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D/R Swap + New Clutch (Pics)


jj421
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Hit another roadblock. Whilst trying to line up the tranny to the engine, Found a stud on the transmission was hitting a stud on the engine. Kinda hard to see in the picture, but I think when the D/R was being taken off of the donor car, it took the engine stud with it. Or maybe when I was taking off the old tranny, the stud came out of the tranny and is stuck in the engine. Either way, any tips?

 

P1130577_zps427a73fe.jpg

 

EDIT:

 

Kinda answered my question. Watched MilesFox's eleventh video, which at 2:15, he specifically states about the dowels. Gonna do what he said: take a 3/16th punch (same one used for axle roll pins) to punch out the dowel on the tranny side. For anyone in the future who is reading this thread, the video is here.

 

 

EDIT #2:

 

Went out, used the punch, no luck. Tried hammering, screwdrivers, punches, etc. Lowered the tranny a bit to give room, but it's not dropped out yet. I'd hate to drop it, but I think I might have to.

 

EDIT #3:

 

Never mind, managed to punch out the dowel on the tranny side. Used a 1/4" punch (3/16" was too small), a bit of penetrating oil, a good hammer, and a ton of patience. Let the swap continue.  ^_^ I've got the best motivation to finish this tonight. If I don't get my car running, I'm going to have to go to school tomorrow in my mom's Explorer. While that may not sound bad, her Explorer has an interlock system on it (like a breathalyzer, and you must blow to start the car).  :dead: Must finish!

Edited by jj421
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Any tips on this problem? I can't quite get the tranny to sit flush on the engine. It's about as far away as the above picture, but I can't move it any further forward. It's on the bottom bolts, and looks to be evenly lined up top to bottom. But it just won't go forward. I tried moving the flywheel a couple times, but no luck.

 

Edit:

 

I managed to get it. For future readers, I lined up the two bottom studs, and then with the jack at the back of the tranny, I wrestled the transmission so I could get the two nuts on those studs. Having a second person helps. After I got the nuts started, I jacked up the rear a little bit, started the top bolts, and tightened them all down using the "lug-nut" method.

 

It was a great sight seeing the transmission and engine mate together, especially after four days of work.  B) Hopefully from here, it's easy. I'm honestly scared to start my car, for fear that the flywheel or clutch will just blow up or something.  :rolleyes:

 

Oh, and another thing for future readers. Go to the Subaru dealership and get new clips that keep the throw-out bearing onto the clutch fork. Mine were old and could not keep tension. Put brand new ones on, and the TOB seems to be fine. They're $11 for two of them (in Bellevue, WA, anyways). Part number: 30539AA000 (all zeros)

Edited by jj421
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in my experience, its easier to wrestle the engine onto the transmission.... it looks like you left it bolted on the mounts?

 

if you suspend the engine across the engine bay with a fence post and some chain, you can manipulate it much easier than the transmission. whenever i remove a trans, i lift the whole assembly out of the cradle, then support the engine. from there, removing and reinstalling the transmission is easy. 

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Yeah, I left the engine bolted in on the mounts. The general consensus is pulling the engine makes things so much easier. But I don't feel comfortable with removing the engine, or even just moving it forward. Maybe next time though. Not to mention, I don't have very many tools. I don't even have a chain. The fact that I managed to get this far with basic tools is what surprises me.

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it would have only been two more bolts and removing the fan/radiator. you can support the engine with a 5 gallon bucket and a few boards to get to the desired height, but i still keep a chain to catch it if it ever falls. 

 

in the future, i do mobile repair work (ase certified, ex-race team mechanic), and live in seattle. i do everything from electrical diagnostics to drivability issues, and everything else inbetween. 

Edited by maozebong
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Again, maybe next time. It doesn't seem like much more work, but I just didn't feel like doing it, haha. The work required doing it this wasn't too much, although having a second person would help greatly. Maybe next time I need some help, I can message you?

