How hard is it to replace a clutch in a 5-speed manual transmission?

On Wed, 20 Sep 2017 00:30:51 +0000 (UTC), Chaya Eve wrote:

I know this is long but there are zero DIYs that I can find on the net for my particular vehicle but there are a few that are for "similar" vehicles from Toyota (see the reference section for what DIYs I did use).

How does this "future DIY" look for putting a DIY together?

New Tools: . Buy/rent/borrow/steal a transmission jack or saddle Jack:

Saddle: . Buy/rent/borrow/steal the proper centering tool & bearing pullers . Pilot bearing puller (or blind hole puller from HF or autozone) . . Note that some people pack behind the bearing with grease to punchhole it out . Clutch alignment tool (fits splines of clutch disc)

Parts for the Toyota W59 transmission (Toyota 4Runner, 2WD, base, 5-speed). . New clutch disk (apparently Aisin, Eddy, or MC but not LUK or XTD; 1200# weight?) . New pressure plate . New pilot bearing (is that the same as a throwout bearing?) . It is said to only use the factory NSK throwout bearing (orange inner seal) . New #136? flywheel (resurfacing=$60 Kevin @408-379-7290, All Standard) . New rear main seal (since you're pulling the flywheel anyway) . Locktite Red (flywheel bolts & clutch cover bolts) . Locktite Blue (starter and bellhousing bolts) . Maybe a new slave cylinder (they don't last forever)

Existing tools: . Lots of 1/2-inch sized u-joints . Literally 2-1/2 to 3 feet of 1/2-inch socket extension bars (16" bare minimum) . Snap-ring pliers (for the transmission case snap ring) . Gear pullers . Torque wrench & sockets (all 1/2 inch sized) . Note that the 4-cyl ten 14mm flywheel bolts are 12 point (not 6 point)

Existing fluids: . 2.7 quarts replacement 75W90 GL4 gear lube . Thick high-moly graphite grease to lube the spline input shaft & ID of throwout bearing . Toyota FIPG for the rear main seal (RTV is ok but not as good) . No grease on diaphragm springs, pressure plate or throwout bearing face. . Light grease on throwout bearing ID, input shaft splines . Light grease on clutch fork pivot points & outside the shaft collar

Torque specs: . Starter bolts 30ft# . Bellhousing bolts 54ft# . Flywheel (either 19 ft lbs+1/4 turn for 3RZ or 65ftlbs for the 2RZ and 5VZ engines)

Here is my tentative DIY (composite from a few non-correct-truck DIYs): (It's detailed because I have never done it; so I might miss a critical step otherwise.) . The night before, PB blast (or oil and bang) all bolts if necessary (mine are clean) . Check before/after clutch pedal free play (1/4" to prevent throwout bearing wear) . While the 4Runner is on the ground, put the transmission in 1st gear . Remove the cabin gear shift mechanism . While above, snap pictures of the pitch-fork-shaped wiring harness from above . . If possible, unbolt the "conning tower" for the shift mechanism . Disconnect the battery negative cable (since the starter bolts will be removed) . Then 4x-jackstand the car as high as you can get it (I have four 18", 6 ton stands).\ . Attempt to level the vehicle as best you can so the engine is level with the trans . While below, snap pictures of the pitch-fork-shaped wiring harness . Loosen both the fill plug and drain plug (should be easy as I just drained it 3 days ago) . Drain the expensive Red Line MT-90 I just put in! (20 bucks a quart!) . (Lesson for next time: Use cheap gear oil for the first flush-fill & then the good stuff.) . Remove the rear-facing drive shaft 14mm bolts & pull out the drive shaft (do first if hard) . Remove 2x12mm bolts for the clutch slave cylinder & hang safely on hangar wire . It is said to not follow FSM procedure which says to remove exhaust pipe (leave the pipe) . Remove 17mm bolts holding exhaust pipe bracket to transmission housing . I don't know if the next step is needed because some say yes while others say no . Remove 12mm bolts holding exhaust pipe into the bracket (these may be corroded) . Do no separate the exhaust pipes! . Remove 2x10mm oxygen sensor bracket bolts holding the wiring & sensor to the housing . Remove the reverse light sensor . Remove the speed sensor . Remove the oxygen sensor . Remove the 7/8ths-inch speedometer cable hex cap . Remove the main harness which connects to a bell housing bolt . Remove two 14mm bolts around the starter housing . Remove the bottom set of forward facing long 14mm or 17mm bellhousing bolts . Remove the bottom series of rearward facing 14mm bolts around the bell housing . Remove anything else in the way . Zip tie any cables in place so that they don't get damaged later . Then support the transmission with a transmission jack or jack saddle . Strap the transmission in routing the straps under any wires . Remove the 12mm and 14mm bolts holding the rear transmission mount assembly . Remove the top series of three short 17mm bolts on the bell housing . These are said to need a 1/2-inch short socket, swivel, & at least 16" to 18" socket bars . The frame cross member is welded in so you need to twist the transmission . Tip the front down an twist the front of the transmission to the driver side . Lower the transmission (most seem to do it by hand even when they have a jack???) . In a star pattern, remove the series of 12mm bolts holding the clutch into the bell housing . You must snap pictures of the asymmetrical nature of the clutch disc before removing . V6 has the springs toward the flywheel; the 2.7L I4 has the springs toward the trans . Remove the clutch disc . Remove the pressure plate . Remove the ten (12-point) 14mm bolts ringing the flywheel to the engine . Have the flywheel replaced or resurfaced . Remove the pilot bearing in the back of the engine with a bearing puller . Most DIYs stop right there (reassembly supposedly being the reverse of removal)

