[CrashRider]

Hey, i just got me a Camry a couple days ago. So far I love it!

I've had to replace the rear struts, it needs new rear tires and an alignment, but that doesn't worry me. What does worry me is that it needs a new clutch sometime soon and I have no idea how to change one on a FWD car.

One of my friends says it would be best to drain the oil, tranny fluid, disconnect everything, and lift the engine and transmission out, then separate them on the ground...

I think it would be easier to drop the tranny, but all I have is jack stands so I dunno if I could get the car high enough.

It's the DX model, 4 cyl engine, by tha way.

Another of my friends has a Civic and somehow he changed his clutch using his scissor jack as a transmission jack, just lowering the tranny and swapping plates.

Once again I have no idea how to proceed, so heh... Bestow your wisdom upon my situation...

Thanks!

 

[Cyorke]

well the easiest way would be to raise the car on a lift and remove the front subframe. After this you ahve to support the engine somehow and then you can remove the transmission. IF you do not have this option, which it sounds like you dont, then you can pull the engine and trans. together and do it then. That jsut seems like a lot of work for a clutch. I have never done one in my home garage. At least not on a FWD car. I have done several when I was working for Toyota and the process I gave in teh begining was the only way we did it.

 

[CrashRider]

Yeah, that method you described first seems like the most simple way, but I dont know if I could get the car high enough to do that.

Although if I only lowered it enough to put the ned disc and push plate on there, then align them ... I might not even have to take the transmission out from under the car. I'd have to actually start the project to find that out, and it would suck to get that far then realize I had to take the engine out too...

 

[Cyorke]

You could probably get it high enough to get it out. IF you ahve a good set of jack stands that you can rais ie fairly high. You will need to get some kind of engine jack though. You may be able to rent one, I am not sure though. You really need one that will sit on the inner fenders of the car and then has a come along type mechanism to actually jack the engine up to support it once you get the cradle out from under the car. If you could find something similar to this it would help http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=12600&group_ID=1729 .you can support the engien and remove the front subframe cradle. Once you have the subframe cradle out of the car you will have enough room to get the trans back far enough to replace the clutch and all other parts I would think. It will not be an easy job doing it on the floor but you can probably do it over a weekend. Just remember that you need to have the flywheel resurfaced and tht can take a day or so and if you do it over the weekend you may not find a shop that can do it.

 

[bronzemaxell]

Yeah, that method you described first seems like the most simple way, but I dont know if I could get the car high enough to do that.

Although if I only lowered it enough to put the ned disc and push plate on there, then align them ... I might not even have to take the transmission out from under the car. I'd have to actually start the project to find that out, and it would suck to get that far then realize I had to take the engine out too...

if you take out the driver side drive axle, unscrew all bolt that hold the tranny and engine together, and the subframe, you will have plenty of space to take the old crutch out and put a new one in. you need something to support the engine and another support for tranny after you seperated them, and of course you have to remove anything that is on the way, such as clutch slave cylinder, shifter cable, air box, battery, etc.

 

[CrashRider]

You could probably get it high enough to get it out. IF you ahve a good set of jack stands that you can rais ie fairly high. You will need to get some kind of engine jack though. You may be able to rent one, I am not sure though. You really need one that will sit on the inner fenders of the car and then has a come along type mechanism to actually jack the engine up to support it once you get the cradle out from under the car. If you could find something similar to this it would help http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=12600&group_ID=1729 .you can support the engien and remove the front subframe cradle. Once you have the subframe cradle out of the car you will have enough room to get the trans back far enough to replace the clutch and all other parts I would think. It will not be an easy job doing it on the floor but you can probably do it over a weekend. Just remember that you need to have the flywheel resurfaced and tht can take a day or so and if you do it over the weekend you may not find a shop that can do it.

