Crunch Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Hi, Have our 1992 legacy wagon up on ramps to do clutch which has been slipping off and more on over last few months. Read here where going in via engine removal seems best route. I am wondering though, can I replace the clutch without complete removal of the engine? With the radiator out I have 5 inches to move the engine forward, is this enough room to get in? Has anyone done it this way. This is a spare car I have been using so the least effort I spend on this job the better. My thought was drop exhaust off at heads. Remove engine mount bolts, lift the engine tranny a tad to clear engine mounts. Remove as few as possible pipes wires etc in getting engine to move forward. Get in between engine and tranny to change out plate and clutch. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 There isnt a hell of a lot of slack in the engine wiring harness and all the attached hoses. What you want to do is 90% of an engine removal. You might as well go all the way and remove the drivetrain, as it may be easier in the long run. If something was to slip you may do alot of damage. Also depending on the mileage of the car you may want to do the timing belt and etc while its out. Everything is so much more easier with the engine out, including spark plugs. There may have been somone here who has a done clutch by dropping the tranny, that may be a more desiarable route if you dont want to remove the engine. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Thanks Nipper, I spent about an hour this evening and have most things I want off, off. Have undone a few wires, hoses I see as needed to be undone or slackened to let engine go forward 5 inches. Timming belt etc has all been done about 20k ago. This is a run around car. Ive pulled trees down with her, carried drywall till the tyres bulge, played in the snow, even made a little grader-blade out of some 2x8 to push some gravel up the driveway. Thinking about it this could be why I now need to do the clutch, Maybe my subs not as strong as I thought. So I am just wanting to do a 'quickie' and get back to work. This way I should not have to remove Air-conditioning, power steering etc. You maybe right. So close I may need/be best to remove engine. That's the good thing about this forum. You can ask and see if anyone has tried it before. Thinking....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 AC you just unbolt the compressor and put it to the side on the fender. The PS is the same way i do belevie. hhehe funny how we think these things are trucks . SOunds like you need a d/r sooby , not that im one to put ideas in anyones head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a97obw Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Should you remove the engine, you can manage to get the power steering pump and hoses to stay put in a plastic or whatever pan on the passenger side strut tower/airbox area, and as for the A/C compressor you'll want to find a piece of wood or something to lay the compressor on. If you flip the compressor over and put it on the drivers side strut tower area it puts the hoses in a major kink situation. And the hoses are NOT cheap! So the next to last thing I did in removing the engine was to disconnect the fuel lines. Then I flipped the compressor over and to the side, hoisted the engine out and then promptly put the compressor in a better spot. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Thanks, I am setting up to remove engine. Minding the knee knockers while wife out shopping so not a lot being done. Got a hoist from next door. Car is on stands and all set to go. Thanks a97obw for image and advice on ac, lets me know what to expect... I have 24 hours to get this done and out of the garage before the mother-in-law arrives................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a97obw Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Car is on stands and all set to go. Having the car on jack stands or ramps may not be a good idea. Be forewarned that when you remove the exhaust y pipe at the engine it is going to drop....and the only thing holding it up might just be the wiring to the oxygen sensor! Also, you are going to need a floor jack under the transmission. Check if you have enough reach to do this with the car on the jack stands. In fact, the only thing you'll have to disconnect under the car will be the exhaust. I'd take it off the stands at least for safety sake as when you go back in with the engine, the transmission is going to be moving around quite a bit with the pitching stopper (dogbone to firewall) removed. Major tip----find a bolt nut and washers to put in the chain on the hoist to form a loop that you can then put on the hook of the hoist. The transmission is going to be angled upwards at the front when you use the floor jack to get the engine mounts clear of the crossmember, and the engine without a bolt in the hoist chain at the right spot is going to balance with the front quite a bit lower than the flywheel end. Trial and error on where to put the bolt/washers/nut on the chain to form the loop to get things to line up better will save you a LOT of time putting the engine back in. Ohh--find a turkey baster or other suction bulb to remove the ATF from the power steering pump before you flip it and put it on the passenger side fender area.....or else you've got a REAL mess! I have 24 hours to get this done and out of the garage before the mother-in-law arrives................ Dude, wait till the inlaws are gone. This is going to take some time to do, especially if you are doing it alone. Good Luck and BE SAFE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted March 26, 2006 Author Share Posted March 26, 2006 All is done... My only issue was getting engine separated from Gearbox, must of used up an hour or two. Those location pins were as tight as. Sprayed them with some release oil, had dinner and went back with a long bar and tapped away, popped right apart. I had the GB and engine lined up so well that the engine slid forward and right off. I had used a bolt on lifting chain to try and balance out for the angle (thanks a97obw) and must have got it right. Changed out everything and had engine back in the car by midnight. Did all the underneath bolts before bed. This morning attached everything. Filled with new antifreeze. Fired over and drove out of garage. Took a few minutes to adjust the 'hill-start' thingy. Cleaned the engine. Washed the car and had it parked out front by church time. Mother-in-law arrived from VA at 2pm, Garage was dry and all tools away. She did comment "Your eyes look a bit red. Must be the kids. I need to give you a break" Thanks for the help folks. As to my reason for post. ? Clutch Replacement- By separation of engine and transmission. Not engine removal. ! Answer you have to take engine out. Thanks everyone, a wealth of info to be found in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 Bravo! I hope I'll get an equally smooth ride when i do mine sometime this summer. You make it sound very doable. Thanks! Is my understanding ok that you use a bolt to shorten one of the downward leg of the chain Y ? Am I right that you can only do that with the tension off? Congrats again for a job nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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