Looking for opinions on a few of my "assumptions" below:

I'm preparing to change my clutch.

It's been mentioned more than once that a lot of room is needed under the car.

I'm not using a lift, I bought 4 (rated at 6000 lb per pair) Heavy Duty Truck/Car Stands that will raise to a height of 24" and keep the car level.

I also bought a Transmission Jack (800 lb Harbor Freight Tool model) It starts at 8.5" and will up to 22" off the ground.

I'm thinking that I can manage to get the tranny out from under the car (as well as back in) ...with those tolerances.

(Evomoto claims that you need at least 15" Clearance to get the tranny out of the way if it's just sitting on a piece of cardboard.)

so 15 + 8.5 = 23.5. I figure that Evomoto probably rounded up to 15" from 14 something. But even if I'm wrong, I think I could get the tranny off the T jack and drag it out on cardboard - (worst case scenario ).

I've read lots of threads on this, as well as a few how to's and have the Factory manual.

So other than that - what can anyone who has done this in their garage tell me about what they learned along the way, or might do differently, in retrospect?

Thanks for any advice

 

You should have plenty of room to work. If you plan on having some people help, I wouldn't reccomend any more than 2 others (**** starts getting lost). Make sure you got plenty of plastic baggies and a marker (to keep track of various bolts and other **** that'll be coming off) and make sure you have all the right tools from the start (took me and friends a week to do mine because of this).

*EDIT* Make ABSOLUTELY SURE that YOU YOURSELF torque down all bolts. My driveshaft damn near dropped out while driving home after the install (lost 3 of the 4 bolts from the first u-joint). Not very pleasent.

 

Man, i wish i had the garage and space to do my own clutch install. Ive heard its about a 5 hr job. or is that just unistalling the old one?

 

if you have an '05 and up the acd needs to be bled.

 

not true. There are methods to avoid this.

I think it's a 5hour job just to get the tranny out. then another 5 to get it back in. My time estimation theory for working on cars is that if it's your first time doing that install. times the "normal install time" by 3 and that is how long it will probably take

 

For a first timer it shouldn't take longer than a weekend. If you've done it a few times some people can knock it out in a matter of hours.

 

Thanks to everyone on the replies. I should have stated that mine is an 03, so I dodge the acd issue.

Plastic baggies & marker are permanently being added to my work bench area as well. I was talking about it to a friend this weekend. great advice!

I've done cams & gears a number of times, so it's not my first work out on a ledge (so to speak :-) and I'm making sure my other car running so if it turns into a longer than expected job, I should be good.

The clutch install job kind of represents "my Moby Dick" (i.e., My Arch Nemesis) - if I can get the process down (like the guys that do it on 3 to 5 hours) I'm gonna be unstoppable at perfecting my launch times - I'm always thinking about the clutch when the tree lights up - and then I sniff around like a bassett hound for burnt clutch after a run - it's not the price of the clutch - it's the install labor that is always hangin' put there. I figure I can get a few friction disks to every pressure plate, reducing my overall cash outlay, while increasing my "quality time" with the Evo changing the clutch disk

May be I'll get real gutsy and switch out to an open diff while things are apart.

 

good luck with it let us know how it does, i plan on doing mine within the next month, and btw it doesnt hurt to take pics!

 

a tranny jack didn't help me very much, it was easier using an engine hoist from the top with ratchet straps around both ends of the tranny. lets you move it around more easily since you need to twist it different ways to get it around the crossmember and lined up.