Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix

Technical info on the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix including do-it-yourself info
realred96
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:30 pm

Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix

Post by realred96 »

After reading many incomplete strings on how to change the clutch I decided to try it on my own and write about it. It was really not has hard as I thought it would be, but I would not recommend this procedure if this is the first time you have ever done a clutch change on anything. You do not have to remove the engine to do this job, or have any special Toyota tools. You do need to support the engine as 3 of the motor mounts attach to the transmission and they need to be removed to pull the transmission. There will be only one engine motor mount attached when you pull the tranny out. Note that I did this job by myself. It would go much easier if you have a helper. The writer takes no responsibility for a damages or personal injury resulting from using these instructions. Now that that legalese is out of the way let’s get after it….1.Remove the hood. Be sure and mark the hood hinge where it meets the hood so that you can reinstall it in the correct position later.2.Jack up the car and support it with jack stands. Remove the front wheels.3.Remove from the engine the plastic cam box cover. 4.The 2ZZ engine does not have a front engine lifting eye from the factory. I guess they had to remove it in order for the cool engine cover to fit. I took the one off the back of the engine and bolted it to the provided spot on the left front corner of the engine head. You will see an empty threaded hole right above the alternator. You have to use this lift eye because it is the only one that will fit. The one I stole off my 96 Miata would not fit here so I put it on the rear of the engine. If you don’t have a Miata available go hit the junkyard. 5.Remove the battery, tray and support.6.Remove the driver side splash shield from under the car. Toss the cruddy plastic clips that hold it on. Use some proper 6mm bolts to attach it later.7.Remove the 2 screws holding the vacuum control relay on the front of the air cleaner lid.8.Unplug all the connectors to the air cleaner lid.9.Remove air cleaner to throttle body hose.10.Pull off the other vacuum control relay from the back of the air cleaner lid. There is a small vacuum accumulation chamber on the back of the lid. Be very careful and pull off the vacuum hose from the nipple. I ended up breaking the nipple off when I did it. I just plugged off the hose, it did not seem to make any difference in how the car ran later. I’ll fix it right one day.11.There are several brackets that hold the various hoses, wires, etc in the engine compartment. Remove them and be sure and mark where they go for later reference. Remove the air cleaner bottom.12.Disconnect slave cylinder and brackets. There is no need to break the hydraulic connection. Just set it aside by the firewall.13.Remove shifter brackets top and rear of transmission.14.Attach hoist to engine. I used a several feet of VERY HEAVY nylon rope to do this. Be very careful!!!15.Remove the starter. One of the bolts is on the bell housing/transmission side.16.Remove the left front brake caliper and wire it out of the way. Remove the brake disk. Remove the bolt that attaches the ABS sensor to the hub. Wire it out of the way.17. I was told that I would have to remove the 30mm nut from the axle end, but in the end I could not get it off with the cruddy air impact gun I had. Turned out I did not have to remove it anyway, more on that later.18.Disconnect tie rod from end of steering knuckle.19.Remove the bolts on the strut and pull them out completely.20.Remove the 3 bolts attaching the lower suspension arm to the steering knuckle.21.Pull the entire steering knuckle and axle shaft completely out of the transmission. Give it a good tug, it’ll come out. Unfortunately my CV joint separated and only the axle part came out. The stub remained in the transmission. No biggie as it turns out. Note that I did not have to remove the passenger side drive axle. When I pulled the transmission off the engine it slipped right off. There is no snap ring retaining it in the transmission.22.Make sure the motor is well supported by the motor lift and pull out all of the bell housing bolts. There are (2) 17mm bolts on the top, trans side and (4) 14mm bolts on the sides on the motor side. 23.Remove the bolts and nuts