Gez89SHO
LEGO SHO
I recently changed the clutch on my ’89. I did a similar job before on a simpler car and felt ready enough to attempt this. Now that it’s done, I decided to write up this procedure. While there is a lot of info here already- I did read a whole lot on the forum, and the Helms Manual before deciding on the job -I wanted to put everything in one easy to reference place. So here is the “How I did it”:
Disclaimer: Before you begin, please realize that this is a guide. Be careful while working – I am not responsible if you render your car inoperable, or for any injuries you or anyone helping you may receive. Read through this whole procedure and ensure you have the resources to complete it. This is a hard job, and while not impossible, not everyone can do it. There are parts that can fall down, break, fall on YOU, leak, strip, get lost, etc. Also, you will be working with hazardous materials-clutch dust contains asbestos, and the fumes from the cleaning agents won’t help also. Have it done professionally if you feel uncomfortable.
Stuff you need:
Time to finish – while some can do it in a day, it can take you a week if you never did it before. Take your time- parts/tools can break, you will be waiting for stuff to come in, and if you get frustrated/tired, it’s best to leave it for later.
Location- preferably find a garage to work in, with plenty of room to walk around the car and to allow for parts storage. Ensure it has adequate ventilation. You will take off the subframe and transaxle (and more) , so you’ll need a bit of floor space. You can work outside if it’s level and secure, but you really should be indoors. This will take a long time, and you don’t want to stop just because it’s raining.
You will need an assistant to help remove and reinstall the transaxle, subframe, and y pipe. Ensure you have another car to drive while this one is down.
Inventory control-whenever possible, put nuts/bolts back into where they were removed from. This cuts down clutter, and eliminates guessing “where does this bolt fit?”
Tools/items: besides common tools (ratchet, deep sockets, etc) you will need:
-Engine support or hoist to support engine from the top. A fender mounted support is preferred as this leaves the underside clear for movement. You will be there a lot.
-Impact gun to remove flywheel. You can try to remove it manually but consider this: you cannot really put a wrench on there from the top, and to be pulling on the flywheel from the bottom, while you are laying under the engine, is not advisable.
-Torque wrench.
-Big Freakin’ Hammer and crowbar, to move things in/out of place. And for therapy
-Some penetrant and engine cleaning sprays. I used PB Blaster and Gunk Engine Brite.
-Loctite (Blue) for the flywheel and pressure plate bolts.
-If you got a new flywheel, a vise is needed to drive pins into the flywheel.
-At least 4 floor jacks (hydraulic and screw type), to support everything. 2 jackstands also.
-A transaxle jack will be helpful, but is not necessary.
-Block of wood to help support engine.
-Some rope or wire (to support items while hanging).
-Goggles, mask for eye and vapor protection.
-Small pump for filling trans fluid.
-Gloves and some clothes you don’t care about- you will get dirty. Repeatedly.
-If you are unlucky (like me), and break the y-pipe studs:
o Tap and die set, the studs are M10x1.50.
o Drill and drill bits, to drill out old studs.
o Compact cutting tool (a Dremel works well) to cut old studs off.
Let’s begin:
1. Apply penetrating fluid to the y-pipe studs and let it soak overnight (raise car as needed). Lower driver side window (only if indoors). Disconnect negative battery cable and set parking brake.
2. Support the engine and trans: setup engine support carefully- the engine will be hanging over your body. Assemble support as per instructions. Front goes to the hanger bracket, rear goes to the EGR bung at the rear of intake (I found this location to work for me). Add the safety cables if so equipped-wrap them around intake tubes. Tighten both ends and make sure it is steady. Refer to the 2 photos below:
(the rope is holding the steering rack BTW) Side note-while there are ways to make a support, I choose to buy one. This one is rated at 700lbs and cost me less than 90 with shipping from Amazon.
3. Raise car slightly (tires still touching the ground),and remove center caps from front wheels. Loosen all lugnuts and the 29mm axle nuts.
4. Raise car fully and then support it securely on jackstands. Raise high enough to clear the trans. Remove the wheel and axle nuts, remove front wheels and set them behind the jackstands.
5. Remove y-pipe. Remove the rear spring bolts and then place jack under the rear cat. Carefully remove the y-pipe nuts from the front and rear manifolds. Also remove the two bolts from the y-to-oil pan mount. Once loose, lower it carefully, it’s a bit heavy.
