cash money

hey i got a new clutch set and i want to try to install the son bitch my self, does anyone know where i can find a online shop manual, or know a good side, or could type a lil something somethin up for me? i need detail(like you were tellin a blind man how to do it) cause i read about but don't work on cars as much, but im EAGER to learn,

thanks

stiltner@harborside.com

Just did this myself, {But I`m a mechanic} but with a good manual I`m sure that you can do this !!! Isn`t it nice when someone has faith in you?
A good manual is the Haynes. You can get them at about any parts store, and they actually do the job before they write about it!! Thats a good thing!!! Put your car up on four jackstand, high enough that you can slide under your car on a creeper and have a couple of inches to work!!!
Follow the manual to the letter, have a good friend there for moral support, and to hand you tools, and you can do it!!!
Now little things that I ran into!!!
The first not so little thing is that bigass bolt that holds the flywheel to the crankshaft.. Someone else is going to have to help you with that one.It takes special mazda tools to get it off. Mainly to hold the engine from turning while you get Hurcules to break it loose for you. Then to torque it back for you!! I made my own, but unless you have a good shop to work in, try to find the tool. Don`t start untill you do!!
Next, buy a new O-ring for your oil filter adapter {mount} because it is much easier to do with the trans out!!! You`ll probably find that this is where that oil leak that you had all this time was coming from!!!

HUMMER Good luck!!!

cash money

how far is lake side, or from Vancouver, Wa? want to come up and help me

stiltner@harborside.com

They say that this is when you find out who your friends are!!! It`s really not that far, I`m on the southern oregon coast about 12 miles north of coos bay !!
Just couldn`t break away from wife and family long enough to make the trip.
No kidding, you can do it!!! If your clutch wasn`t chattering bad before it went out, you might not need to surface your flywheel, but it is always good insurance, as it`s no fun having to do the job over again!!!


HUMMER

Oh, by the way, by a new pilot bearing too. It`s fun to get out too!! The best way that I found is to split it! Sharpen a small hardened punch and drive it between the outer race and the outer edge!! Then smooth out the mark it leaves with emery paper and WD-40 !!!

asherwood

It's a big job, but definitely within the relm of the home mechanic, just be prepared to have the car down for a couple of days, have ALL of the necessary parts and tools on hand and you should be allright. Oh yeah, and don't take any short cuts like not getting the flywheel machined, that
is the most likely cause of early clutch failure other then oil contamination or abuse!


https://www.rx7club.com/vforums/show...threadid=38297

ShadowClown

I done the clutch in my '88 13bt. Its not that hard, im not a Mechanic, but im pretty mechanically minded, im actually a panelbeater. It only took me a day to strip the old one out and get the new one in....the hardest thing is definately the flywheel bolt, and aligning the clutch without a clutch without a clutch alignment tool isnt all that easy but still quite possible.

1FastT2

iTrader: (1)

Its easy as **** I can have mine done in about 4 hours. The only part that is a pain in the *** is to get the tranny lined up with the engine when putting it back in, and when you drop the tranny keep a rag nearby cause it get messy.

yeoldepirate

O.K., I've done this twice in the past week. My NAPA pilot bearing **** the bed after only one week of mild driving, so I had to tow my car 15 miles back to my house. Anyway, these guys are right, have everything ready before you start. All the tools, clutch components, and someone to help you. I can do it by myself in about 4 hours now, but the first time took me all freakin day. You'll need a 2 1/8" socket to remove the flywheel nut, it's real fun. Also go to your local parts store and rent a pilot bearing removal tool (much easier and safer than cutting it out). Get your flywheel resurfaced, and make sure you grease the new pilot bearing (Mazda OEM), and throw out bearing. Follow the Haynes manual to the "T", and you'll be fine. Oh one more thing. Your driveshaft comes balanced from the factory. When you remove it, mark it first so it goes back on the way it came off or you'll get shuddering at high RPM's. And, change your tranny and diff oil while your under there. **** one more thing. Front and rear tranny seals too. Sounds like a lot, but you'll be glad you saved the few hundred dollars doin it yourself. Good Luck!

stiltner@harborside.com

Wow is this new server fast or what???

Now your getting some good advice!! See how much faith that we have in you !!

yeoldpirate has some good advice, just keep picking up on all this advice from people that have been there and go for it!!!


HUMMER

cash money

thanks for the advice guys, i got a clutch alignment tool, and sockets or whatever, i jsut gotta find a pilot removal tool, and i'll pick up a manual too we'll see how it goes this weekend...

PaulC

The fly wheel is a bitch and a 2 1/8 socket will fit the nut just fine. its defiantly a 2-3 person job though.

Turblown

iTrader: (12)

Ya make sure u grease your pilot bearing and throw out bearing, and drain the tranny fluid before u take off tranny, or it gets messy! I forgot to grease the parts and now i can hear it engage. I'm gogin to put in a act clutch and 9.5# flywheel so i will do all the greasin and new parts...

JarrardB

Keep the advice and hints coming.....I'm doing mine on Saturday and this is great information to have....


How do you stop the engine from turning while you undo the flywheel bolt?

I have a new clutch but I really need to get it in before X-mas so I don't think I'll have time to get my flywheel machined....is it absolutely necessary?

How long do you think it will take three guys to drop the g/box and put in the new clutch?

cash money

if im not wrong, your put in gear to stop it from spinning

ithought they said NOT to get it machined? maybe i read wrong

Blake

Cash,

Here's my clutch job write up, though it's not exactly step-by-step:

Clutch Job

Since you're local, I'll let you borrow my Racing Beat flywheel tools if you like. I think Chris Moore has them now: cplzmoore@attbi.com
Tell him I said it was okay.