on the cross member under the engine. Remove all motor mount bolts, front, side and rear. 24.Make sure one last time that no cables or wires are attached to the transmission. Use a large flat screw driver and start prying the bell housing away from the engine. When it breaks free place a couple of floor jacks under it to support it. 25.The transmission should slide off the engine pretty easy at this point. Be very careful as you lower it to the ground. It weighs 87 lbs. I got scared for a second when the transmission came off the engine and tried to slide off the jack. It turned out ok as I was able to manhandle it to the ground.26.Pull the tranny away from the car and clean it up. Pay particular attention to the area where the release bearing slides on the input shaft cover. I saw a lot of rubbing here from insufficient lubrication. Use hi-temp grease on all pivot and slide points of the release lever. Of course always use a new release bearing. I was surprised to find no transmission pilot bearing on this engine. Cost cutting move???27.Remove pressure plate and clutch disk. Note fried flywheel. Get it surfaced even if it looks good. It only cost me $35.00. This clutch had 60K miles of easy driving. It really started to go south at 45K we just milked it for a while. 28.Use a 10mm-1.25 tap and clean out all of the threads on the flywheel mounting holes. They will be full of thread locker from the old bolts.29.Install the flywheel with new mount bolts. The Toyota part number is 90910-02103. There are 8 of them. Torque in a star pattern in three passes until you get to 35 lb/ft.30.Install new clutch disk and pressure plate. I strongly recommend an RPS or ACT clutch here. Do not use the stock clutch, especially on the 2ZZ (GT/XRS) engine. It is not adequate for the job in my opinion. Since I could not find a clutch disk centering tool, I did the best I could to center the disk. This turned out to be a real problem later. Find the tool if you can! 31.Install the 6 pressure plate bolts and torque to 14 lb/ft. I used locktite on the threads.32.Now the fun part begins. Installing the transmission on the engine. I tried to support the transmission on a floor jack and jack it up into position to stab it on the engine. It did not work because there is no flat area on the bottom of the transmission to balance it on the jack. I ended up laying the tranny on the floor of the garage under the car. While standing on top of the engine with one foot on the exhaust manifold and the other on the engine lift I reached down under the engine a grabbed the transmission and lifted it up onto the engine. It took me 4 tries to stab it on the engine but I finally got it. Note: I am only writing this for informational purposes only. Please get help to stab the transmission on the engine. It is a two person job. I did it alone because I was desperate.33.When you get tranny on the engine, start the two 17 mm bolts on the top of the bell housing first, and then start the other six 14 mm bolts on the side of the bell housing. At this point I realized how important the clutch disk alignment tool is as the tranny would not go all the way into the engine no matter what I did. I ended up bolting it together as far as it would go, and then I pried on the clutch release lever with a big screw driver. I was able to release the pressure plate enough to allow the clutch disk to center itself and allow the tranny to slide all the way in.34.Tighten all of the bell housing bolts. Note that the passenger side drive axle just slid right into the tranny with no problem. I put a dab of grease on before I mounted the transmission.The rest of this is basically reverse assembly of everything. Now is also a good time to clean the shifter cable bell crank and pivot eyes and giving them a good greasing. I found the best grease for this is C105 Lubriplate assembly grease. Don’t use too much of it as it will attract dirt and dust. Do not grease the plastic piece on the linkage. It makes the shifting worse not better. It tried it.Put it all together and take a spin. The RPS Sport/Max clutch is awesome compared to the stock unit. There is hardly any increase in pedal pressure. Take up is much better that the stock clutch. Take it easy on the clutch for at least 1000 miles and let it break in. Good luck!EDIT: Pictures are here: http://wehavescissors.blogspot....html
2003 GT Neptune Blue
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Psychobroker
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by Psychobroker »

