How to Replace a Clutch
Given the current economic climate, learning how to replace a clutch lets you cut out the high costs of paying a mechanic. Big jobs, like replacing the clutch in your vehicle, is not recommended, though.
Replacing a clutch is a rigorous, involved task which requires a sound mechanical knowledge and an extensive tool kit, which surpasses your average garage wrench set. I recommended you seek the assistance of a certified mechanic; in the end, it’s worth it.
How to Replace a Clutch Anyway
If you categorically refuse to go to a mechanic, purchase an official automotive repair guide which pertains to your vehicle’s exact make, model and year. You need to be familiar with automotive repair prior to undertaking this project. Consult a mechanic or official automotive repair manual, if you have any questions or concerns. This might save your life.
Go to the local library and check out a book on automotive repair, especially one that focuses on clutch repair, if you don’t want to buy a book on mechanics. Once you have the knowledge of how to repair a clutch, you’re ready to start the project.
Replacing a Clutch
In order to access the clutch, you have to remove several parts: the driveshaft, bell housing, flywheel and transmission all have to be removed. This may sound simple, but it’s a tricky procedure, with slim margin for success, if you’re new to automotive repair.
Once you have those parts removed, make sure your flywheel is still good. Once broken down, you can tell if a flywheel is in working order. If a flywheel is warped, cracked or otherwise damaged, get a new one. New flywheels are expensive.
Inspect the bushings found on or along the transmission, to make sure they aren’t cracked or torn. When putting everything back together, it’s crucial to make sure that all of the parts are aligned, exactly as they were.
If they aren’t, you have big problems. Something is going to break and cost you a great deal more money, which in turn defeats the financial savings learning how to replace a clutch and replacing the clutch yourself.
Step 1
How to Replace a Clutch
Secure your vehicle on an automotive hoist, making sure that the arms of the hoist are placed underneath the secure load-bearing areas of your vehicle. Be extremely careful in this step, because you don’t want to be underneath a car when it falls – period.
Secure the engine with a jack or another means of preventing it from falling during the repair process. Remove the transaxle from the engine, pushing it away until it clears the pressure plate.
Step 2
Remove the clutch disc and pressure plate. Make sure that the flywheel is in working order, checking for damage such as cracking, warped metal or any other deformities, which might interfere with its functioning.
Make sure everything is lubricated. Make sure that the transaxle isn’t leaking. Remove the seal on the flywheel and replace it with a new one.
Step 3
Ensure that the flywheel and crankshaft are cleaned, before assembling them. Put in the pressure plate and clutch disc, according to your automotive manual’s directions. Re-install the transaxle into its proper position, without forcing it.
Step 4
Re-attach any nuts and bolts that are left over. Leave no part lying around, after the project is over. That piece has somewhere essential it needs to go.
Make sure that the clutch cable has the proper amount of play. You don’t want it to be too tight or too loose. Buy a new one, if your budget allows.
If not, be careful. Make sure the clutch is assembled. Check everything, to see if it’s in working order, before having it inspected by a certified mechanic for safety. You want to follow this last step, or you have no assurance your new clutch is safe.
Clutch Repair
There are many more nuances required to replace a clutch that are crucial to the overall success of the operation. Consult an official automotive repair manual, or take your car to a mechanic to be repaired, after replacing the clutch in your car. It might be more expensive, but in the end, your life is worth the extra money.
You may find it strange to read a “How to Replace a Clutch” article and have it recommend you use a mechanic, but I want our readers to be safe and healthy, so that’s what I recommend here.