Need advice on replacing my clutch!!!!

[Rhiggins]

I need to replace my clutch and im just after some advice as to a few things.

I have very little mechanical experience with this kind of thing (i have never changed a clutch) but I do consider myself to have my fair share of common sense. My grandfather has offered to help me with this task and he has considerable more experience than i do so im not wading into this completly alone. My car is a 1988 GQ Patrol TB42, duel fuel.

A few questions that i hope someone can answer are:

1. Am i way over my head in difficulty with changing a clutch? and should I leave this to a mechanic?

2. What is the best kind of clutch replace myne with? and how much will it cost? (I do quite a bit of city driving compared to 4x4ing with this car as it is my everyday car... dont know if that will make a difference in the kind of clutch i should get.)

3. Are there any good websites that can help me with any general information or walkthroughs that i should be aware of?

4. How long will it take? a guestimate would be great (I can afford to have my car not working for an extended period of time as i can get public transport to work.)

Thanks.

Rhiggins

[sim]

hi mate changing a clucth in a patrol is not as easy as it seems. when you undo the bolts to pull the gearbox out you have to turn the box to get it out, and its bloody heavy. when you get it out you will need to change the throw out bearing, spigot bearing, rear main oil seal, and machine the fly wheel. have done mine in my hilux and now the clutch in my patrol needs doing. got mine done by a gearbox place and saved a lot off time and money, cost to do the hilux was $900.00 with a heavy duty clutch, and all done in half a day. bets of luck.

[of4x4]

I did mine in a TD42. Pretty sure the gearboxes are very similar (if not the same). Recommend you take it somewhere - easier, quicker and warranty.

The gearbox / transfer case is over 150Kg's. You need an engine crane or gearbox jack to move it. Pig of a thing to get out and in (needs to be turned as previously stated).

Some of the bolts around the top of the bell housing are very difficult to get to (unless you have hands like a small child). You also have to make sure the you have something to align the clutch plate when you bolt the pressure plate back in place, else you have trouble refitting the gearbox and risk damaging your new clutch plate.

Mine took most of the weekend to do, and you need to get the flywheel machined so allow time to find a place to do it for you.

As for Clutch types, go for a heavy duty type as you don't want to be changing it any time soon. I can't help you with price.

As for websites - I only know of the Exedy one, but I'm sure Clutch industries (PBR) would have one also.

www.exedy.com.au
Instructions:
http://www.exedy.com.au/technotes/fitti ... ctions.pdf

[sw1]

as stated twice above

the gearbox and transfer case are a pig to move & even worse to rotate
re-alignment of the gearbox is a nightmare, even with an actual trans jack.

[chimpboy]

I have changed a fair few clutches in my life but I wouldn't attempt it on my Patrol.

I am sure I *could* do it, but only with a lot more pain than it's worth to me.

Remember that gearbox/transfer case combo is literally four or five times as heavy as the gearboxes in many cars, and even with those there's a bit of grunting and heaving for a home mechanic who doesn't have a hoist.

[badger]

my first question is if the transfer weighs over 150kg why the hell can i pick it up by mysef?


i did mine last month.
im not gunna lie it is heavy and it is not the easiest box to remove. but that said if you wanna save some coin and have half a clue it can be done with a mate or 2 and some planning.

definatly get hold of a few good trolly jacks (if your trucks huge the jacks will have to be too) and seperate the transfer from the box. if its a wagon or ute
shortys dont have the annoying cross member in the way

forgot to say
i only did mine because it was 4 days before i left for holidays (the wed b4 christmas and i had enough trouble getting the cutch i wanted and the flywheel machined. let alone finding a place to put it in
alot of places will only charge 300 to do a gq clutch if you shop around and for me id cough up the 300 any time (coming from someone who has done a few of them)

[chimpboy]

my first question is if the transfer weighs over 150kg why the hell can i pick it up by mysef?

Until now, you never realised that you were...



Nah, are you sure you mean the transfer case or the transfer plus gearbox?

I have never weighed these but the transfer case alone would have to be in excess of 50kg, and the gearbox heavier still.

[gqtrol]

i think in total gearbox and transfer weigh in at 147kgs dry don't forget they take twelve litres of oil which would add another 15kgs

[killer_garden_gnome]

wat gq 5 speed takes 12 L of oil?

[gqtrol]

sorry that was my reading mistake it take 5.1 and the transfer takes about 2 so still thats almost another ten kilos doesn't sound like much but on top of a 150kgs its alot

[green4x4]

if you do it smart it only takes 2 people and half a day, very easy if you know the tricks of the trade.....

[Zac Zec]

if you do it smart it only takes 2 people and half a day, very easy if you know the tricks of the trade.....

x2. Do you have a body lift? This will make it easier again

[Rhiggins]

Nah i dont have a body lift only a 3" susp lift.

I have already taken out all the bolts and everything apart from 4 holding up the gearbox/transfercase and have got that resting on blocks and jack and will be dropingthe gearbox in the morning.... so far its pritty easy but im just taking my time and double checking everything as i go along.

I am taking photos as i go along so ill post up a bit of a walkthrough/what i did if anyone is interested to see it?... when i finish.

Thanks,

Rhiggins

[Zac Zec]

dont 4get to disconnect all the wiring 2 the gearbox b4 dropping it.

Getting it out is the easy bit putting it back in is the hard bit. Be careful not to bend the fingers on the diaphram. Check your flywheel out b4 installing the new one. If you can get the whole gearbox out the way then it makes it alot easier to line the new clutch plate up. If you cant and you dont have an aligning tool then just feel around the edges of the clutch plate in relation to the diaphram.
Good luck. Once you have done it once you could almost do it with your eyes closed

[stool]

Get your self a clutch centering tool .