Wow! This needs to be sticked under the "How-To" forum. Thanks a ton!
northvibe
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Post by northvibe »

Crazy good tutorial! thanks
cieglo
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (Psychobroker)

Post by cieglo »

Realred,Dude. This is excellent. I am seriously considering doing this on my GT in the near future - hopefully BEFORE I get stranded somewhere, engine whirring, clutch stanking and curses flying.I have a couple questions, but first: I've channged clutches, rebuilt and replaced carbs, rear axles, manifolds, alts, pumps, starters, entire brake systems, things like that. Often these projects turn out OK and work correctly when complete. Mostly. (The clutch I replaced (twice) was in my '70 El Camino - this will be slightly different...) What I"m saying is that I have SOME mechanical aptitude. Some.But I still have questions, if you don't mind.A. Do you think: instead of a front or rear engine lift hook a pair of longer bolts in the threaded holes work work...especially if I just laid timbers across the engine bay to support the engine weight? I don't have a lift and can't see an easy - CHEAP - way to get hold of one a.t.m.B. On step 11...remove the various capity-crap from the thing-a-ma-jigs...is this because they are specifically in the way or did you need to yank them for access to the tranny and mounting hardware? I just hate disconencting things if I don't have to. Perhaps I'm a tad lazy.C. Maybe this is dumb on my part but: why did you replace the flywheel mount bolts? Is that just one of those, "This is generally a good practice thing," or was there necessity?Otherwise: excellent guide. I think I'm gonna get an ACT clutch kit that includes the alignment tool - see, I learned something - and give this a shor in the next couple months.
Vibe GT '03, Lava Red 2-tone, 16" wheels, Moon'n'Tunes, Injen CAI, ACT clutch, vented rotors, Tein coil- overs, Grafxwerks decals, lead foot on the gas and white-knuckled fist on the stick & Hankook RS-3 for AutoX http://noraracing.net/
realred96
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (cieglo)

Post by realred96 »

NorthVibe:A. I'm not sure on that one. I would be real careful of laying timbers across the fenders. Can you do this under a rafter or tree and use a come-a-long? It also may be possible to support the engine from below.B. I'm with you on lazy. I had to remove all that crap to get to the shifter brackets etc. No shortcuts here.C. I did replace the flywheel bolts just to be safe. They were cheap.Good luckRealRed96
2003 GT Neptune Blue
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cieglo
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by cieglo »

So,I spent a while looking at the engine, trying to match up your pics and directions and I came to mental log-jam. But I think I know why. Do you have the 5spd or 6spd?I have a 6 and maybe that explains why a few of your pics look NOTHING like what I see under my hood.If it's not that, then perhaps I am just Optically Retarded.
Vibe GT '03, Lava Red 2-tone, 16" wheels, Moon'n'Tunes, Injen CAI, ACT clutch, vented rotors, Tein coil- overs, Grafxwerks decals, lead foot on the gas and white-knuckled fist on the stick & Hankook RS-3 for AutoX http://noraracing.net/
engineertwin2
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (cieglo)

Post by engineertwin2 »

Quote, originally posted by cieglo »So,I spent a while looking at the engine, trying to match up your pics and directions and I came to mental log-jam. But I think I know why. Do you have the 5spd or 6spd?I have a 6 and maybe that explains why a few of your pics look NOTHING like what I see under my hood.If it's not that, then perhaps I am just Optically Retarded.Per http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=21128 he has a 2003 Vibe GT...sometimes, pics are difficult to follow. You may also grab the matrix repair manual that was posted up somewhere around here and compare and contrast the procedure...
2004 Vibe GT Lava Monotone, Moon & Tunes PackageMods:Homelink17" TenzoR Mach 10s, Black w/ Red grooveTintFormer Cars: '87 Subaru DL, '99 Chevy Malibu (hated it)'99 VW Passat (like it), '99 Volvo S80 T6 (wet dreams are made of it)
Vibenator
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VIbe GT Clutch Replacement

Post by Vibenator »

Thanks for a great tutorial! The clutch on my Vibe GT (27,000 miles)is starting to slip on hard acceleeration, so I'm getting ready to put in a new one. The instructions will be useful. About supporting the engine....I removed the transmission on my old Dodge Spirit Turbo using a homemade 2X4 frame that fit over the fenders to support the engine. If you structure the 2X4 frame so the load is applied to the inner lip of the fender (the part under the hood) which mounts to the vehicle frame, there should be no problem. Of course you want to avoid applying the weight of the engine to the exterior part of the fender which has no inner support.
2002 Chrysler T&C Minivan, 2003 Pontiac Vibe, 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
ford4601
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by ford4601 »

What do you mean buy give it a tug? We ran into a problem disconnecting the CVshaft from the transmission.......Any suggestions?????????????????Please response ASAP we are working on this now
engineertwin2
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (ford4601)

Post by engineertwin2 »

Quote, originally posted by ford4601 »What do you mean buy give it a tug? We ran into a problem disconnecting the CVshaft from the transmission.......Any suggestions?????????????????Please response ASAP we are working on this now I hope this helps...page 3 shows them prying it off...