6. Remove the control arm-to –knuckle bolts. Get a crowbar and make sure the control arms are loose from the knuckles. Don’t remove at this point- they will come down with the subframe.
7. Remove the sway bar links from the strut. There is a hex on the other side of the bolt so you may hold with a wrench while you’re loosening. Tilt them out of the way.
8. Remove shifter. Remove the shift ****, the rod shifter support and shifter clevis pin, then the 2 bolts at rear of shifter and set it aside. You may need to remove the other 4 bolts if the exhaust is in the way. For the cable setup, remove clevis pin, take off the bracket with cables, then remove the cable support bracket. Let it hang out of the way. Pic 3: The parts pile will grow…
9. Loosen the steering rack and tie rod end bolts. Remove tie rod ends from the knuckles.
10. Tie up the steering rack to support it while subframe is out. Make sure it is holding.
11. Remove the starter. Refer to photo below.
Remove the cable connections/clamps and loosen the 2 starter support bolts. Loosen the top bolt at the starter support bracket. Get a firm grip on the starter and remove the bolts- be ready for it to drop. Carefully guide it down between the engine and subframe. Note the plate in between starter and trans.
12. Remove the 2 oil pan-to transaxle bolts. Remove the plate if it doesn’t fall on its own.
13. Disconnect Engine mounts: Remove the front, rear and transaxle mount nuts/bolts. At the front of the subframe, remove screws that hold the steering fluid cooler from subframe and let it hang. Support engine under the oil pan. Use a screw jack and a block of wood.
14. Remove subframe. Be careful here- you do not want the engine to drop down! Place jacks at front and 2 rear corners. Loosen the 4 18mm subframe bolts. Slightly lower subframe (until there is a gap between the mounts and subframe) Slightly loosen the jack under the oilpan until you see a gap. You are looking for the engine to be suspended only by the top support- if it is not, and it just keeps moving down- raise subframe and oilpan jacks, and redo step 2. Once you are sure that the support is holding, remove the subframe bolts, lower subframe all the way (watch for any stuff you forgot to disconnect), then remove the jack under the oilpan. Drag subframe out of the way, preferably on cardboard or something similar. Put back the jack under the oilpan and support the engine. Pic 5:the subframe is out.
You can now change sway bar bushings if you wish. I did.
15. Remove CV joints from the hubs. Loosen the joints with a hammer, then pull/turn the hub to allow enough space to get the joints out. You may tie them temporarily so they don’t hang.
16. Remove the passenger side axle and link shaft as a unit. Place a pan under the trans to catch the fluid. You will need 2 people here. One needs to loosen the support bearing bolts (2) and the other holds and pulls the axle out. Keep holding it while the support bolts are out! There are no clips or anything holding the axle to the trans- it will (should) pull out easily. The driver side axle does not need to be removed. Pic 6: the axle and link shaft.
17. Remove the airbox, MAF, and air hose. Unhook the MAF and Air Temp sensors, then loosen and remove top of air filter housing. Now unbolt the bottom half and remove. You may reassemble them outside the car to keep them together.
18. Remove the driver-side splash shield. Take off the clips, and the 3 fender screws plus one bolt at the rear wheel spat. Then wiggle it out. Pic7: the parts pile keeps growing…
19. Remove the trans damper and the trans shield- see photo below.
For the damper, remove the 2 bolts at the trans and then 2 bolts at the fender on top. Then remove it from the top. For the shield, unbolt the wiring loom on top (7mm bolt I think) and then loosen the two bolts at the front. Leave the trans mount on - it will go down with the trans.
20. Unhook the reverse lamp switch from the top of the trans.
21. Loosen clutch cable. Have some one pull up on the clutch pedal and then pull the cable forward from the clutch fork. Gently release and let it hang out of the way.
22. If changing clutch cable: Refer to the 4 pictures below.
Shield:
Cables, old and new:
Firewall hole, looking from below behind master cylinder:
Detail drawing:
Get under the dash and look/feel above the pedal. You will need to remove the cable shield. The space is cramped, dark and there are a few sharp objects in there. Remove the 2 8mm bolts and remove shield. Then loosen cable end from the adjuster, allow adjuster to come forward, and then slide cable end in between the back of the adjuster and the top of the pedal. Pull cable out from firewall side. Install new cable in thru firewall and mount end on adjuster. Let it hang out of the way. You can let the pedal hang btw - the Helms says to have it raised but it won't matter much.