On reassembly (which most DIYs ignore), these topics came up after the fact: . A screwdriver wedged into the flywheel teeth immobilizes it for bolt tightening . It is said that so does a punch through one of the flywheel holes . The wiring harness layout has to be considered while lifting the transmission back . It is said to put it in gear when aligning splines (allows output & input shaft to turn) . Input shaft alignment stage 1 is getting the splines to go into the clutch disc. . Input shaft alignment stage 2 is the last inch onto the input shaft bearing . Jack fine tuning matters in that last inch (use bellhousing bolts as alignment pins) . It is said the bellhousing has an alignment dowel near the slave-cylinder mount . It is said to grease the top & inside of the clutch fork ends . And grease the adjoining surfaces of the throwout bearing. . Grease the divot in the middle of the clutch fork . Just before you install the clutch slave cylinder, grease the divot at the end fork . Cover the clutch fork mushroom bolt with HD grease.

References this came out of (none of which are my vehicle and year) .

Most engines that I've come across are not "parallel to the garage floor". In fact, most are inclined at a slight downward angle. There are reasons for this and it has to do with driveshaft alignment. More likely to be horizontal if the vehicle has a triple jointed driveshaft.

As always, observe the RTFM principle before doing anything.

The clutch alignment tool does not need to have splines. That said, most people of my acquaintance keep on hand a swag of transmission input shafts from trans rebuild jobs. Ask about the possibility of securing one of these at a trans place near you. Alternatively, I have had success building a shaft that is too small up to size using humble old plastic electrical insulation tape. Did that on the tractor I recently changed a clutch on since we didn't have the exact dummy pilot shaft we needed, and it worked perfectly. Necessity is the mother of invention, not to mention cost savings.

No. It is the bearing or bush that fits into the back end of the crankshaft and supports the front end of the gearbox input shaft, hence supporting the weight of the clutch plate.

Pressure plate bolt torques? As critical as flywheel bolt.

Learn to differentiate between pedal free play and release bearing free play - you should be able to feel two (2) distinct steps - pedal play, then release play. Some systems work on zero free play at the release bearing (e.g. carbon thrust block types) but, in the case of hydraulic systems, there is *always* a need for free play at the master cylinder end. This is to ensure correct operation of the MC hydraulics.

This will impact on how far you can lower the transmission to possibly gain the required clearance from the transmission hump or access to upper bell housing bolts.

This point can, if care isn't taken, result in damage to the exhaust pipe if following the point immediately above.

The above two steps will always be a case of *it depends*.

That movement in other than the fore and aft direction that the trans mount adapter needs to be capable of will be of great assistance here.

Depends on how strong/old you are.

No mention of what you should be inspecting for, both on bits you intend to replace and those you intend to refit. Flywheel face, for instance.

No mention of cleaning and safety precautions associated with same.

These are the sorts of things tradesmen learn, and do, almost as a reflex action after many years of involvement with the trade.

Top gear always.

As a learning process, when you have the trans out, select low gear, turn the output shaft and discover why top gear is the choice.

Use care on the type and placement of any grease. Excesses can be bad news as can the wrong type of grease.