Attached files w040001.pdf (400.6 KB) 
2004 Vibe GT Lava Monotone, Moon & Tunes PackageMods:Homelink17" TenzoR Mach 10s, Black w/ Red grooveTintFormer Cars: '87 Subaru DL, '99 Chevy Malibu (hated it)'99 VW Passat (like it), '99 Volvo S80 T6 (wet dreams are made of it)
zionzr2
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Post by zionzr2 »

This was just added to the How To Mait. Index!!
lenpal
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by lenpal »

Great Help to Me.I used a heavy piece of angle iron to hold up engine, laid it across the shock towers and used short chains and turn buckles to take up slack. This allowed me to use engine hoist on trans. The clutch alignment tool does not help as there is no pilot bearing in the crank shaft as you noted. I made a wooden donut that fit on alignment tool and centered clutch to preasure plate fingers. The bind still can be there as the RH axle shaft and trans are trying to engage at the same time. Runs great, saved money!
tweety82
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by tweety82 »

Hi, thank you so much for all of your information. My father is working on doing this and found it very helpful. He wondered if you had any further information on how to remove the back motor mount. Any extra info. would be much appreciated. Thanks so much!
t8scott
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Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:16 am

Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (tweety82)

Post by t8scott »

Hi,This is a really great article, thanks for taking the time to post it. I am about to change my clutch at 69k. Anyone know how I can get the pics to show up?
Baltovibe
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (t8scott)

Post by Baltovibe »

Quote, originally posted by t8scott »Anyone know how I can get the pics to show up?The pics are not available, because the hosting site is down or not available. That is what happens when pics are hosted outside of Genvibe.Hopefully someone had saved this thread, with the pics intact.
That which may be known of God is evident within man, for God has shown it to them, so that they are without excuse.(Romans 1:19-20)&nbspWhat do you want most in life?
smoozdog
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (t8scott)

Post by smoozdog »

Just to add another post in hopes that the originator will re-post the pics to an active host:***Please re-post the pictures***Thank you
Kylephoto
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by Kylephoto »

Im in the middle of replacing mine, I went with the SPEC stage 1 cause their shop is over near my parents house in Birmingham, AL.Anyways Ive got everything back in the engine and bell housing, however Im having a hard time getting the housing straight and back on. I have about a 1 inch gap all the way around and I have a lot of pressure built up that is keeping the bolts from going in and keeping me from really pushing or pulling the tranny back on.Any tips or ideas on what it could be? Thanks
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skymorris
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by skymorris »

I can't see the pictures any chance of getting them sent again
zionzr2
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (skymorris)

Post by zionzr2 »

might be hard to do.the original poster has not posted in over a year.unless someone else wants to write a new how-to post w/ pics.
DOTC
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (zionzr2)

Post by DOTC »

+1 for getting the pics somehow. I'll be starting this project in a about a month with a Fidanza 3.2 and a Fidanza flywheel. I'll have the service manual.. but I always like having a second opinion. Can this be done with regular hand tools or do I need a impact? Id rather not spend the $300+ for a tank right now
frost04
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (DOTC)

Post by frost04 »

Like previously mentioned, this is a great write-up, but the pictures are worth 1000 words! I'm going to be doing this install in 2 weeks. Anyone have any contact with the original poster? realred96 where are you?
sixspeed
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by sixspeed »

I have 200,000 k on my 03 GT. Clutch slips if I lug the engine.Time to do it. My question, Dealership or private garage ? What price am I looking at ? I hear a range from $1200 to $2000.I could do it myself but I've lost that youthfull ambition.
Vibe_of_the_thing
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Post by Vibe_of_the_thing »

