need a lift? Time is not an issue (if it takes me all fall or winter) as this is not my daily driver. I have all the parts (they came with the car) and I can send it to the tranny shop and have it done in a few days, OR I can spend time under the car and have the satisfaction of a job done by me (the whole point) and save the $300 for paint and body work. I don't have a ton of space but I should have enough to do the job. Whaddya think, do I pay or play?

BTW, any good tranny/clutch resources would be appreciated. I like to have a lot of info before I start a project. Part of the reason I agreed to take this car was the wealth of knowledge that I knew I could find here on this site. I genuinely appreciate your input.

Kevin

 

The clutch is something you can do easily in your garage. Not a fun or pleasant job by any means, but not too difficult either.

Parts you will need: clutch (pressure plate & disc), throwout bearing, pilot bearing; trans fluid, I suggest synthetic gear lube, and grease; I strongly suggest getting a better shifter than stock ( I have a Hurst, I love it, there are also other good ones), and an Energy Suspension trans mount and torque arm bushing.

Put the car on stands under the frame at the front and rear; jack the rear end up an inch or 2, just enough to move it off the travel limit in the shocks, and support it that way by the axle tubes, not by any other part, there's very little force on it this way, 2 stacks of wood or something like that will work fine; drain as much of the fluid as possible out of the trans; remove the drive shaft; support the engine by the oil pan and a large block of wood; remove the crossmember bolts, and the trans mount bolt, the x-member will fall out; remove the speedo cable and torque arm bracket from the trans, and the shifter, using a 13mm box wrench; support the shifter from the interior of the car somehow, so it doesn't fall through when you pull the trans; remove the 4 trans bolts; pull out the trans. It weighs about 75 lbs, so be ready for some weight. Remove the clutch slave cylinder from the bell housing; remove the 6 bell housing bolts; remove the 6 pressure plate bolts; remove the flywheel from the crank.

Take the flywheel to a machine shop and have it resurfaced.

Get yourself a clutch alignment tool, some clutch kits come with them, some don't, just make sure you have one. Remove the pilot bushing or bearing by filling it completely with grease and putting the clutch alignment tool in it and bonking it, until the busing comes out. Knock the new one in.

Re-assembly is the reverse of removal.

 

well from my own personal experience i got right to the clutch after pulling the 305 outa the camaro... have to replace a rod bearing... and it just really needs cleaned up... but i doubt you wanna run throught all that to just replace the clutch....