 

On another note, the car is pretty much all set. Everything is back on except for the clutch cable and the speedometer cable. Literally, these are the only things holding me back from testing the car. I can't get the speedo cable threaded back in, as it keeps popping out. No matter what I do, it won't go in. And then the 10mm nut on the clutch cable is stuck. I can't back it off to fit the cable over the fork. Any tips towards either of these things?

 

Time to change my avatar too. Can't be having a picture of a push-button gear stick when that's no longer what I have, haha.

Edited by jj421
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as for the speedo cable, in fwd with one front wheel off the ground, have some one turn the wheel thats off the ground while you put the speedo cable in.

 

clutch cable, vise grips on the end of the cable,there should be a squareish part at the bottom of the threads.

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So I managed to get the clutch cable on. However, the clutch pedal just drops to the floor, then slowly returns because of the return spring on the clutch fork. If I go out there, I can easily move the clutch fork by hand, which I don't know if I'm supposed to or not. I feel like it should be really tight. The clutch cable is on properly, besides this:

 

P1130580_zps1189ebd0.jpg

 

How is this supposed to go on? I can sorta see it in one of the pictures posted earlier, but I can't get this to clip on tight. It just hangs there on the cable. However, I'm scared I will have to pull the car apart again. Flywheel went on correct, pilot bearing went in fine, pressure plate and disc installed the right way, TOB and clutch fork installed fine. I'm hoping this clip solves the problem, but I doubt it.

 

Edit:

 

Okay, managed to get the clip installed. However, the clutch pedal still drops to the floor, and the clutch fork moves freely.

Edited by jj421
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does the clutch fork move easilly toward the back of the car?. it should reach a point where it becomes very hard to move, but sill move. i cant think of a way you could have done it wrong. maybe tighten up the clutch cable it should be almost tight, at the end of the fork play. so tighten it till it pulls the clutch fork all the way towards the back, then loosen it a couple threads.

the adjusting nuts on the end of the cable should be almost to the bottom of the threads.

 

heres what my adjustment looks like, i just replaced my clutch about a week ago.

everything else might be a little different than yours.

 

img0401hi.jpg

Edited by AKghandi
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does the clutch fork move easilly toward the back of the car?. it should reach a point where it becomes very hard to move, but sill move. i cant think of a way you could have done it wrong. maybe tighten up the clutch cable it should be almost tight, at the end of the fork play. so tighten it till it pulls the clutch fork all the way towards the back, then loosen it a couple threads.

the adjusting nuts on the end of the cable should be almost to the bottom of the threads.

 

Yes, the clutch fork moves easily. I can push it all the way back with one finger (without the return spring on). I'll try tightening it down, but I don't necessarily see how that'd work. Right now though, the adjusting nuts are basically at the beginning of the threads.

 

 

 

If that is the case then you have either the incorrect pressure plate, TOB, clutch fork, or a combination of the three.

 

I used an Exedy 15008 kit, which is the OEM kit for 4WD transmissions. I'm thinking maybe the clips that hold the TOB came off or something, although I didn't hear anything. 

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does the clutch fork move easilly toward the back of the car?. it should reach a point where it becomes very hard to move, but sill move. i cant think of a way you could have done it wrong. maybe tighten up the clutch cable it should be almost tight, at the end of the fork play. so tighten it till it pulls the clutch fork all the way towards the back, then loosen it a couple threads.

the adjusting nuts on the end of the cable should be almost to the bottom of the threads.

 

heres what my adjustment looks like, i just replaced my clutch about a week ago.

everything else might be a little different than yours.

