doing clutch soon...anything to watch out for?
11-29-2010, 01:15 PM
#1
doing clutch soon...anything to watch out for?
as the title says, im putting in my stage II and LWFW, i have a pretty good idea on what has to be done to do this...axels, starter, slave, shifer links, etc...but is there anything i should watch out for that you all have found from experience? im hoping it will go smoothly but im sure ill find something:/ Thanks!
aka any tips to make this easier
aka any tips to make this easier
11-29-2010, 02:54 PM
#3
^^^ by clean he means to sand them with sand paper.
also, and this seems obvious, but make sure and drain the trans oil before you pull the axles out. i was in a hurry once (trying to get a trans swap done in like an hour start to finish) and I stupidly forgot to drain the trans oil before I yanked out an axle. a face full of MT90 is not fun, though my buddy thought it was hilarious for some reason...
also, and this seems obvious, but make sure and drain the trans oil before you pull the axles out. i was in a hurry once (trying to get a trans swap done in like an hour start to finish) and I stupidly forgot to drain the trans oil before I yanked out an axle. a face full of MT90 is not fun, though my buddy thought it was hilarious for some reason...
11-29-2010, 08:29 PM
#6
luckly enough, i just replaced my pass axel like a couple months ago so it wont be a problem, and as far as the nut, ive taken them off so many times in the last year i coule probably have them off in my sleep haha.
and just curious about the mt90 because i know im going to put new tranny fluid in, but not sure what to get, ima do my research here in a min to try and find my answer but just thought ide put it in this post...my car is my dd, but is run hard every day atleast once, just messing around with friends haha...so if that makes any difference let me know
.... TIA!
Tim
and just curious about the mt90 because i know im going to put new tranny fluid in, but not sure what to get, ima do my research here in a min to try and find my answer but just thought ide put it in this post...my car is my dd, but is run hard every day atleast once, just messing around with friends haha...so if that makes any difference let me know
.... TIA!Tim
11-29-2010, 08:56 PM
#7
luckly enough, i just replaced my pass axel like a couple months ago so it wont be a problem, and as far as the nut, ive taken them off so many times in the last year i coule probably have them off in my sleep haha.
and just curious about the mt90 because i know im going to put new tranny fluid in, but not sure what to get, ima do my research here in a min to try and find my answer but just thought ide put it in this post...my car is my dd, but is run hard every day atleast once, just messing around with friends haha...so if that makes any difference let me know.... TIA!
Tim
and just curious about the mt90 because i know im going to put new tranny fluid in, but not sure what to get, ima do my research here in a min to try and find my answer but just thought ide put it in this post...my car is my dd, but is run hard every day atleast once, just messing around with friends haha...so if that makes any difference let me know
.... TIA!Tim
11-30-2010, 12:28 AM
#11
as far as the clutch deal goes, sand the surfaces for sure. more than likely, it WILL cause issues if you dont, trust me. you dont have to take off the cross member as some people will say. the bolts at the bottom of the tranny will come out, but not all the way cuz they will hit the crossmember, but its ok. they are out of the tranny. you dont have to remove the ypipe either. just go over the ypipe with a long extension for some of the bolts down there. oh and dont forget that stupid bolt down there on one of the linkages. talk about a hard as freak bolt to get to...sigh. that bolt really is a pain. have fun tho.
11-30-2010, 01:49 PM
#15
nothing lol. no really tho, we (as if i own advance lol) dont carry anything thats strictly gl-4. everything advance carries is gl-4 and gl-5, but we cant use gl-5, so take that for whats its worth. i mean, ive used the coastal brand we carry before, but definitely order amsoil or redline imo.
as far as the clutch deal goes, sand the surfaces for sure. more than likely, it WILL cause issues if you dont, trust me. you dont have to take off the cross member as some people will say. the bolts at the bottom of the tranny will come out, but not all the way cuz they will hit the crossmember, but its ok. they are out of the tranny. you dont have to remove the ypipe either. just go over the ypipe with a long extension for some of the bolts down there. oh and dont forget that stupid bolt down there on one of the linkages. talk about a hard as freak bolt to get to...sigh. that bolt really is a pain. have fun tho.
as far as the clutch deal goes, sand the surfaces for sure. more than likely, it WILL cause issues if you dont, trust me. you dont have to take off the cross member as some people will say. the bolts at the bottom of the tranny will come out, but not all the way cuz they will hit the crossmember, but its ok. they are out of the tranny. you dont have to remove the ypipe either. just go over the ypipe with a long extension for some of the bolts down there. oh and dont forget that stupid bolt down there on one of the linkages. talk about a hard as freak bolt to get to...sigh. that bolt really is a pain. have fun tho.
11-30-2010, 09:21 PM
#16
well...my lower rad support is going, and going fast...so im not gonna mess with that haha, and when you say mating surface, are you talking about mating surface between trans, and engine...like the bell housing? or what....and..hmm...had another question...shoot cant remember lol
11-30-2010, 09:36 PM
#17
I Haven't posted in a while. Label bolts that you remove so that re-assembly is easy. I just used ziplock bags and wrote where the bolt came from. Air tools will make this a simple job.
