Clutch replace (it won't replace...)

dg_unit

dg_unit

Club Member (Trial)
Hi right. I've had a few cries for help on the forum. In my finite wisdom I decided to have a go at changing the clutch on my '87 1.0 colette. Three days later I've got the transmission off, cleaned out the bell housing, flywheel, fitted the new clutch plate, housing and bearing. I've jacked up the engine at the oil sump and put the gearbox on a jack to move into place. Took a lot to the get it to slot in and I started tightening the bolts with an accomplished grin on my face. Only problem is that all of the bolts on the rear engine mount side don't line up and the dowel doesn't slot in properly. That and I've developed an old man's back muckin around under and over the car. I've left it jacked up overnight and taken the gearbox back off. Anybody got any ideas on how to sort it out quickly? I'm loosing the will to finish it. :down:
 
for starters DONT PANIC !!!!!!!!!!

take the gearbox out

make sure that the dowels are removed from the box and located in the engine and cover plate, take to check that they are smooth and the locating wholes in the gearbox are not full of rubbish

give them and the locating hole a squit of WD40

ensure that the clutch is centrel (you have used a centralising tool i presume)

enure the splines on the input shaft are clean and lubercate with a bit of copperease if you have any to aid location.

RIGHT HERE WE GO

CAR on axle stands!

Take a jack and a small piece of wood and locate on the sump next to the front pipe and lift the engine to its central position, then lift it just slightly higher.

ENSURE THAT THE long 12mm Bolt on the rear bracket is through the engine and bracket

Ensure that the 2 x large 14mm bolts are resting in the bracket ready to go.

RIGHT if you have got a bad back you need two people

FIRST get the box under the car ready to go
First person with the good back lifts the box up from the passenger wing into place
Second person with the dodgy back helps locate the box on the splines first then the dowels.

Whilst the FIRST holds it in place fit the front bell housing bolt just over hand tight (to stop the box from moving)

then go to rear bolts loking at the lining up and location, if they dont line up, just jack up the box or let it down to suit, once one bolt is lined up the rest will follow.

DO THEM ALL HAND TIGHT

refit all other bellhousing bolts until they are all fitted, then tighten them up one by one

SEE MY POST REMOVING AND REFITING A K10 gearbox

Important when you have finished make sure you have some free play in the clutch (push the release arm towards the cable connection whilst holding you should have about 5 mm free play so the pedal bites half way.


all the best Dave and well done for trying!
 
Thanks for that. Feeling a bit more enthusiastic about it today. I'll give it another go after work and rope my flatmate into it. :laugh: I think I may need to look at changing the way I as jacking up the engine. I was running out of height with a scissor jack on wooden blocks. It wasn't quite level so I'll sort something out to make sure that happens as well as try all of the other suggestions.
 
you will have serious trouble getting the gearbox back on if the clutch plate is no lined up right, did you use an alignment tool?
 
take the clutch off

try the centre plate on the input shaft

if it fits

then make a tool using a maker pen and a roll of masking tape

so long as you have something with a snug fit you are laughing
 
I am feeling you pain send me some photos of how you have the car jacked up positions of the rear mounts and how you have fitted the clutch, send me pictures of the dowel locations and the bellhousing of the box

Cannot understand where you are going wrong at the minute

[email protected]
 
DONE IT!!!

Thanks so much for all the help and advice. It turns out that I was being an idiot trying to do it myself. Got a mate round, he made an improvised alignment tool with a fat drill bit and some electrical tape and we slotted it on. Such a relief. The trick in this case was he got under the car, I lifted the clutch and he supported it on his chest while I took weight from on top and pushed it on. Refitting the rear engine mount was a bit of hard work as well but again getting a mate to push the gearbox down did the trick!

So this is all good news. Now I've gotta get new ball-joints, a bit of brake cleaner, fit the rear silencer mount and give the insurance company a call. Should be on the road by the beginning of next week! I might detail my adventures on here with some pics if it will be helpful and stick in all the advice and tips I've been given. I know I made a right long hash of it but maybe other people wanting to give it a go can learn from my mistakes? Later this year I think I now have the confidence to try sticking a facelift 5 speed box on there and then start thinking about giving it some extra beans under the bonnet. Thanks again for all the help.
 
Weldone and you weren't being an idiot doing it yourself, you saved yourself from getting ripped of by a garage and you learnt something new
 
Well done you

The first clutch is always the hardest. When I was an apprentice I was so lucky that I had a good tutor though I was black and blue for making mistakes. Funny 20 years on I can still remember how to do Micra and Bluebird tappets!

K10's are the best car ever made, if i could find an ST I would have another tomorrow.

Good man for sticking at it, there is nothing worse than when it all goes wrong and you have no where to turn. Just throw that Halfords allingement tool on ebay to get your money back.

All the best Dave
 
Yeah man it's a two man job fitting the gearbox, because it's very difficult to lift it to the right hight AND push it foreward onto the dowles when you're on your own. One tip to make the job easier; reverse the car onto drive-on ramps the jack up the front and have the front on axle-stands. That way you can lower the front end pretty much onto the ground for when you are ready to undo the last mount and tug it off. Then you can raise the front up again and slide out the gearbox through the side. So you don't have to bother holding the engine and box in place with jacks.
 
well done for doing it, your first time will be hard, but when your as trained at it as i was, its a fairly easy ONE man job
 
id say the 25kg is full of oil + some, 25kg seems on the heavy side to me, the whole ma12 engine is only something like 40-45kg.
 
One man job if you've got monkey power scott lol. The ma's can be lifted one man, but the cg's are akward lumps to move. It felt to me like both k10 and k11 boxes are fairly close in terms of weight, except the 4-speed, those weigh nothing :p
 
porkpie700 said:
One man job if you've got monkey power scott lol. The ma's can be lifted one man, but the cg's are akward lumps to move. It felt to me like both k10 and k11 boxes are fairly close in terms of weight, except the 4-speed, those weigh nothing :p
Click to expand...

yey for monkey power lol, never picked up a cg gearbox so dont know, cg's are a bit heavier than ma engines, but just about manageable on your own

aLLeKs said:
69kg... ;)
Click to expand...

is it really? i was on about a dry engine with nothing bolted to it.
 
superls said:
yey for monkey power lol, never picked up a cg gearbox so dont know, cg's are a bit heavier than ma engines, but just about manageable on your own



is it really? i was on about a dry engine with nothing bolted to it.
Click to expand...
I think it is. This is what I heared. I can lift it alone, hardly, but possible.
 
Well it was a 4-speed and the oil was drained and no I don't have twiglet arms. The big problem was leaning over the wing to try and hold it in. Next time I think I'd get under the car and lift it. Not sure how you'd tackle refitting the rear engine mount without a bit of a hand. That was a tricky #####.
 

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