 

img0401hi.jpg

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

Thanks.gif

 

Wow, I can't believe I didn't even tighten them down. I feel stupid (also grateful) on so many different levels. I thought about tightening it down, but then I thought, "you're supposed to tighten it down as the clutch wears, so I don't think that'd fix it." Went out there, spent one minute tightening the nut, and suddenly, my clutch pedal feels like normal.  :banana:  :headbang:  B) Not sure if it's obvious, but I am very very very very very happy I don't have to take the car apart again. Words can't even describe how much frustration and hatred you just prevented. Just annoys me how I didn't even try this simple, easy thing before posting.  :banghead:

 

Now, gotta move on to the stupid speed sensor, which I guess isn't necessary to test the car, but I don't want to forget about it. Time to put the tires back on.  :rolleyes:

 

Thanks again!  :bouncy:

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Well, to my honest surprise, the car started and ran!!! Gained an exhaust leak, but hey, now I can hear the car when going through the gears.  :Flame: But yeah, I'm honestly surprised that it started. I'm surprised I did everything correct.

 

With all four wheels in the air, it successfully started, wheels turned through all five gears + reverse, 4WD Hi worked, and 4WD Lo worked. Reverse lights, speedometer, and the 4WD indicator worked, so I hooked up the wires correct. Really the only thing that is different than the way it was before is the exhaust leak, which I really don't mind. I reused the gaskets at the y-pipe, and upon installation, one of the gaskets got skewed. So I was definitely expecting a leak. But again, I don't mind. I like being able to listen to the engine through all the gears. Sounds like my old '81 GL, so I've got nostalgic exhaust leaks.  :rolleyes:

 

Anyways, thanks you guys for all your help. I probably wouldn't have been able to do this without you. AKghandi/lockpickman, you are getting a shoutout on YouTube when I finally upload the video.  :) I should get an initial start video uploaded this week.

 

For my first time doing a clutch replacement, first time doing a transmission replacement, and this being my biggest repair to date, I am extremely proud of myself. Although it was just a bolt-in replacement, it was difficult for me. Like any other repair, I have learned things through this.

 

I read somewhere about breaking in a new clutch. What do you guys do right after a clutch replacement? I'm not gonna go test the 4WD Lo in the mountains tonight, but what about higher RPMs and freeway driving? I read you should take it easy and do more city driving for the first 300-500 miles. Your opinions?

 

Anyways, I'm gonna stop typing. Gonna lower the car off the jackstands that it has been sitting on for the past five days, and go for a drive!  :headbang:

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Lol glad I could help. and just a little fyi, you loosen the cable as the clutch wears.

 

I've never heard anything about breaking in a clutch, but I am also not a professional mechanic.

 

CONGRATS on your first major repair, in my opinion a tranny swap is probably the hardest thing to do on these

Edited by AKghandi
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Officially got 20 miles on the new clutch.  :) The clutch is a little more sensitive than my old one, which I like and don't like. I like the higher sensitivity, but I don't like how much easier it is to stall. The biting point and pedal free play are to my liking though. I've noticed this gear shifter is a little more forward than the push button was. Took a couple miles to get used to. Also, I can't rest my hand on the handbrake as easily, since the 4WD shifter is kinda in the way. Speaking of which, haven't engaged the 4WD yet besides my test runs when the car was in the air, but I'll get to that soon. Might hit some light trails this weekend. Oh, one thing I love, is when I push in the clutch, the RPMs fall slower than before. With my push button, I would go to change gears, and the RPMs would fall so fast that they'd be under the revs of the next gear. If that makes sense... Other than that, haven't noticed much else with the transmission. It shifts nicely, although I feel like the gears are a little "looser" than my push button was. Not loose enough to really complain though.

 

Noticed some other things though. For one, no matter what climate control setting it's on (like defog), the air blows out the vents. I'm thinking this has something to do with me accidentally breaking the valve on the white canister near the passenger side firewall. I was prying the transmission, and I heard a distinct crack. Look over, and the white thing was cracked. Add that to the "things to pull at the junkyard" list. I also knocked my passenger side fender mirror loose, so gotta tighten that. By the way, doing this with fender mirrors was a pain!  ;) Otherwise, the only thing was the exhaust, which I now LOVE. When cruising, idling, or coasting in neutral, the engine is nice and quiet. When coasting in gear, it sounds like a truck's jake brake.  B) When accelerating, I can hear that EA82, which is great! Drove through "downtown" and heard some guys yell "Yeah!!" as I drove past. I like being noticed, haha.