The pictures are all still there, blogspot just doesn't support hotlinking. Right click the pics and copy the url for each individual pic then paste that into your browser. They'll all come up.
Vibe_of_the_thing
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (sixspeed)

Post by Vibe_of_the_thing »

I bought a clutch and just got quoted $580 from a cheap local shop to install it. That's just past my tipping point, so I'm following these instructions.
realred96
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Post by realred96 »

Sorry guys, write up is here.....http://wehavescissors.blogspot....html
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realred96
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Post by realred96 »

This car is so reliable I never need to come on GenVibe for help. 105,000 and still going strong. On the 3rd clutch though.
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Re: (realred96)

Post by star_deceiver »

3rd clutch? You must have a lot of city driving!
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realred96
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Post by realred96 »

Pretty much all city. The GT eats clutches all the same.
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mntn-biker
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Post by mntn-biker »

If this is a R&R for a GT 6 speed, will the R&R for a base model 5 speed be similar?
2003 base model
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by mntn-biker »

Does anyone know the reasoning for removing the hood? The tranny drops out the bottom..... The only reason I can think of is if you are using an overhead type of hoist (not a cherry picker type)???
2003 base model
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Re: Changing the clutch in a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (realred96)

Post by mntn-biker »

Step 20.5: Drain oil from transmission. If not, once you pull the axle shaft, the tranny will partially drain for you (all over the floor) Also, the original poster said they did not take the passenger side axle out. I did so that it would be easier to get at the bellhousing bolts at the rear by the firewall and also to aid in putting the tranny back in place. FYI - you don't need the SST to pull the axle out of the tranny. I used a prybar strategically placed and tapped on the end of it to get the axle out. There is a snap ring that compresses on the end of the shaft as you pull the axle out. In turn, it compresses as you push the axle shaft back in the tranny on install.
2003 base model
Vibe_of_the_thing
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Post by Vibe_of_the_thing »

Did anyone else have fluid leaking out the differential on the passenger side once they were done? It seems to have leaked a bit the first day but settled down now. I'm trying to figure out whether that's a normal consequence of overfilling (possible my lift wasn't completely level and I went until it ran out) or whether I need to drop in a new seal on the axle shaft that mntn-biker is talking about.
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Re: (Vibe_of_the_thing)

Post by mntn-biker »

Quote, originally posted by Vibe_of_the_thing »Did anyone else have fluid leaking out the differential on the passenger side once they were done? It seems to have leaked a bit the first day but settled down now. I'm trying to figure out whether that's a normal consequence of overfilling (possible my lift wasn't completely level and I went until it ran out) or whether I need to drop in a new seal on the axle shaft that mntn-biker is talking about.Did you replace the axle seals before replacing the axles (this would have been easier to do with the transmission out of the vehicle)? Sounds to me like you have a bad axle seal. Look at where the axle enters the transaxle. If there is fluid coming from the seal, I would dare say your seal is bad or not properly installed. The seal should still keep your fluid in the trans even if it is overfilled I would think. Check your gear oil level with your car on even ground. Pull the fill plug and stick your pinky finger in to see if you can feel for fluid just below the hole. I think it is supposed to be .200" below the hole? If you pull the plug and gear oil drains out, let it drain - it is overfilled. Mine was overfilled since I had it on jacks. I checked it when the car was on the wheels and let it drain overnight so mine might be slightly overfilled (by .200" if that is the spec).
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Vibe_of_the_thing
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Post by Vibe_of_the_thing »

No, I didn't. Neither realred's document nor the Matrix manual I found elsewhere mentioned it, so I didn't even think about it. If mine is damaged, I suspect that it happened when I was trying to put the transmission back on, so a new one at that point may not have made that much difference. Guess I'll be pulling that shaft. I just wanted to make sure before I went to all that trouble that this wasn't a known thing that happened with a normal clutch job.
Laserbeak43
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Post by Laserbeak43 »

