Been a long time since I have done a clutch. Mine has a rasp in it sometimes on the top, sometimes in the middle. I can still shift without a rasp if I dont fully engage the clutch. I guess I need a new pressure plate and throw out bearing.

biggest challenges:

Taking apart the interior console
Torque arm detachment,
Removing the release cylinder from the clutch housing and heat shield.
balancing the tranny and mount on a jack, while pushing it back off the motor
Removing the pilot bearing

I am assuming the removal of the console and release cylinder can be avoided.

Any suggestions on the process, and the quickest way to get through this without having a stroke?

By the way, what is this plastic thing at the end of the release cylinder push rod ? is it supposed to be in one piece, or did it come from the factory like this?

 

Am I better off detaching the torque arm from the mount on the T5 or from the rear end?

 

plenty of clearance under here. The trans mount is solid, but I would like to get a poly mount 60k miles on this one

 

Here is the car:

 

It is not a challenge.

You don't have to take the console apart; you can remove the shifter from the trans from underneath, and just leave the shifter hanging there.

You need 6 jack stands, ideally. Put the car up on the frame on 4 of them, and remove all the tires (for ease of getting in and out from under it). The 2 front ones should go under the K-member right where the front control arms bolt to it; the 2 rear ones should go where the rear LCA bolts to the chassis. Once you have the car like this, jack the rear axle up a couple of inches, just enough to lift it off of the shocks; and take the other 2 jack stands, and put them under the axle tubes, such that they hold the rear end just barely up off of the stops at the end of the travel of the shocks. NOT the shock brackets, NOT the pumpkin, NOT anything else; under the axle tubes. If you support it this way, there will be so little force on the torque arm, that you can rotate it up and down at the trans with your little finger.

Put your floor jack under the trans, and remove the crossmember. Lower the trans as far as it will conveniently go. Remove the bottom torque arm bolt and the nut from the exhaust bracket, and slide the exhaust bracket out; remove the speedo cable, and the top TA bracket bolt, and remove the TA bracket. Reach up to the shifter with a short 13mm wrench and remove the shifter bolts. Remove the 4 trans bolts, and pull out the trans. Remove the slave cyl from the BH, and remove the 6 BH bolts, and pull out the BH. Remove the clutch from the flywheel. Pack grease into the pilot bushing, and stick a clutch alignment tool in the pilot, and whap it with a hammer to press the pilot out. Add more grease every couple of whaps as it comes out.

Get the flywheel turned and balanced. Get a roller pilot bearing, and put it in with a large socket, with the curved side facing out.

Reassembly is the reverse of removal.

If you already have another flywheel and all the other parts sitting there, you should be able to do this with hand tools in less than 3 hours.

 

When i changed out my clutch i just jacked up the front end and didnt have any problems. word of advise though. drain the trans before you do anything else, i forgot and made a mess.

 

Thanks RB83L69 and Hellfire !


Like I said, it has been a while. I have (most of) the tools, and heated garage. I have a 4 ton jack with 4 stands, and one of those 2.5 ton jacks. I understand what your saying about taking the weight off the torque arm, but I dont understand turning it with your little finger? You must mean the bolt?

Come to think of it, I dont have a clutch alignment tool.. any suggestions on the one that will fit into the pilot bushing?

I think I will do it when everyone is snowed in on the E.Coast this weekend.

Since my convert is a 305 tpi, I am just going with a stock clutch..from Napa, or Autozone. I think the only Mod I will do is to have Spohn install the convertible SFC's..

 

No, I mean the arm itself. If you support the car any way other than how I described, there will be so much force trying to make the arm either swing up or down, that you'll be unable to control it.

I don't know if you realize it, but that arm is the only thing keeping the rear end from spinning itself right out of the car.

 

Thanks for clarification.

In a previous post, I took a picture to identify that plastic "tab" that is in between the pin on the release and the claw on the clutch fork. Is that factory, or did someone stick it in there for an adjustment, or for dampening ?

Are are alignment tools the same diameter, or do I need to get it apart and measure the inside of the pilot bearing then buy the tool?

 

If you buy a replacement clutch it will usually come with the alignment tool, or i think you can just get a loaner from auto zone. I didnt have any problem removing my torque arm just make sure you have a good hold on it when unbolting it then just let it rest on the underbody, there really isnt much torque with the car at rest.

 

I'm not sure what you're asking about; but everything I see in the pic is stuff that belongs there. There's nothing extra.

There's a bunch of alignment tools, one for each size clutch. Ours are 1-1/8" diameter with 26 splines. A real standard GM size, easy to get hold of. They come with clutches sometimes, or you can get them at Auto Zone and such for like $5.

 

Thanks everyone, I didn't get to it this weekend, but I am planning to start taking it apart this week.


Thanks for your help !