Hardest part for me was getting the transmission in and out. The transmission jack just got in the way. So we used a regular heavy duty jack instead.
I removed everything up top that I could, battery tray etc.
Hardest part for me was getting the transmission in and out. The transmission jack just got in the way. So we used a regular heavy duty jack instead.
I removed everything up top that I could, battery tray etc.
11-30-2010, 09:44 PM
#18
i plan on removing battery, cai, starter, slave, axels, and that *should* be enough, oh and shifter linkage...lol i just pulled out 2 different trannys on some srt4's and wasnt that bad, so we shall see how bad our maximas are and thanks! i WILL be labeling lol...im not doing the...."...i think thisone goes here" thing and then redo it all again when i find a leak lol, and do we have a gasket between trans and engine? dumb question but i need to know lol
and thanks! i WILL be labeling lol...im not doing the...."...i think thisone goes here" thing and then redo it all again when i find a leak lol, and do we have a gasket between trans and engine? dumb question but i need to know lol
11-30-2010, 10:11 PM
#19
na, theres no gasket. about the mating surface, yes, the surface between the engine and tranny. where they bolt up to eachother. might as well sand down the negative ground too while youre down there. oh, and watch out for the timing ring teeth. dont use them as prying devices lol, but that should be obvious.
11-30-2010, 10:24 PM
#20
ok yea sounds good should i sand the whole way around? and what grit sand paper, fineish or like gritty? obviously the first time doing this on my car so we shall see, i have to do my pass side axel seal into the trans while its off so yea....i gotta few jobs to do while im there, it will be slow...so i hope not to skip anything and kick myselff in the ars later!
should i sand the whole way around? and what grit sand paper, fineish or like gritty? obviously the first time doing this on my car so we shall see, i have to do my pass side axel seal into the trans while its off so yea....i gotta few jobs to do while im there, it will be slow...so i hope not to skip anything and kick myselff in the ars later!
11-30-2010, 10:28 PM
#21
yeah sand the whole way around, whatever grit just makes it shiny again. somewhere around 1000 should be ok, but honestly i think anything will work. were not trying to sand away material, just roughing up both surfaces so theyre a clean ground.
12-01-2010, 07:21 AM
#23
Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Posts: 237
I just finished my first clutch job.. Main issue I had was getting the car up in the air high enough to maneuver the tranny out from under the car.. I used a cradle adapter that fits on top of a floor jack, which would only lower the tranny so far... I also ended up with a bad lower clutch hose leak (had a slight leak, then after all the jostling of the slave cylinder, the leak became bad... Also might want to consider flywheel resurface at a machine shop, or a new flywheel which could actually be cheaper.... I used Redline MT90 fluid...
12-01-2010, 07:24 AM
#24
^^^ by clean he means to sand them with sand paper.
also, and this seems obvious, but make sure and drain the trans oil before you pull the axles out. i was in a hurry once (trying to get a trans swap done in like an hour start to finish) and I stupidly forgot to drain the trans oil before I yanked out an axle. a face full of MT90 is not fun, though my buddy thought it was hilarious for some reason...
also, and this seems obvious, but make sure and drain the trans oil before you pull the axles out. i was in a hurry once (trying to get a trans swap done in like an hour start to finish) and I stupidly forgot to drain the trans oil before I yanked out an axle. a face full of MT90 is not fun, though my buddy thought it was hilarious for some reason...
12-01-2010, 08:04 AM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MA
Posts: 540
whatever tranny fluid you use just make sure it is gl-4 specific. you dont want any blended gl-4 / gl-5 or whatever. I looked long and hard (advance auto, autozone, 3 performance shops, autopart international) and the only place that sells gl-4 specific tranny oil is NAPA. they sell gallons for under $25.00. If you're lucky, they will have quarts in stock. so get a gallon and a qt and youll be all set.
and like people before posted, make sure the mating surfaces are nice and clean. ive had a starting issue ever since i changed my clutch because of this.
i just replaced mine with this, i have no complaints:
go to napaautoparts.com and search for "gear oil"
and like people before posted, make sure the mating surfaces are nice and clean. ive had a starting issue ever since i changed my clutch because of this.
i just replaced mine with this, i have no complaints:
go to napaautoparts.com and search for "gear oil"
12-01-2010, 09:27 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Powder Springs, GA
Posts: 400
well...my lower rad support is going, and going fast...so im not gonna mess with that haha, and when you say mating surface, are you talking about mating surface between trans, and engine...like the bell housing? or what....and..hmm...had another question...shoot cant remember lol
12-01-2010, 11:04 AM
#27
will do! and i plan to get new trans fluid(oil) and me and my buddys will prob have the car on the lift to make it a LIL easier..and prob man handle it out...jingerly haha....no dropping! and i have a new flywheel with teh clutch, so i will have to baby the car for the first 500-1000 miles to break it in...i didnt do that to this one...probably cuz i didnt know about the grace period,and that probably explains why it went so fast haha
12-02-2010, 08:34 PM
#28
If I can't find gl-4 specific gear oil before Sunday, do yall have any problems with syncromesh that they sell at advanced, auto zone etc...?? Anybody use it and have problems or no problems?