I'm sure im gonna need this eventually (just bought a 2006) thx!!
chrisr
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Clutch Change

Post by chrisr »

Just finished this job (sort of) 5 minutes ago, thought I'd chip in my 2 cents. Used the writeup (thanks). First off what a ***** of a job! I've changed clutches before but I swear I was swearing more at this thing than anything else I've worked on.Couple of points - I see no reason why the hood has to come off, Haynes manual & Toyota manual both say it has to come off, I left it on, it was never in the way.Second thing I wish I had done was remove the passenger side axle, the pinion seal in the differential was damaged when I was replacing the transmission, now the car is pissing oil out of the seal (what I mean by sort of finished) it would have also been much easier to mount the trans with only one shaft to try & line up, I had alot of problems just mounting the damn thing even though my clutch was centered OK.Glad it's done and driving, bummed I have to crawl under there again......Good luck with yours
Bedlam
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Post by Bedlam »

that write-up has quite a few flaws. No one has spent enough time to fully document a better way though. I glanced through it myself when i had to do mine and found tons of unnecessary steps. Just did it on the fly since i didn't want to waste all the time that they did by disconnecting unnecessary parts.Not removing the passenger axle ahead of time is folly. You need to at least break it loose so when the time to pull the transmission comes, it just slides right out. I'm not sure if there is a difference between 5 and 6 speed axles but mine had snap rings on both sides and they were tough SOB's. Tugging on an axle either way is always the wrong way to get it out. Take the time and effort to pry it loose properly so nothing gets damaged out of laziness. I removed the hood though since it takes about 5 minutes and allows me to use my engine support easier on top of letting more light in to work. The bolt holes are tapered so it auto-aligns on re-installation.
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Serj22
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Re: (Bedlam)

Post by Serj22 »

For removing the hood, it's not necessary. I put a 2x4 across the strut towers, with chain on the block linked and locked. Then I supported the whole thing with a jack. The reasoning, is that 3 of the mounts attach to the tranny, the engine has just one, so when they're free, the whole thing will want to fall down, engine and all. I struggled with the CV axles. They would not come free of the transaxle. I tried using the suggested tool which was a slide hammer with a hook, but it worked better to get a piston puller, wrap both claws to the back of the housing and used a 4" hose clamp to hold the two claws secure to the back, slid the hammer slide and knocked it out real quick. The only other issue I had was settign the rear engien mount back where it belonged when reassembling.
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Re: (Serj22)

Post by Bedlam »

Quote, originally posted by Serj22 »For removing the hood, it's not necessary. I put a 2x4 across the strut towers, with chain on the block linked and locked. Then I supported the whole thing with a jack. The reasoning, is that 3 of the mounts attach to the tranny, the engine has just one, so when they're free, the whole thing will want to fall down, engine and all. I struggled with the CV axles. They would not come free of the transaxle. I tried using the suggested tool which was a slide hammer with a hook, but it worked better to get a piston puller, wrap both claws to the back of the housing and used a 4" hose clamp to hold the two claws secure to the back, slid the hammer slide and knocked it out real quick. The only other issue I had was settign the rear engien mount back where it belonged when reassembling.That rear engine mount was designed by a real friggin idiot. They could have done that 10 different ways other than having that 1 post that went straight down through the frame and lower support. That 1 bolt that sticks out makes it the most annoying part of assembly or disassembly. I used a very large set of channel lock pliers to make a point of leverage around the half shaft and pried off them. Sometimes those shafts can really be in there good.
07 1ZZ 5spd Stealth - Sold
03 1ZZ 6spd Shadow w/NAV - For Sale
06 AWD Stealth - Current
07 Magnum SRT-8 - Current
Serj22
Posts: 216
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Re: (Bedlam)

Post by Serj22 »