 

 

 

Lol glad I could help. and just a little fyi, you loosen the cable as the clutch wears.

 

I've never heard anything about breaking in a clutch, but I am also not a professional mechanic.

 

CONGRATS on your first major repair, in my opinion a tranny swap is probably the hardest thing to do on these

 

Loosen the cable? Hmm, must be different than an EA81. I used to tighten it on my old GL. Oh well, hopefully I won't have to adjust it for a while. But that's a good note for the future.

 

I haven't read anything about breaking in a clutch here on the USMB, but I have with other cars on other sites. Either way, I'm going to avoid situations that are hard on the clutch (like steep hills and hard offroading), at least for the first few hundred miles. I think freeway driving should be fine though. I'm also gonna keep it under 4000 RPM for the first few hundred miles. As far as I'm concerned, it's not gonna hurt the clutch to baby it.

 

Thanks!  :D I think the tranny swap isn't that bad, depending on how you do it. The way I did it, definitely was difficult. Removing the engine would probably make it easier. All in all, it wasn't too bad. Just wish it didn't take me five days to finish. Next time I'll know what to do. 

Edited by jj421
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Thanks!  :) Again, surprised I got this done with the limited tools that I have. Most of my tools are in a 2XX piece Craftsman kit. I will say though, I am seriously glad I bought pry bars, a bigger breaker bar, and some penetrating oil. Without those, it would've been even more difficult. Those were pretty much the only things I bought though. Everything included, this entire thing costed me just under $500. When I went for my test drive, I am pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire time.  :) What I'm not looking forward to is cleaning up all my tools. And the lake of gear oil in my garage.  :banghead:

 

I also like how the console parts are fairly close to my car's interior. I noticed a few weeks ago that sometime in the car's life, the console around the handbrake had been changed, since it's a more bluish gray. This works out great because the D/R console parts are bluish gray too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't Loyales and DLs the only ones with the light gray interior, like what I have? I haven't seen a Loyale or a DL with a D/R, so I doubt I'll find light gray D/R console parts. Doesn't matter though; it's close enough, and you don't really notice the color difference.

 

1817_10200220783034193_847555582_n_zps45

Edited by jj421
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I never engage 4WD when on a hard surface. In fact, I've never really used the 4WD. Used it for the Christmas tree run last year, and maybe one other time. But for the most part, I don't have the time to drive somewhere, since Sammamish is full of houses. Plus, I'd want someone else with me in the event that I get stuck.

 

I guess it'll be just nice to have the low range. I have this weekend off of work, so I might go out and get some dirt or mud under my wheels.

 

Oh, one thing to ask: since I do not have a "Lo" indicator on my dash, is there a good way to ensure it gets into the low range? I've heard "stopped, neutral, clutch in" is the best for the tranny to engage into the low range. Do I have to sit for a couple seconds to let it engage, or is it engaged into the low range once the lever is in place?

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It's engaged as soon as the lever is moved. The lo indicator should be there, I got a center piece of the instrument cluster from a s/r and d/r to swap over on my a/t instrument cluster and both had the lo indicator you just have to hook it up. Give me a day and I can dig up some wire diagrams for you. Take a bright flashlight and shine it on the center of your instrument cluster and you should be able to see the lo Ind.

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Gear Oil ?  Lake?   Make sure your transmission and front diff have the correct levels.  Hopefully, you drained and replaced with new gear oil.

Shouldn't have to break in a new clutch.  The flywheel is new... so the machine marks help 'grab' the clutch disc.   Most importantly, don't burn the clutch.  Should last 200,000 if you drive right.

Time to change your avatar !   Nice job on the swap.

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