At one time I had a generic alignment tool. It had a number of interchangeable ends for the various pilot bearing sizes, and a tapered guide to fit various sizes of clutch bores. However they now have very inexpensive plastic tools for most popular vehicles. iirc the one I got was $3 or $4.

We had such a generic alignment tool available. The issue was that it didn't handle the dual clutch system on the tractor at all well. The local dealer didn't have a *factory one* for the tractor but he lent us one he'd made up on a lathe. It wasn't a firm fit however, hence the need to pack it up with tape. Coupled with 4 alignment dowels, made out of bolts with heads removed, fitted into the block, the mating up process was the smoothest I'd ever encountered.

I may very well have been wrong when I said that the transmission seems to be parallel to the garage floor.

When I align the transmission jack, based on what you just said, I will plan to be tilted a few degrees such that the rear is lower than the front then.

Thanks. I appreciate your advice because most of the DIYs I read were just words, where the words meant something only to someone who has already done it.

For example, I didn't even know the pressure plate had bolts. The DIYs I found just said "remove pressure plate" so I assumed there were no bolts.

I added an empty spot for the pressure plate bolt torque, which I will fill in when found!

I admit, the whole "clutch pedal adjustment" procedure is a fog to me at the moment. I can only distinguish, when pressing a clutch pedal, the distance that nothing happens, versus the distance that something happens.

I need to study that further to understand it better.

That is a good point that I don't know what to look for. In the case of the DIYs, everyone shows a picture of a chewed-up clutch, but I'm expecting to replace the clutch, so that won't matter much.

Also most expect to resurface the flywheel. And most expect to replace the two "bearings", the throwout & pilot. And they expect to replace the "rear engine seal".

I'm not sure of what else that people routinely inspect to replace. In my case, I'm not expecting any "damage" since the transmission is essentially working fine (the clutch is merely "due" for a change based on time and miles).

I'm not sure what 'cleaning' is needed other than wiping off old grease.

The thing I didn't get is how I'm supposed to put it in gear when it's already removed from the vehicle?

Is it easy to put a transmission in top gear when it's just sitting there on the garage floor without a shifter mechanism?

What I don't understand, since I don't even know why this "alignment tool" is needed, is what happens if I don't have this special alignment tool?

I have to openly admit I don't understand this step. None of the DIYs referenced show HOW to do this step. So it's just something I wrote - but it means as much to me as it would to a fifth grader.

I can imagine that there is a shaft that has long "grooves" in it that has to fit into "something" that has correspondingly long "opposite grooves" in it.

But I don't have any feel for why a special "tool" is needed to get the two sets of matching grooves to line up. I haven't seen any pictures of that yet nor videos. So it's just words to me at the moment and not an image in my mind.

Another point worth noting. When you are ready to remove the trans, and have removed the rear cross member and associated mounts, you often need to lower the rear of the gearbox down in order to either get clearance to undo the top bell housing bolts or to get clear of the trans tunnel when removing the gearbox. That means your trans adapter needs to accommodate the basic tilt angle plus the extended tilt angle after the rear of the trans has been lowered to accommodate removal.

Which is why an adapter with a 5 degree angle doesn't cut it.

Just a side point which is that in the DIYs I looked at (Tundra, for example), the cross member was bolted but in my Toyota (4Runner) it is welded so the cross member isn't going anywhere.

I understand and I appreciate that you (and someone else) already said that

5 degrees is not going to cut the mustard.

I think I will aim for 20 degrees minimum. A friend is coming over this weekend who will give me gratis his boxed unopened HF motorcycle lift. He bought it and never used it and then crashed the bike. So he doesn't need it.

We'll assemble it and see if it does the trick. If not, then I will definitely get either the saddle or the transmission jack where I will seek out 20 degrees or more.

Nobody said yet though if we need that in all three directions . front . back . side

I suspect only front-and-back is required but I ask because now is the time to ask (before I buy it).

I have changed a few clutches. I always removed the engine. Was I doing thi s all wrong? I used to keep a plastic clutch alignment tool in my toolbox. I got rid of it because I haven't had a standard transmission in over 20 ye ars. I don't expect to change a clutch ever again but I suppose stranger th ings have happened. :)

You either need a very good eye - or be very good with god. Most people, in my experience anyhow, seem good with neither.