I treid leverage for the axle shafts, didn't work, the slide worked after 4 days of cussing in the gravel and rain. (was supposed to take 1 day). My dad came by my shop to help and he couldn't stop saying "This is why I hate working on ****ing cars!" I do believe it was making him upset too... The rear mount was stuck in the car no matter what I did, I almost destroyed the heat shield on the cat trying to pry it out before I decided to just freaking leave it. The tranny came up, and away from it. For some reason putting it back wasn't as bad as removing it with that mount. You're right, the 700inch long bolt that went through the strut support and the cross member was rediculous. I also got the tranny to stab through the clutch and onto the engine on the first try. My clutch came with a plastic allignment tool that solved that issue real quick. I think it may have been easier to just drop the entire motor for the job, and being a carpenter, I didn't exactly have all the right tools, but pulling motors from boats and rebuilding them sets me up with a lot of Snap On stuff that has been in my shop forever without much use...
Pioneer HU2 x D3tAK tweeters in stock location (M&T)4 x Diamond Audio D162.5i1 x Pioneer TS-W309S4 SubPolk Audio Pa330 (To drive Sub)
chrisr
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:32 am

Re: (Bedlam)

Post by chrisr »

Quote, originally posted by Bedlam »Not removing the passenger axle ahead of time is folly. You need to at least break it loose so when the time to pull the transmission comes, it just slides right out. I'm not sure if there is a difference between 5 and 6 speed axles but mine had snap rings on both sides and they were tough SOB's. The difference between the 5 speed and the 6 speed is the straight shaft that runs from the diff to a carrier bolted to the engine. I imagine that this is to create equal length drive shafts to counteract torque steer. It's this shaft going into the trans is where I'm having the issues.As for removing the female end of the CV from the diff why bother? I pulled the CV Boot, the inner CV slides right out. Put a bag over both ends to stop the grease from getting everywhere then repack it and pop it back in just like you were repairing a boot.Tried to take the carrier off tonight so I wouldn't have to whack the CV with a slide hammer (which I don't have) but once again I can't get at the bloody bolts. This car is beginning to annoy me.
tiiguy
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:42 am

Re: Clutch Change (chrisr)

Post by tiiguy »

Great post, I need to do this job soon. Quick question on the drive shafts: the factory manual (41-16) shows the snap rings holding the inner shafts are "non-reusable" parts.Does the snap ring come out with the shaft? No one mentioned replacing them, but since the manual says to. . . Any thoughts?

Attached files conponen.pdf (95.6 KB) 
chrisr
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:32 am

Re: Clutch Change (tiiguy)

Post by chrisr »

Quote, originally posted by tiiguy »Great post, I need to do this job soon. Quick question on the drive shafts: the factory manual (41-16) shows the snap rings holding the inner shafts are "non-reusable" parts.Does the snap ring come out with the shaft? No one mentioned replacing them, but since the manual says to. . . Any thoughts?Only my own opinion here but there is no reason to remove what I'll call the cup from the diff (which is held in by the snap ring). Most of the work I've done before has been on VW's and if you've seen them you'll know that the inner CV bolts to a cup on the diff. The cups remain in place permanently (unless you want to take apart the trans, they're also held in with a snap ring) and that way the fluid stays in the trans even when the driveshafts are pulled.If you're working on a GT then in my opinion you either want to pull the auxiliary shaft out of the way or be very careful you don't damage the seal on the trans when you install as I did. This shaft has no snap rings to worry about. Removing that shaft was nearly as big a pain in the (removed) as removing and reinstalling the trans BTW.I don't think there's any particularly easy way to do this job.
tiiguy
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:42 am

Re: Clutch Change (chrisr)

Post by tiiguy »

chrisr, not sure I follow. How do you leave the "cup" in place? Are you talking about taking the CV joint apart? Is that really easier than pulling the whole axle assembly out (which most of the guys seems to be doing)?Yeah, this job definitely looks a bear; never done front drive before. And no GT, just the normal boring 1z engine.
chrisr
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:32 am

Re: Clutch Change (tiiguy)

Post by chrisr »