I borrowed the pilot bearing tool from Seth Bibler: sbibler@aracnet.com
Don't know if he'll lend it to a stranger, but it's worth a try. I'll vouch for you. Also, tell him that you're a customer of Rob's, and a member of RPNW.

And, finally, go visit Rob at Pineapple Racing and ask him for a loaner flywheel. You can go get that resurfaced, swap it in during the clutch job, then have your old one resurfaced and give it back to Rob. You pay twice for the resurfacing, but you don't have to stop in the middle of the clutch job to get it done! He can also tell you where to get the resurfacing done, which will save you some money.

Finally, if you get the FW nut off but the FW won't come loose from the e-shaft, first bang it in a circle with a metal hammer (on the edges). If that doesn't work, use a propane torch to heat it up. This is also a good idea on the nut, which has locktight and silicone sealant on it. Heating it a bit will really make it easier to loosen.

Hope that helps.

Dave Meers

I removed the pilot bearing by packing it with grease and hammering a wooden dowel in it. The hydraulic pressure will push it right out. Just make sure the wooden dowel is a tight fit - about a half inch diameter if I remember correctly. This works on a pilot bushing but probably won't work on a needle bearing. It worked for me..........

asherwood

Someone just posted that you should 'put it in gear' LOL I'd like to be there when they walk over to the transmission that's out on the floor, put it gear and hope that it stops the engine from turning! (sorry couldn't resist!)

Anyway, the best way is to make a flywheel brake, a small toothed piece of metal that engages the ring gear and is bolted to the engine block. A picture can be found in the factory service manual, mine took a hour or so to fabricate.

Yes, machine the flywheel, otherwise until the disc wears to match the surface the disc can slip and cause increased heat/wear, and it won't last as long and you'll be doin' this again soon! Please see the comments in this post: https://www.rx7club.com/vforums/show...&threadid=38297


As for help, unless your car is on a hoist, 3 guys won't fit under there! I did mine in about 8 hours and this was the first time. If you know all of the steps and have all the tools at hand probably about 4 hours, not including the flywheel machining (highly recommended!)

Vitifonz

Hey Guys, just did mine last weekend and noticed that now my pedal stays stuck to the floor sometimes(if shift during speeding)I litertly have to kick the pedal to make pop-up... it's really scary!!!! What could be the problem...thanks for the advice!!!!!

ZachSpazz

Bleed your hydraulics or you might need a new master/slave cylinder.

Gearhead

iTrader: (1)

Ok. I can do these in about an hour and a half, but I have a lift and have done dozens of them. I'm going to make this a little vague and if you have any questions about any specific part just e-mail me. K? Here goes:
1: Jack the car and support it on stands remembering that you have to be able to get to the whole underside of the car and work.
2: Remove the shifter. Pop the trim panel up and undo the bolts. Most ppl just cut the boot a little to get to the 3 10mm bolts.
3: Remove the slave cylinder under the hood. It is right behind the oil filter. The bolts are 12mm.
4: You'll have to pull the exhaust system from the manifold to the Y- pipe. Well, maybe not, but I tried to do it without, and always ended up pulling it.
5: Pull the drive shaft. You may have to undo some more exhaust hangars if you are trying to pull it all the way out.
6: Drop the heat shields. Hope you have a good 10mm and an air wratchet.
7: Unless you have an old drive shaft front yoke (I do) to cap the rear of the trans, you'll have to drain the fluid.
8: Remove the starter.
9: Remove the bellhousing bolts. There are 4 bolts and a nut that is top center. Remember: Always remove the bellhousing bolts that are hard to get to first. Otherwise if you pull the easy ones then the weight will be on the remaining hard to reach ones. I have a nice long extension and a swivel impact 14mm to pull these. You can do it other ways, but I get paid to do this.
10: Disconnect all the wires going to the trans. labeling them so you know how to put them back.
11: Get a good strong friend to help you, and remove the rear trans mount and pull the thing out of the back.
12: Pull the Pressure plate bolts.
13: I use a 2-1/8 inch craftsman socket on my IR231 impact to pull the flywheel. It takes a minute, but will do it. I also have a 3/4 impact for the super stubborn.
14: Use a puller to remove the pilot bearing. Auto Zone has these to borrow with a deposit. I personally don't buy anything from them except oil, but the loaner program is nice.
15: Use a pilot bearing driver to reinstall the bearing.
16: Use a clutch line up tool to reinstall the clutch and torque the bolts in a cris cross pattern in steps.
17: You may have to tilt the engine back to aid in reinstalling the trans.
18: Replace the throw out bearing with a new one.
19: Reinstallation is opposite of removal. Don't you just love that?

I would recommend replacing the rear trans rubber mount as well as it's probably bad. I would also pull back the boot on the slave cylinder and see if it's leaking, and check the master cyl too. Some ppl remove the rear mount before removing the bell housing bolts and let the trans hang on the engine. This causes it to tilt back a bit making the top bellhousing bolts easier to remove, but I think it may be hard on the motor mounts and other parts. If you have any questions just let me know. I'm pretty sure I've forgotten something... this is just a guide..
No warranties expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary. Not sold in stores. Act now! This deal won't last long!
Don.

JarrardB

The clutch i am installing is second hand anyway...it has only done 3000k's (just under 2000 miles)....will it have already worn to match the other flywheel by now?

Is there a standard "wear in" time? ie. do I have to drive easy for any particular amount of time afterwards?

And asi I said before....is it likely to take 8 hours for two/three mechanically minded guys to do it.....we are just gonna have the car on blocks....and it is obviously the first time any of us have done it on a 2nd gen.

JarrardB

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