Friday morning ... after some misc getting started issues, we finally start the tear down around 11am .. It is a 03 with 84k miles ... We run into the typical and expected rusted, broken bolts and misc issues ... the interruptions continue and so on we call it quits about 8:30pm ... We leave with the axles needing to be removed and Tie Rod ends needing to be removed (we had wrong size pitman puller) (tie rod ends are due to us dropping the sub frame as we are installing a sway bar also).

Saturday morning ... Back at , got the tie rod ends out, Sub frame down, axles out, shaft out, down pipe off in a hour ... we are pumped things are (FINALLY) going so smoothly ... Start unbolting the Xfer Case, get her undone, with the sub frame down, she slides right out (AWESOME) ... Transmission next ... get her unbolted, forgot the TOB ... So re bolt a couple in the bell housing, whether it was shear luck or just god on my side, the TOB released with 1 attempt ... Boom, Tranny is out .... its Noon time!! Awesome! Break for some lunch, discuss the plan of attack.

Return from lunch ... Unbolt clutch, Flywheel ect ... Unpack my new CCI Lightweight flywheel ... bolt her up , PERFECT!! ... Unpack new Stage 2 CCI Clutch ... Press up to flywheel to be bolted in .... WRONG CLUTCH!!!!! Double check invoice, parts order are correct, car is correct (obv cause i got the right flywheel) ... So fire upt he Iphone, google the CCI Part # on the box ... anyone need a stage2 clutch for a 90-94 Eclipse/Talon GSX? ... Fuming ... Slowboy Racing where the order was place, obv isn't open on Sat .. Sent mass emails to every member of the team there looking for some kinda emergency contact to get this taken are of, as my car is sitting now in a garage till prob at least Tue being the earliest i could get a replacement from them..


Things learned...

- Don't trust anybody ... always double check the parts list (even if its a company you have been dealing with for god knows how many years and vehicles)

- When the internet says the clutch job is a PITA .... believe them!!!

 

nice...

 

Yup, that sounds like a PITA lol. Also, you didnt really have to do the tie rods...you could have done the lower control arm bolt, and popped that out. Thats what i did. Also, this seems pretty easy compared to my trans/clutch job. I fought the TOB for 4 hours, the bolts on my Tcase were ON THERE. I had to use 42 inches of extension, and go OUT the passenger wheel well with a big *** breaker bar. That was interesting! lol.

 

we used 42" of extention and a impact gun ... haha!!! But yeah i understand that one.

You mean to drop the subframe? Instead of tie rod ends the lower control arm bolt?

 

I am surprised you couldnt tell due to the fact that a DSM clutch is a push type clutch and not a pull type. The only way this wouldnt be appareant is if just the clutch disk is wrong and the pressure plate was correct.

 

it gets easier as you do a few clutches as you learn a few tricks. i can do a clutch job on evo's in 8 hours from a running car back to a running car again.

sucks to hear about this, hope it works out for you.

 

This is my first clutch job, Im kinda helping out a friend who has experience doing clutches, but this is also his first DSM Clutch so it was kinda a blind shot i guess. Im confident it will go back together fine, and aside from the clutch screw up, for first time its pretty much what i expected after reading about it, he was a little more optimistic, But quickly came back down to reality haha.

 

heres a tip when you get the correct pressure plate:

after installing clutch, put the trans back in. BEFORE PUTTING ANYTHING ELSE ON, lock the clutch fork in place (pull it to the driver side still it clicks in place), then bolt the slave cylinder in place and press the clutch pedal 50 times.

reason being, if you press the clutch pedal down and it stays on the floor you need to take the tranny back out. i cant tell you how many people knock the retainer clip from the pressure plate when putting the transmission in, then reassebmle the entire car before testing the clutch, only to find out they need to take it all back apart again.

this can save you 5-10 hours of work.

 

This solid advice right here!!!! I had this happen, but luckily I caught it early cuz it was one of the 1st things I checked. Also when removing the trans the TOB is the 1st thing I take off once the car is jacked up and I can get to the slave cylinder

 

No, i also dropped the subframe. I mean to get the axle and such out...instead of taking the tierod off, you could take the one 17mm bolt at the bottom of the hub out, and then the hub will push back and forth to get the axle out

 

definatly gay! atleast the subframe was out so you had an easy time dropping the xfer case, and tranny. its definatly a PITA with the subframe in thats for sure!

 

Yeah was definatly a lot easier then i have been reading with the subframe dropped. Hell i needed a alignment anyways!!!

thanks kevinD for the advice, ill def remember that!

 

LOL. I definitely feel your pain. Keep your head up though, everything will go back together in time. Wrong clutch FTL! I've pulled my tranny out twice and it definitely is easier the second time around. Good thing you have a friend to help you. Doing this all by yourself sucks big time. A good tip with the sub frame whether doing it by yourself or with a friend is to use two jacks. I used a jack under the control arm area and a tranny jack under the other control arm area and it goes back up with ease. Gotta get creative sometimes working on stuff by yourself. Good luck!!!

 

Haha!!! Yeah creative FTW!!! I do have some help which is nice, and there are 2 other buddies there with us just in case!!! Figure the more the merrier for putting that damn tranny back up there!! haha! Have a Floor Jack with tranny attachement ... but not enough clearance for the tranny under the car on the jack, so we have to slide both under the car first, then pop the tranny up on the jack, and then get the tranny up there, and then rotate it so it matches up, all without screwing up the what KevinD said@!! aha

 

this is why no one uses slowboy anymore there customer service is horrible and half the time the parts they send are wrong or damaged !!!!