Hey Jeezus, I still can't PM - I may be OK, and not neet the flywheel nut - I should have a socket by next Wednesday. I'll PM you (if I ever get to 15 posts - har) and if I need the nut.

Have a merry one.

 

Yea, I had to get an "earthquake version" 1/2" impact driver to get the nut loose today, it broke it loose in about 3 seconds (it's rated up to 400 ft.lbs.). I tried 18V electric impact wrenches, and a cheaper 1/2" air version for several minutes of hammering, before I bit the bullet and bought the correct tool.

Now, to get the flywheel slid loose from the shaft.......Gotta track down a pulley puller tomorrow, or figure out if I have a heavy enough piece of steel in the basement to make one.

 

You don't need a puller. Just hit the flywheel while prying it out with a large screwdriver.

 

http://mazdatrix.com/faq/flywheelremoval.htm

 

Bust that nut off,

 

Cool, you guys just saved me $38 by giving me the info I needed so I can take the flywheel puller out of my RB shopping cart. Thanks again!

 

Yea, mine is trying to be the exception to the rule. I watched the video this morning (thanks RX7 allnight for the link), got all excited, and whapped it a couple times. Then a couple more, and more......... Godsmack and AC/DC didn't help out either.

Next, I heated the flywheel to about 200 degrees with my paint stripper gun, whapped it a couple more times, still nothing.

THEN, I put my homemade pulley puller on it, torqued the bolts as hard as I dared - still nothing - even when I whapped it a few more times with the puller on it.

Gotta make a milk and bread run now, so a stop by the auto places is in order for a HD puller. That flywheel is coming off - TODAY!!!!

 

You might be well off just to get a heavy sledgehammer. I don't have one and have always wanted an excuse to buy one. For fear of damaging the flywheel, I'd place a block of wood over one of the flats for the clutch bolts and wail away. Just keep stepping it up a notch.

Just remember that at this point, the flywheel is embarassing you, and you just can't let that stand.

 

put a 2x4 behind the flywheel and smack that wood with a 2.5 mallet.

a 3 foot prybar has helped too.

 

Finally - the car gods started to smile on me, but I had to fight them for it.

I got the flywheel off (after torquing the hell out of it with a 3/4" thick HD puller, and beating on it after every 1/4 turn on the center puller bolt with my 5lb sledgehammer), then I took it to the local machine shop.

HOWEVER - they did not have an adapter that would fit my flywheel, so I went by work, scrounged thru the metal gears, and found one that they could use as a spacer. Took the gear to them, they machined the flywheel, and it is setting on my workbench, ready to be cleaned up and reinstalled (after I eat supper).

AND - I picked up a couple M10 by 1.25 by 90mm bolts at Ace Hardware (3 friggin bucks each), that I'm hack sawing off the heads (and cutting a screwdriver slot in it for removal ease), and will use them as guide pins to reinstall the transmission , per another post's suggestion.

I should have her back together and fired up later tonight. I've took cell pics along the way, I doubt it's anything that hasn't been seen before so I'm not going to clutter up the site.

If I guessed wrong, let me know and I'll put them in this post.

Hopefully - the next post will tell how good the new clutch and rebuilt shifter feels.