Lousailor

Alright. all work on the interminable clutch job has now been suspended for that stubborn driver side lower clutch housing bolt. I've soaked it with PB. Applied enough torque to a breaker bar to almost move the car off it's stands. Tried to 'wake' it up by tapping it. I even removed the entire left front suspension to get at the back of it, but it's still not budging. Any Ideas?!?

On the last attempt the socket I am using was slipping of the end, don't know if it's all the penetrant, or whether the bolt is rounding. It's really tough to get a good angle on it, because it's tucked right up next to the firewall, and there are also a couple of brake lines routed right next to it that I'm trying not to damage. Any ideas for some kind of special 19mm wrench that will grip it without slipping? My offset box wrench and even my open end wrench won't fit up there. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

Adam Roberts

Use an impact wrench if you can fit it in there. I had a few stubborn ones myself
(they were at the top of the belhousing and extremely hard to get to.)

I ended up borrowing an air compressor and purchasing an air impact wrench which got mine loose. it finally gave up and broke free.

Ever been to harbor freight? They have great deals on tools like that .. you probably could get a compressor, an impact and an air rachet all around $200 or so...

its worth it.

smkn951

are all the bolts of? if so install(snug fit) it to relieve some weight of that one.
i work with big stuff in the military. 19mm(3/4) box end should fit and use another box end (big)to go over the oepn end and use it for lev erage, and use your legs( don't kick) apply constant bouncing motion.
i use this technique to bust 1-1/2 bolts with 175-195 ft/lbs of preassure to install it. it's just a matter of positioning that wrench.
when i still have trouble on bigger nut and bolts, while working under the vehicle, i position the wrench so that i ca get a bottle jack and use that to break it loose.
good luck

smkn951

by the way lefty=loosie; righty= tighty as you are facing the bolt/nut
believe it or not, i sometime make a mistake given that i've been turning wrench for ten years now.

special tool

I use an 18 inch 3/8 extension, swivel and 6 point 19. It'll take you about 20 seconds with those tools, man.

83na944

I used a 12 pt 19mm standard 1/2 inch socket on a 18 inch breaker bar. On that bolt (L lower) I had to work it between the clutch slave cylinder by bending the breaker bar more than 90 degrees. So that it was closer to the front of the car than the back of the socket. Then I could only get it rotated about one twelvth, so I'd reset the socket and reattach the breaker bar. It's tedious, but eventually it'll back out enough that you can turn it by hand.

You might put a jack under the oil pan, raise the engine a little and back off the nut on the motor mounts a couple of turns. This will let you push the engine to the right a little. I had to do this to get the housing out anyway.

Let us know how its coming. I got the flywheel off and the pilot bearing out. The flywheel goes for resurfacing tomorrow.

ErichCS

I did the same thing. Socket(Shallow one) on the bolt, then swivel then extension to torque wrench under the car. Came right off!

Good Luck!
Erich

Lousailor

Success is mine! Of course I've found out the hard way that you must follow the steps in order and accurately.

Unfortunately my worst suspicions have been proven out. Not only was the clutch disk worn down to the metal retainers, the rubber bushing was gone, allowing the disk to slam against the stops whenever I shifted (explains all the noise). Here's a look at the old and new disks.

Cass944

man i almost took that thing out using only my fingers. Im glad i didnt have a crazy problem like that. I had some trouble with the top one o the back of the engine. I got to it from the top though.

83na944

Glad it you got it out.

I pulled mine today, too. The disk was worn to the rivets, the cushion was torn, the pilot bearing and throwout bearings were rough. Fortunately, the flywheel looks good.

There was a lot of junk in the housing. Anybody got an idea about plugging the hole?