I have aligned clutch plates by eye in the past, and been successful, but I have a good eye for such things. Most people do not. Hence the need for a clutch aligning tool.

In the picture link above, observe the right hand diagram. It shows the gearbox mounted up and the input shaft passing through the clutch plate and entering the spigot bush. The plate faces are clamped to the flywheel by the pressure plate. When you release that clutch, the plate comes free of the faces but is still on the input shaft. So it stays there but spinning freely. Now refer to the left hand diagram. When you are installing the clutch and pressure plate, that is what you will have - no gearbox hence no input shaft. The input shaft will be sitting on the floor still attached to the gearbox. Not a lot of use there when you need it to align that plate into the correct central location during installation. That's why you need a *dummy shaft*. A clutch aligning tool is nothing more than a dummy shaft that you can use temporarily as a substitute for that input shaft while fitting up the clutch and pressure plate to the flywheel. In short, the exact centre of the clutch plate needs to be aligned exactly with the centre of the spigot bush. The dummy shaft ensures that alignment exists as you tighten the pressure plate bolts. If you fail to align the two, and it only needs to be a poofteenth of a millifart out, when you insert the input shaft (still attached to the gearbox, remember), you will get it up to and onto the spline - possibly

- but the nose of the shaft may not be able to go the next step - enter the spigot shaft bush. This is simply because of misalignment. If, for any reason, you drop the rear end of the gearbox down whilst the input shaft is partially on the clutch plate splines but not in the spigot bush, you run the real risk of distorting the clutch plate after which it will be stuffed. A distorted clutch plate will fail to release cleanly - or at all.

You can get the exact tool for your vehicle that looks like this;

Note how it looks just like a gearbox input shaft.

Or a universal tool like this one;

I prefer this type if I am going for a universal type. The top row of adapters is meant to fit the different internal diameters of the clutch plate spline. The bottom row of adapters is meant to fit the spigot bearing. Alignment is everything. It's also why your jack needs a lot more *tilt angle* than you think.

On 23/09/2017 6:39 PM, Chaya Eve wrote:

I once did the RTFM bit. Problem was, the manual I had, an aftermarket one and not a factory shop manual, had the torques for the flywheel bolts mixed up with the pressure plate bolt torques. 28 ft/lb on half inch flywheel bolts and 65 ft/lbs on 5/16th" pressure plate bolts just did not sound logical. So I reversed them. That's trade experience.

Never assume. Bolts have torques that are relative to their size, the thread form, the material of which they are made, the material they are clamping, and the presence of gaskets. After decades in the trade, something that defies logic literally jumps out at you - even misprints in books.

In this, as with everything mechanical, make no assumptions. RTFM. Preferably a factory manual. Must make a note here. Most factory workshop manuals make one major assumption - that the people using them are tradesmen and are familiar with all the basics. Ergo, they skip a lot of the basic stuff. The aftermarket ones are designed for the novice and, as such, they give step by step procedures. My issue with them is they lack the depth *I* require.

There are three *distances*. There is the distance where absolutely nothing happens but the take up of the free play between the clutch pedal and the MC piston. You are working against the pedal return spring here. The next take up distance, with very slightly more force required, is the free play between the release bearing and the pressure plate fingers. The actual force you are acting against, apart from a miniscule amount of hydraulic resistance, is the force of the clutch release fork return spring. From that point right down to the end of pedal travel, you are acting against the diaphragm spring in the actual pressure plate. A little extra here. The diaphragm spring works differently to, say, a coil spring. A coil spring continually increases its resistance as the spring is compressed. A diaphragm spring, on the other hand, has the highest resistance at the start and at the midway point of its compression, becomes easier to compress. Less force required to go from the halfway point to the bottom of travel. The bonus of this *feature* is that the clutch is much easier to hold when the pedal is to the floor. Women love this feature.

All you need to know on that score is that the piston in the master cylinder needs to come right back to its stop, which is usually a circlip. A small amount of free play between the piston and the pedal push rod *ensures* that the piston can fully return.

Indeed, a very good point.

It might not need replacement or resurfacing. If it is flat, not gouged, no signs of heat marks, no fine cracking, you should be Ok to use it. Heat marks, for an example, are a judgemental thing.

Always. They are a pita to replace by themselves if they fail later. Replace the lot while you have it apart.

Some you can, some you cannot *easily* replace in situ.