As you will never get the gear box to mate up to the motor` If the clutch pressure plate inside the clutch housing is even 2mm out of centre.

Trust me JUST GET 1

[Zac Zec]

Get your self a clutch centering tool .

As you will never get the gear box to mate up to the motor` If the clutch pressure plate inside the clutch housing is even 2mm out of centre.

Trust me JUST GET 1

Never used 1 and dont own 1. Never had any lining up issues at all

[wrksux]

make sure you get the flywheel machiened. kinda pointless replaceing a clutch if you dont do that, so factor that in. remember to check the rear main seal and thrust bearing since its all out

[killer_garden_gnome]

for the sake of $15 do yourself a favor and renew your release bearing anyway theres nothin worse than havin to take a GQ gearbox out because the bearing decides to take a dump in your bellhousing

[sierrajim]

for the sake of $15 do yourself a favor and renew your release bearing anyway theres nothin worse than havin to take a GQ gearbox out because the bearing decides to take a dump in your bellhousing

Why not do the rear main at the same time?

[GQ Bear]

Job is heavy and extremely awkward. Other than that it is a reasonably straight forward proceedure. I did mine in 2 days - 1 out, 1 in. Can be done quicker, but first (and only) time, take your time.

From memory; $400 Exeedy HD clutch kit, $50 clutch aligning tool kit, $8 spigot bearing, $50 machine flywheel. (because of time constraint, had to get me to work in 2 days, i didn't machine flywheel or replace main seal. I did surface the flywheel with a light sandpaper wheel fitted to a dril). About 18mths on still going strong

I got quotes of $1200 and upwards to do the job, so you do save a few bucks doing it yourself. If you can afford it, pay someone. If you can't, have a go - be warned though it is HEAVY and awkward work without a hoist and you're back will ache like a biatch for weeks after.

If you're thinking of doing a body lift, do it first. 50mm clearance makes it heaps easier to turn the bellhousing out and in. Take your time and be patient and you'll be right. Watch out for the wiring harnesses and some of the plugs can be a mutha to undo. Wash under car too. Dry mud flakes in your eyes get very annoying after a while.

[j-top paj]

im guessing all this is the same for a GU??? mine is starting to slip
at least now when i turbo it the clutch will be able to handle the extra power

[351ciofgrunt]

I've changed the clutch twice on my GQ, takes arount 2 days fulltime working in the backyard, hell of a job....need two trolley jacks and a couple of axle stands to manouvre the gearbox around.

I'm running a 4terrain clutch that has the button on flywheel side and normal heavy duty of pressure plate side. Cost about $800 from Repco with throwout bearing.

If you've never changed a clutch before i wouldnt advise making a GQ your first attempt

[j-top paj]

i changed one on my mazda 323 many years ago and it only took me an hour
i went through 5 boxes in 1 year with that car

[cooki_monsta]

hey mate i did my gq one when i bought the car, its a pain in the ass. took me, a wrecker, and his brother a whole day with a hoist and a forklift to lower the box with.

if your keen enough its possible, if you have a body lift its even easier, but its pretty straight foward just awkward as seeing that last ex at your best mates party!

anyway im sure if i can do it, you can do it, just drop the tail shafts, remove handbrake cable, loosen box, i guess if u were really technical, you could use long threaded rods and replace the bolts with them so you could thread the tranny and gear box far enough away to change the clutch then it would go in straight, but im just rambling now

anyway give it a go thats my motto :d

Greg

oh i forgot to add, if you have the money get a safari tough clutch kit by exedy i think.

im running one in my mav, and they are awsome so much grab its insane, well worth the money

[bogged]

Nah i dont have a body lift only a 3" susp lift.

I have already taken out all the bolts and everything apart from 4 holding up the gearbox/transfercase and have got that resting on blocks and jack and will be dropingthe gearbox in the morning.... so far its pritty easy

undoing bolts is usually fairly easy.

Its much easier to do on a hoist with a gearbox stand. have helped a mate do one on the driveway, would never bother again...

[dirtyGQ]

mate i will never try doing it. it is a job for someone else, anyone else but me the sheer size of these things are huge and you've go to twist them to get them out. It is a job that rarely needs doing so i paid someone and even he whinged like shit and he had a hoist gearbox trollley and all the things a workshop has. BTW i used a direct clutch from albion and has been in over 5 years.

[GQ Bear]

Nah i dont have a body lift only a 3" susp lift.

I have already taken out all the bolts and everything apart from 4 holding up the gearbox/transfercase and have got that resting on blocks and jack and will be dropingthe gearbox in the morning.... so far its pritty easy but im just taking my time and double checking everything as i go along.

I am taking photos as i go along so ill post up a bit of a walkthrough/what i did if anyone is interested to see it?... when i finish.

Thanks,

Rhiggins

How'd you go with it?

[Rhiggins]

Thanks for all your replies and help.

I got to a point of where i was about to take the gear box down and realised that with just me and my dad doing it and we didnt have the right jacks or anything it was just to dangerous... so i ended up taking it to my local mechanic and he fixed it up for me. Painful to my wallet but I decided that it was not worth the chance of seriously injuring myself or my dad by lifting the trans down with our faces. It was just too big and top heavy for the equipment that i had... oh well gave it a try but shes back on the road now and running as before.

Cheers,
Ryan

[cooki_monsta]

good to hear, yes safety is worth more then any ammount of green you can think of. especially when it involves family, good to hear you got it back on the road tho.

what clutch did you end up using?