mtnman82

My first time doing a clutch job on one of these bad boys .....

I'm at the point where I should be removing the 4 torque tube bolts at the transaxle, in prep to put the tranny jack under and then remove the crossmember bolts, but .....

1) I'm having a bear of a time getting at the cheesehead bolt (for the torque tube) that's above the oil cooler. Just simply no room to get a wrench in there. I can see this would be a piece of cake without the oil cooler there. Anybody have a trick for getting at/to this bolt?

2) The Clarke's procedure calls for removing the fuel filter mounting from the crossmember and moving the fuel filter out of the way. It looks to me like I need to at least disconnect one end (so I did). I'm thinking I should remove completey. yes? no?

3) I've seen a couple pic's of people pulling their tranny's here on the list, and I don't recall seeing the crossmember attached. Should I be removing the crossmember with the transaxle, or is there an easier way (I'm thinking there would be more room to maneuver without the crossmember)?

4) I'm also having a heck of a time with the shift linkage rod. I assume I need to push it forward far enough to completely clear the tube on the transaxle before I can remove the transaxle?

Thanks for the help with the little details like these. You know I appreciate it, and hopefully this will help others.

2bridges

hmmm.... I removed trans oil cooler. Are you trying to remove trans without removing oil cooler?

Lanny Curlett

I ondo the bolts on the fuel filter , unbolt the crossmember, drop the tranny some and then unbolt the tranny from the crossmember. You have to move the tranny far enough back to clear the shifter linkage. As to the bolt you need extensions and universal joints. Good Luck

StyleLab

Do you mean the bolt that connects the tranny to the tt housing. The only cheesehead bolts are on the axles I beleive. I removed the bolt your talking about with the oil cooler on using different extensions.


I couldn`t get the fuel filter out of the way of the crossmember so I just disconnected one side of the fuel filter, had to replace it anyways.


Crossmember should come out with the transaxle. It can be done the way you say but will be really hard to get back on as you have to line up 4 bolts I beleive.


Yes, remove it from the shifter at the front, push it downwards and push it towards the front end of the car. Make sure it is clear of the tranny housing before dropping the tranny. Mine wasn`t and I ended up bending my rod. Good luck!

-Nick

samluke

Take the oil cooler off, its easy, opens up space and removes the risk of damage.

Ski

CV joints are out, pull the cooler loop off and make sure you store those retainer clips. On some of the harder bolts, use a hammer to "wake them up". I don't pull the crossmember, just undo the two mounting bolts on top of the tranny.

You can disconnect the shifter inside the car, pull the pin and move the rod as far as it will go, because if that plastic tube is still in the transaxle, it can be a PITA. Do you have the tranny/torque tube coupling unbolted and slid back?

I take it you're going to slide the bell housing back with the torque tube attached?

Van

hmm.. I've never taken the oil cooler off... As for that "cheese head bolt" -- it should be just a standard allen bolt -- and I find it very accessible with a 24" or more socket extension.

Don't worry about the shift lever, it'll easily slide out when the tranny comes back and down.

I always drop the tranny first, then the cross member...

You have to undo the fuel filler from the cross member, but you don't have to undo the fuel lines.

Good luck!

mtnman82

Thanks for the support, guys! I had to break away in time for the game yesterday - I told a friend I would buy the tri-tip & ribs ...

I was typing in haste and mistakenly called out that bolt as a cheesehead bolt, when it's really a 10mm allen head bolt. I stand corrected.

So ... yup, I was trying to remove the tranny with the oil cooler on. Sounds like I want to take it off? I assume I need to drain the transaxle before taking off the cooler? And it sounds like the end of the cooler are held on by clips? I definitely was a little worried about damaging it when I dropped the trans. I tried with a bunch of different combinations of extensions/swivels but couldn't find something to work. maybe I was just getting frustrated ... and I only have a 12" and 2 - 3" extensions, plus I think I need new swivels as me thnks they flop around too easily (bind up sometimes).

Bret - you take the CV joints all the way off? I can definitely see that helping on the oil cooler/fuel filter side. And do you drain the trans oil before pulling the cooler? I see two bolts on top of the trans - the nuts are accessable on the oil cooler side and the heads are deep in hex shaped holes. I was thinking these are what holds the tranny to the crossmember? The plastice tube for the shift rod is still in the transaxle, so I will put more effort into pushing it farther forward now that I know it must be done.