Quote, originally posted by tiiguy »chrisr, not sure I follow. How do you leave the "cup" in place? Are you talking about taking the CV joint apart? Is that really easier than pulling the whole axle assembly out (which most of the guys seems to be doing)?Yeah, this job definitely looks a bear; never done front drive before. And no GT, just the normal boring 1z engine.Sorry, been off line for a few days. Leaving the cup in place is essentially like repairing an inner CV boot. You wouldn't pull the whole axle out to replace just that (at least I wouldn't) and to my mind it's much easier to just repack the CV with grease and put a new clip on the boot rather than taking to the cup with a slide hammer. I don't have a slide hammer and I was worried about damaging the diff if I tried to pry the cup out with a pry bar. It may pop right out for all I know but given how many problem I had with everything else I wouldn't count on it.I imagine the 1z may be slightly easier because you don't have that auxiliary shaft to deal with and the trans may be a little lighter considering it's got one fewer cog.If anybody want's to chip in on how easy it is to remove the inner cv cup from the diff I'd be quite happy to be corrected.
Bedlam
Posts: 186
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:33 am

Re: (chrisr)

Post by Bedlam »

Quote, originally posted by chrisr »The difference between the 5 speed and the 6 speed is the straight shaft that runs from the diff to a carrier bolted to the engine. I imagine that this is to create equal length drive shafts to counteract torque steer. It's this shaft going into the trans is where I'm having the issues.As for removing the female end of the CV from the diff why bother? I pulled the CV Boot, the inner CV slides right out. Put a bag over both ends to stop the grease from getting everywhere then repack it and pop it back in just like you were repairing a boot. Tried to take the carrier off tonight so I wouldn't have to whack the CV with a slide hammer (which I don't have) but once again I can't get at the bloody bolts. This car is beginning to annoy me.The 5 minutes per side to pop the axle from the dif is well worth it. I never like to open something up unless absolutely necessary and pulling the CV boot is one of those things. I never used a slide hammer on the car either. a Proper pry bar and the oversized set of plyers to set a leverage point worked every time. (did this 4 times because i was sold a junked trans) Re-aligning the snap rings once out is very important as well with the gap facing down before re-inserting. There is no difference in Half shaft length either between the 5 and 6 speeds. I know this because i literally only changed the transmission and my 5 speed unequal length axles were a perfect fit for the 6 speed. Too many parts are getting disassembled in this process by many people. Making it harder on themselves for no reason.
07 1ZZ 5spd Stealth - Sold
03 1ZZ 6spd Shadow w/NAV - For Sale
06 AWD Stealth - Current
07 Magnum SRT-8 - Current
tiiguy
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:42 am

Re: (Bedlam)

Post by tiiguy »

I just realized no one mentioned removing the exhaust, can you really leave that in place? Hard to imagine keeping the engine so still it doesn't tweak the exhaust.
mntn-biker
Posts: 185
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Location: West Georgia

Re: (tiiguy)

Post by mntn-biker »

I left my exhaust alone with no problems. The engine really does not move that much (hopefully!). At least mine didn't....
2003 base model
Serj22
Posts: 216
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 6:45 am

Re: (tiiguy)

Post by Serj22 »

Quote, originally posted by tiiguy »I just realized no one mentioned removing the exhaust, can you really leave that in place? Hard to imagine keeping the engine so still it doesn't tweak the exhaust. I left mine in. THe only issue I had was leaving the CAT part in makes it hard to get the rear engine mount out. That's about it. Putting a jackstand under the motor on a block of foam with a chain holding the top keeps it relatively still.
Pioneer HU2 x D3tAK tweeters in stock location (M&T)4 x Diamond Audio D162.5i1 x Pioneer TS-W309S4 SubPolk Audio Pa330 (To drive Sub)
tiiguy
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:42 am

Re: (Serj22)

Post by tiiguy »

How in the world do you disconnect the shift cables from the bracket? The manual says to just remove the clip, but I couldn't budge it, not enough room/leverage. In fact, at first I thought the clips were welded to the bracket, but that would make no sense at all.The original post says to remove the bracket, but that doesn't look any easier, the bolts are buried pretty well. Looks like I might be able to reach them from underneath if I pull the RH driveshaft.Either way, I'm hung up on this. Any help?
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