12-03-2010, 09:50 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lowell/Boston, MA
Posts: 1,613
I just did my clutch and Amoils synthetic is amazing, and it doesnt get thick at all in the winter. $13 a bottle tho and you need like 5. BBut I was lucky to get a way cheaper price then what ed(talking horse) sells it for.
12-03-2010, 10:26 PM
#31
well i havent bought anything yet, i work all day tomorrow, and am doing it sunday,ima stop by napa at some point tomorrow hopefully and will go formthere, if they dont have gl-4, im going with syncromesh...:/ hopefully it will work....
12-05-2010, 10:22 PM
#34
so....i changed the clutch today, took about 5 hours...*taking our time lol*...taking multiple breaks....etc, well....i got it in and put back togethe...went to fill it up with gear oil...quarts 1,2,3,4 all good, when i went to put the 5th quart in slowely...my buddy said...why is it leaking?..im like haha funny..well he wasnt lying...after changing the axel seal in the trans witha new one...its STILL leaking from that same damn seal!!!!!!!! now im so confused on what it could be....so anyways.
and on my way home, i felt a rubbing/vibrating when i merge left so idk..i know its gotta be something to do with my pass axel. it feels the same as when my axel nut came off...so there was play in the axel, i will check it tomorrow again and make sure nothing is obviously rubbing...but thats what i hope i find so its an easy fix...but overall, it went smoothly so thanks for the help
i took pics as i went and i might do a how to on this subject of changing the clutch but imsure there are a bunch so idk if its necessary....
and on my way home, i felt a rubbing/vibrating when i merge left so idk..i know its gotta be something to do with my pass axel. it feels the same as when my axel nut came off...so there was play in the axel, i will check it tomorrow again and make sure nothing is obviously rubbing...but thats what i hope i find so its an easy fix
...but overall, it went smoothly so thanks for the helpi took pics as i went and i might do a how to on this subject of changing the clutch but imsure there are a bunch so idk if its necessary....
12-06-2010, 12:39 AM
#35
IIRC, the weight of GM Syncromesh gear oil is 5w30 and our trans uses 75w90. It is a GL-4 gear oil though. I don't think it would be a problem to run it for a while, but I wouldn't use it long-term in my transmission. I don't want to say it was the lighter weight gear oil causing the leak, but I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility. You might have also damaged the seal when re-installing the axle. I would also check for play in that differential bearing. Swazey mentioned the 85w90 gl-4 dino oil that I've been using for a couple years now and I don't have any real complaints (it's stiff during cold weather until the trans warms up). At Napa it was about the same price as the synchromesh and a few of the stores around town stocked it. Royal Purple = GL-5 and the first dead transmission for crackhead 
. I started using the Napa stuff after that. Going to put MT90 into the trans as soon as I decide to fix my car. crackhead = lazy If I do one thing every couple days I might finish next year (car has been waiting to get fixed for about a year now). My new engine did finally show up, so I guess I should really start working on it.
. I started using the Napa stuff after that. Going to put MT90 into the trans as soon as I decide to fix my car. crackhead = lazy If I do one thing every couple days I might finish next year (car has been waiting to get fixed for about a year now). My new engine did finally show up, so I guess I should really start working on it.
12-06-2010, 11:14 AM
#36
idk
i dont thnk i damaged the seal...i put it in smoothly and didnt ram it in there everythin felt solid. but i have no idea...and i wont be taking off the trans for a while. so i guess ill be living with it for a while then. i give up lol
i dont thnk i damaged the seal...i put it in smoothly and didnt ram it in there everythin felt solid. but i have no idea...and i wont be taking off the trans for a while. so i guess ill be living with it for a while then. i give up lol
12-06-2010, 07:16 PM
#37
which seal? the driver side? if so, are you sure it seated properly? if you pushed it with all your might into the trans and felt that its all the way in there, think again lol. atleast with me anyways, maybe im a weakling. but i always have to tap mine in there to get the c clip to seat. no matter how hard i push and shove i cant ever get it to go in all the way.
12-06-2010, 09:07 PM
#38
its the pass side, where the axel comes out of the trans....ugh, idk im bout to say just screw it, cuz it holds 4 quarts before it leaks..so idk. the only problem is that it makesa big mess and is an eyesore when i look under car when its on the lift..and when i runthe car hard, it smells haha
12-07-2010, 04:21 AM
#39
My brother's 4th gen leaked like that. After three seal replacements by his mechanic, he took it to a transmission shop and found he had a bad diff bearing. The seal was seated correctly each time, but the play in the bearing let his axle have play which ruins the seal. A couple hundred bucks later and the shop had replaced his bearings. No leak.