Regarding the tranny/torque tube coupling, yes I do have that unbolted and slid back. I also marked both sides with nail polish for re-assembly, but I have another question regarding the torque tube and re-assembly: I was thinking about looking for a used torque tube (I'm assuming that there is not a difference between the torque tube for an '89 and others) and having it rebuilt prior to picking it up or shipping. I'd like to save some time this way, if it's not too expensive. But, Clarke's mentions marking the coupling and tranny/drive-shafts for re-assembling in the same orientation. Sooooo, is there something critical going on here the way things are fitted together? Should I stick with my original parts?

Lastly, I was planning on disconnecting the clutch bellhousing from the torque tube via the 4 bolts, and then rotating and sliding the torque tube back with the tranny bellhousing attached to the torque tube. The bellhousing at the tranny looks to be pressed or fitted to the torque tube. Is this not the case? Or is there a better/easier way to remove the torque tube?

I guess the next thing I'll be doing is draining the tranny and removing the oil cooler (next opportunity for 'car time' will be tomorrow night). Thanks again guys, I really appreciate it!!!!!

Ski

I take the CV joints off just to use the opportunity to repack them, end for end them. The small clips, are a C shaped little ear pc that you bolt to the tranny where the loop enters the tranny, the C goes around the insert pc to the tranny loop and then a bolt goes through the ear of it - you'll understand when you take it off.

The movement of the TT can be a PITA because of the triangular "crash" pc's that Porsche welded to it, especially on the back in front of the torsion bar housing. To remove it completely, you'll have to drop the torsion bar housing assembly. But if someone cut them off prior, then it's no sweat - we cut them off the track car but I'm betting you still have them. If you don't, then you can slide it back no problem.

I'd drain the tranny but put you a pc of tape on it and write "NO OIL" as a reminder, sounds silly but I know of worse things that have happened on assembly. The two mounting bolts above, yep those are the ones. On install, once you stab one, the other one is easy.

You doing this on jack stands, 2 ton or 6 ton? Lift? If the crash pc's are still attached, I recommend disconnecting the PP and then the bell housing and pull it all back at the same time. You can then angle the bell housing down(after pulling a crossmember pc a foot or so back, pull the fork pin down, after loosening the reatiner bolt, with an old PP bolt screwed in to the pin, and pull the fork and clutch out. If this way, an extra set of hands is really helpful on putting it back in while stabbing the fork on the TO bearing and stabbing the pin in the fork.

mtnman82

CV joints - by end to end you mean swap ends attached to the tranny/wheels? And what's the best type of grease to pack them with? Just pack in the new grease, or clean out the old first?

I'm up on cinderblocks + ramps. I have a fair amount of space to work with. Yup, the crash pieces are still on the torque tube. Clarke's says just rotate the tt 180 degrees to clear those tabs - that won't work? There doesn't appear to be enough room when looking at it under the car, but I was going on faith (no one else seems to have problems with this, or at least I haven't read any posts about troubles).

If you're just doing the clutch, no tt maintenance, do you normally just pull the tt back far enough to gain access to the clutch? I was assuming it came out all the way, but I guess it doesn't have to. My car's got 120K miles on it, so I was thinking rebuilding the torque tube while I was in there was a good idea, but maybe not???

Also, still wondering if there's anything special going on with the sleeve coupling the driveshaft/tranny such that I shouldn't use another rebuilt tt?

Ski

I've tried to turn it before and I haven't been able to turn it 180°. You can't get the TT out unless you drop the complete rear assembly.

While the TT is still attached to the bell housing and sitting on the torsion bar housing in the back, I take out all 9 PP bolts from where the starter was(rotate the engine), then I pull the bolts on the bell housing (after pulling grounds, S&R sensors) and pull it all back at the same time. I then undo the front cross member that it's resting on - this will allow the TT to come down some, now you can remove the pin from the fork and the entire assembly will come out. Go back in the same way, have someone else ready to stab the pin back in the fork as you get it lined up, while still holding the fork on the TO bearing. Now, if you can rotate it 180°, if you get lucky, go for it.

I don't know if the splines are the same or different from TT to tranny. I think it may just be an oriention thing, not TT specific on the coupling - never heard that one before.

BlacknRedGT

before you drain the tranny make sure you can take the bolt(i think its a reg bolt) off to fill it... Dont want to drain it and have no way to fill it back up

Ski

both are 17mm allen plugs.

mtnman82

Thanks guys!!!

MPD47

I leave the crossmember in and just unbolt the two bolts that go sideways through the transaxle. Much easier after having done it all 3 ways.