In the good old days, clutch plates were made of that wonderful substance known popularly as *asbestos*. Now, in these more enlightened times people have become aware of the dangers of asbestos. That does not mean that your car may not have asbestos in the clutch plate. Older vehicles may still have some asbestos. Never assume they don't. What's more, a lot of people buy cheap Chinese made clutch replacement kits. Some of the kits are manufactured by some less than scrupulous companies and *still* contain asbestos. If your vehicle has has a clutch replacement in the past, it may contain asbestos. Never assume it doesn't. That means you *Do Not Use An Air Pistol* to blow out the clutch dust. Think of cleaning brake shoes, pads, etc and use the same techniques - always wet to keep any dust suppressed. Have a look at a few video clips on cleaning brakes to get an idea of the path you should follow. This stuff;

Is good for cleaning out the clutch housing, the back of the engine, flywheel area, etc. Note, it leaves no residue. When you get your new bits, and I advise getting a complete clutch kit which includes pressure plate, you need to know what to clean, and just as importantly, what *not to clean*. In the case of the *new* pressure plate, it will be pre-lubed and will have a coating of preservative to prevent rust. Do not under any circumstances dunk the whole unit in cleaning fluid. Only clean off the clutch face with a suitable cleaning solvent. A suitable cleaning solvent is any solvent that does not leave an oily residue. Or any residue for that matter. This should be clearly stated in the instructions that come with the clutch kit. If you use the brakleen mentioned above, do not spray the pressure plate. Spray onto a rag and use that to clean just the clutch face area of the pressure plate. Again, follow any instructions that come with the clutch kit.

Use the lever(s), either on the side of the trans or the main change lever. If you have removed the main gear change lever, and it's likely you will need to, you can usually poke down in the hole and manually select a gear using a large screwdriver of the like. Or temporarily reinsert the lever.

I have never had much of an issue doing that.

It really is a case of *I see, I know, I do and I understand*. What you need to get your head around is the relationship between the flywheel, the clutch plate and the pressure plate. Sectioned views of a clutch in operation will help a lot here.

Like this;

Note, it shows the pressure plate bolts. Bonus! ;-)

Observe what happens to the clutch plate when the clutch pedal is depressed. It is no longer clamped between the pressure plate and the flywheel. It is on the splined input shaft however so is still correctly located and, more importantly, centred. What would happen if the input shaft wasn't there? Nothing to centre the clutch plate. That is the situation you face when you are bolting the pressure plate up to the flywheel with the clutch plate sandwiched in between. A dummy shaft or an alignment tool can hold the clutch plate in the exact correct alignment while you fit up and bolt down the pressure plate. When it's in the exact centre, you will have no trouble fitting up the gearbox with its input shaft.

Yes, it can indeed be like that - but it doesn't need to be.

The alignment tool comes with the gearbox. It is the input shaft and the issue arises that it is an *integral part of the gearbox* and attached rather firmly to it. You need a *temporary input shaft* when assembling the clutch and pressure plate. That is all the alignment tool is.

Some you only have the option of removing the engine, others the trans. On others, it just depends on what works best for you. In the trade, the quickest method is always the best, at least according to management. ;-)

On one particular type of GM vehicle of the 70s, I could do a clutch change from go to whoa in 35-45 minutes - either over a pit or up on a hoist. That wasn't, I might add, using standard procedures. At my current age, I wouldn't even consider trying to do one at that pace now.

If you're only buying autos, you can still change clutches - autos have lots of them.

Your alignment tool may not be useful on those clutches however.

;-)

Without it you curse a lot. You may need blood pressure medication too.

True that!

The splines on the clutch disc must line up with the splines on the flywheel.

When the pressure plate is tightened in place, the clutch disc is held very firmly in place. Without aligning the splines first, you will likely have a very difficult time inserting the transmission shaft through the clutch disc and into the flywheel.

You can probably get a loaner for free from an Autozone store, or, you can buy an inexpensive one on Amazon for $6 - $7. It is money well spent.

First timers frequently think they can do it without the tool, and, you might get lucky, but, most of the time, you will piss away a great deal of time and get very frustrated. It gets even more frustrating if the vehicle is not on a lift and if you are laying on your back doing the work.

Additional hints: always replace the throwout bearing, using a kevlar lined clutch can dramatically extend the life of the clutch and take your flywheel to a transmission shop and pay them to true it up on their lathe, the fee is usually quite reasonable.