Oh, okay. My friend has a cherry picker type engine hoist, so that might work in a pinch. As for the flywheel, would it be cheaper to buy a new one or have the current one resurfaced? And I know this is gonna sound like a dumb question, but I work at a Sears Auto center and we have lathes to turn brake rotors. I don't suppose that would be sufficient to resurface a flywheel, because I don't even know how that's done... Do the machines actually cut the flywheel like our lathes would cut a rotor, or what?

I might just have to get a weekend off of work and get that done. Right now the only obstacle I can see is getting the flywheel resurfaced.

 

[Cyorke]

I am not sure about using a brake lathe to turn a flywheel. I have never personally turned a flywheel because we always sent them out to turn thm. That being said I would have to say no you can not turn a flywheel on a brake lathe. SInce when working at the Toyota dealer we had three different brake lathes and never once turned a flywheel on it.
Yes the lathes actually cut the flywheel like a brake lathe would a rotor.

the Cherry picker would work ina pinch it is jsut easier to use the hoist I linked to since the cherry picker may get in your way while trying to work around the engine compartment.


If you work at a Sears auto center you should talk to your manager or someone there to se if you can find a shop that might be able to turn a flywheel on a weekend. IT may evenmean taking it apart on Friday and then sending it out first thing Saturday morning. I am sure someone at your work has a contact for a machine shop that can do it for you and maybe even get a discount on the work.

Hell for that matter you should jsut ask your boss if you might be able to do it one day. Maybe on your day off brignt your car in and jsut do the clutch. I know we used to do that at several places I have worked. Or even take off early to get started on it and have a head start the next day.

 

[Gary_602Z]

Sorry Chris but they do not do the flywheel on a lathe. They use a rotary mill. If you look at the swirl marks on a flywheel after it is done you will see the difference. Most machine shops around here will do them for about 30-35 bucks.

Gary

 

[zoni]

yeah gary is right on that...

1- remove the air cleaner assembly, battery, and anything else above the tranny.
1.5- put the car on jackstands
2- remove the front wheels, remove the brakes, remove the axle nuts, remove the hubs from the car while leaving the axles connected to the tranny.
3- remove the drivers axle from the tranny. it should pop out somewhat easily.. or with a crowbar. gear lube may spill out.
4- the passenger side axle is a little tougher of a project... the passenger axle carrier bearing is held into the rear motor mount with both a snap ring inside the mount, and a bolt on the bottom of the mount. undo the ring, the bolt, and then that side will take a LOT of convincing to get the bearing out of the motor mount. gear lube may spill out again.
5- remove the electrical connectors from the tranny.
6- unbolt the access plate at the bottom of the tranny where it connects to the motor.
7- unbolt the clutch pressure plate from the tranny (8 bolts) by rotating the crankshaft with a socket wrench at the crank pulley.
8- remove the bolts for the tranny mount
9- pull the tranny from the top with the hoist (or your arms if you are strong enough). this make take some twisting, turning, whatever...
10- drink beer and be happy.

if i missed anything, dont blame me... its been a while since ive worked on my drivetrain.

also, the axle seals should be replaced any time you have them out... it is easier to replace old seals when you are doing this work anyway... they are only a few bucks each from toyota.

 

[CrashRider]

Awesome, thanks zoni.

At Sears, i think we are the only shop in existance with the policy that nobody can work on thier own car here. Even if all you need is tires, you can't work on your own car.

I found that out a couple days ago. I'm looking for a new job now.

I'm probably just going to send my flywheel off as soon as I get it out of the car. My dad has a van he hardly drives, and I can drive that until I get my car back together, so no worries there.

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Cyorke]

Sorry Chris but they do not do the flywheel on a lathe. They use a rotary mill. If you look at the swirl marks on a flywheel after it is done you will see the difference. Most machine shops around here will do them for about 30-35 bucks.

Gary

Oh well I was jsut being very generic about the term lathe. Like I said I have never personally done or even seen it done so I wasnt sure waht the actual tool they used was. When I said yes it is like a lathe I was referring to the fact that they do remove some of the surface of the flywheel.

I hope that was understood by CrashRider