Disclaimer: Before you begin, please realize that this is a guide. Be careful while working – I am not responsible if you render your car inoperable, or for any injuries you or anyone helping you may receive. Read through this whole procedure and ensure you have the resources to complete it. This is a hard job, and while not impossible, not everyone can do it. There are parts that can fall down, break, fall on YOU, leak, strip, get lost, etc. Also, you will be working with hazardous materials-clutch dust contains asbestos, and the fumes from the cleaning agents won’t help also. Have it done professionally if you feel uncomfortable.
Stuff you need:
Time to finish – while some can do it in a day, it can take you a week if you never did it before. Take your time- parts/tools can break, you will be waiting for stuff to come in, and if you get frustrated/tired, it’s best to leave it for later.
Location- preferably find a garage to work in, with plenty of room to walk around the car and to allow for parts storage. Ensure it has adequate ventilation. You will take off the subframe and transaxle (and more) , so you’ll need a bit of floor space. You can work outside if it’s level and secure, but you really should be indoors. This will take a long time, and you don’t want to stop just because it’s raining.
You will need an assistant to help remove and reinstall the transaxle, subframe, and y pipe. Ensure you have another car to drive while this one is down.
Inventory control-whenever possible, put nuts/bolts back into where they were removed from. This cuts down clutter, and eliminates guessing “where does this bolt fit?”
Tools/items: besides common tools (ratchet, deep sockets, etc) you will need:
-Engine support or hoist to support engine from the top. A fender mounted support is preferred as this leaves the underside clear for movement. You will be there a lot.
-Impact gun to remove flywheel. You can try to remove it manually but consider this: you cannot really put a wrench on there from the top, and to be pulling on the flywheel from the bottom, while you are laying under the engine, is not advisable.
-Torque wrench.
-Big Freakin’ Hammer and crowbar, to move things in/out of place. And for therapy
-Some penetrant and engine cleaning sprays. I used PB Blaster and Gunk Engine Brite.
-Loctite (Blue) for the flywheel and pressure plate bolts.
-If you got a new flywheel, a vise is needed to drive pins into the flywheel.
-At least 4 floor jacks (hydraulic and screw type), to support everything. 2 jackstands also.
-A transaxle jack will be helpful, but is not necessary.
-Block of wood to help support engine.
-Some rope or wire (to support items while hanging).
-Goggles, mask for eye and vapor protection.
-Small pump for filling trans fluid.
-Gloves and some clothes you don’t care about- you will get dirty. Repeatedly.
-If you are unlucky (like me), and break the y-pipe studs:
o Tap and die set, the studs are M10x1.50.
o Drill and drill bits, to drill out old studs.
o Compact cutting tool (a Dremel works well) to cut old studs off.
Let’s begin:
1. Apply penetrating fluid to the y-pipe studs and let it soak overnight (raise car as needed). Lower driver side window (only if indoors). Disconnect negative battery cable and set parking brake.
2. Support the engine and trans: setup engine support carefully- the engine will be hanging over your body. Assemble support as per instructions. Front goes to the hanger bracket, rear goes to the EGR bung at the rear of intake (I found this location to work for me). Add the safety cables if so equipped-wrap them around intake tubes. Tighten both ends and make sure it is steady. Refer to the 2 photos below:
(the rope is holding the steering rack BTW) Side note-while there are ways to make a support, I choose to buy one. This one is rated at 700lbs and cost me less than 90 with shipping from Amazon.
3. Raise car slightly (tires still touching the ground),and remove center caps from front wheels. Loosen all lugnuts and the 29mm axle nuts.
4. Raise car fully and then support it securely on jackstands. Raise high enough to clear the trans. Remove the wheel and axle nuts, remove front wheels and set them behind the jackstands.
5. Remove y-pipe. Remove the rear spring bolts and then place jack under the rear cat. Carefully remove the y-pipe nuts from the front and rear manifolds. Also remove the two bolts from the y-to-oil pan mount. Once loose, lower it carefully, it’s a bit heavy.
6. Remove the control arm-to –knuckle bolts. Get a crowbar and make sure the control arms are loose from the knuckles. Don’t remove at this point- they will come down with the subframe.
