1st Gen Clutch Replacement Help?
 

Hi all. So the time has come to change the clutch on my rx. Ive been putting it off for a while because when I had my Miata, the clutch job went horribly wrong. then again I was 17 at the time and wasn't very knowledgeable on cars lol.

Anyways I was just wondering what sockets or special tools I will need?
While im in there what else should I replace to ensure a job done well?

Ill just be going with a stock exedy clutch kit, as I don't have many engine upgrades.

I just did a stock clutch swap on my SA the exedu kit has the needle bearing, throw out bearing , clutch plate and pressure plate. The only special tool you will need is the needle bearing removal tool. The rest of the swap standard hand tools.

clutch
 

No special tool required to get a needle bearing out. Try:

1. Filling the cavity with grease. Find a socket that slides through the bearing with tightest clearance. Fill the socket with grease. Then hammer the socket through the bearing. Bearing will push out.

OR

2. Sharp punch and hammer. Try to deform the outer race with out hurting the metal surrounding the bearing. Can be a pain.

Both of these methods work if you do not have a tiny slide hammer.

Seems like there is hundred methods to remove pilot bearings. All of them a pain in the ass and none of them work as good or quick as the actual pilot bearing removal tool. I think there's even a couple places that will rent them out to you online. Save yourself the headache and rent one out or purchase it and re sell it.

A clutch disc alignment tool (plastic, few bucks from the parts store) is really helpful to get the friction disc lined up properly, too.

Since you want to keep this easy, don't worry about the pilot bearing (needle bearings in the end of the e-shaft). Inspect the flywheel and as long as it's not scored or creaked, don't worry about taking it off.

Since you do want to keep this simple, I suggest not removing the engine. Some guys, including myself sometimes, like to take the engine out when doing a clutch job.

If you don't want to take out the engine, you will need some nice jack stands (4), not the cheap ones, so you can get the car as high in the air as possible. Harbor Freight has some study ones. You will also need a nice floor jack. Ensure you position the floor jack UNDER the cross member. I use a piece of 2x4 on top of the jack pedestal. If you get this wring, you can dent the oil pan.

3 Ton Steel Jack Stands

Don't change the pilot bearing. It's usually just fine anyway and you do more harm than good trying to change it. Just change out the grease seal.

Thanks guys! This will be very helpful!

I don't even recommend people try to change out the needle bearing unless they have the right RB puller, slide hammer tool. The chances of screwing up the e-shaft are too great, and it adds several hours of frustration trying to do it with alternate means. The grease/wet newspaper trick only seemed to spray grease and wet newspaper all over me...

Get the right tool, or don't even try it. Regrease the existing needle bearing, install a new grease seal, and get it back together. Straightforward job except for lining it back up using the "bear-hug" method from under the car!

The grease trick works OK on bearings or bushings that have a large surface area for the grease to act against and a smooth inner surface to prevent the grease from squirting out. The RX-7 pilot bearing has neither of these things, and it won't work.

The punch and hammer can work, but it's not worth the chance of damaging expensive parts, especially when the correct tool makes it fast, easy, and relatively risk-free. You can rent / borrow them at auto parts stores; it should look something like this:

OTC 1172 Slide Hammer Type Pilot Bearing Puller | Engine, Trans., and Driveline Tools

I would at least check the pilot bearing to make sure it still has roller bearings in it and looks OK. If not, definitely replace it (and the seal).

Go to autozone and rent the pilot bearing puller. I never had any issue with them. Those who disagree with me, they didnt use it correctly.

While I understand wanting to keep this as simple as possible, that's not going to coincide with doing a "job well done". I would never pull a trans and do a full clutch kit without resurfacing the flywheel. Same with the pilot bearing.

However, since you botched up a Miata clutch job, you may want to either recruit help from a friend with experience or pay a mechanic. We frequently service NAs and NBs, they're about as easy as it comes for a clutch job...

I'm not trying to discourage you or make your job more difficult than it needs to be, but merely weighing in on the situation based off experience. The last thing you want to do pull the trans out again and redo the job 5k miles from now due to shortcuts.