7. Remove the sway bar links from the strut. There is a hex on the other side of the bolt so you may hold with a wrench while you’re loosening. Tilt them out of the way.
8. Remove shifter. Remove the shift ****, the rod shifter support and shifter clevis pin, then the 2 bolts at rear of shifter and set it aside. You may need to remove the other 4 bolts if the exhaust is in the way. For the cable setup, remove clevis pin, take off the bracket with cables, then remove the cable support bracket. Let it hang out of the way. Pic 3: The parts pile will grow…
9. Loosen the steering rack and tie rod end bolts. Remove tie rod ends from the knuckles.
10. Tie up the steering rack to support it while subframe is out. Make sure it is holding.
11. Remove the starter. Refer to photo below.
Remove the cable connections/clamps and loosen the 2 starter support bolts. Loosen the top bolt at the starter support bracket. Get a firm grip on the starter and remove the bolts- be ready for it to drop. Carefully guide it down between the engine and subframe. Note the plate in between starter and trans.
12. Remove the 2 oil pan-to transaxle bolts. Remove the plate if it doesn’t fall on its own.
13. Disconnect Engine mounts: Remove the front, rear and transaxle mount nuts/bolts. At the front of the subframe, remove screws that hold the steering fluid cooler from subframe and let it hang. Support engine under the oil pan. Use a screw jack and a block of wood.
14. Remove subframe. Be careful here- you do not want the engine to drop down! Place jacks at front and 2 rear corners. Loosen the 4 18mm subframe bolts. Slightly lower subframe (until there is a gap between the mounts and subframe) Slightly loosen the jack under the oilpan until you see a gap. You are looking for the engine to be suspended only by the top support- if it is not, and it just keeps moving down- raise subframe and oilpan jacks, and redo step 2. Once you are sure that the support is holding, remove the subframe bolts, lower subframe all the way (watch for any stuff you forgot to disconnect), then remove the jack under the oilpan. Drag subframe out of the way, preferably on cardboard or something similar. Put back the jack under the oilpan and support the engine. Pic 5:the subframe is out.
You can now change sway bar bushings if you wish. I did.
15. Remove CV joints from the hubs. Loosen the joints with a hammer, then pull/turn the hub to allow enough space to get the joints out. You may tie them temporarily so they don’t hang.
16. Remove the passenger side axle and link shaft as a unit. Place a pan under the trans to catch the fluid. You will need 2 people here. One needs to loosen the support bearing bolts (2) and the other holds and pulls the axle out. Keep holding it while the support bolts are out! There are no clips or anything holding the axle to the trans- it will (should) pull out easily. The driver side axle does not need to be removed. Pic 6: the axle and link shaft.
17. Remove the airbox, MAF, and air hose. Unhook the MAF and Air Temp sensors, then loosen and remove top of air filter housing. Now unbolt the bottom half and remove. You may reassemble them outside the car to keep them together.
18. Remove the driver-side splash shield. Take off the clips, and the 3 fender screws plus one bolt at the rear wheel spat. Then wiggle it out. Pic7: the parts pile keeps growing…
19. Remove the trans damper and the trans shield- see photo below.
For the damper, remove the 2 bolts at the trans and then 2 bolts at the fender on top. Then remove it from the top. For the shield, unbolt the wiring loom on top (7mm bolt I think) and then loosen the two bolts at the front. Leave the trans mount on - it will go down with the trans.
20. Unhook the reverse lamp switch from the top of the trans.
21. Loosen clutch cable. Have some one pull up on the clutch pedal and then pull the cable forward from the clutch fork. Gently release and let it hang out of the way.
22. If changing clutch cable: Refer to the 4 pictures below.
Shield:
Cables, old and new:
Firewall hole, looking from below behind master cylinder:
Detail drawing:
Get under the dash and look/feel above the pedal. You will need to remove the cable shield. The space is cramped, dark and there are a few sharp objects in there. Remove the 2 8mm bolts and remove shield. Then loosen cable end from the adjuster, allow adjuster to come forward, and then slide cable end in between the back of the adjuster and the top of the pedal. Pull cable out from firewall side. Install new cable in thru firewall and mount end on adjuster. Let it hang out of the way. You can let the pedal hang btw - the Helms says to have it raised but it won't matter much.
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