Clutch Change-How-To.

[swiss]

Thanking you Jasper

[mjb]

I'll be getting mine from either eurocarparts.com or gsfcarparts.com as they have good prices which are up for negotiation, and both have branches local to me

Crap. I think I'd better get my bits in soon...

[jasper5]

My local GSF closed down a few weeks ago

[Doggy]

Brilliant how-to jasper

[mjb]

Nice work. I think I still have a pic of the reverse light switch mechanism wiring. It's useful as it took me ages to work out how to pull the wires off the connector as you cant see it being hidden up high above the driveshaft. I will see if I can get it and stick it on this page if thats ok so you can see where the clip is and what you need to pull to get it off!
EDIT: Here:

in the pick you can just see the clip hidden behind the elecrtical clamp. A pain in the arse to get to without being able to see it!

That's the speed sensor. The reverse switch is what you unscrew to put oil back in the gearbox - easily accessible from on top

My hub nuts were 36 mm.

Are you sure it's 36mm? These things are £10 a socket and I don't fancy getting it wrong Mind you, if I get it from Halfords, they appear to have a fairly flexible exchange policy...

-- Also check if the drop links are rusted, because they will not undo I bet ya! Best to buy two new ones before hand and grind the old ones off.

What are drop links? Got a pic?

-- If you undo the botton ball joint instead of undoing the suspension, make sure you get a massive pickle fork to split the ball joint.

Pickle fork? Got a pic?

Sorry that's quite a lot of tips! Hope you dont mind!

DEFINITELY don't mind!!!

I don't know what's more daunting - moving house, or changing this clutch (bearing in mind i'm going to be doing the clutch WHILE I'm moving house! )

So... Shopping and tools list. Can someone fill in the blanks and/or correct me here? Can't believe this is all I'll need...

Shopping list
1. LUK Clutch kit (£150 from eurocarparts)
2. Lower engine mount
3. Release bearing (all components?)
4. Screws for the wheelarch liners
5. Driveshaft oil seals
6. 36mm impact socket
7. Something to lie on
8. Transmission oil.
9. Lower balljoint nuts
10. Elastic band
11. Dust mask

Tools list
Trolley jacks (one good, one crap)
Axle stands
2lb 'ommer
2' breaker bar
Torque wrench
Wheel brace
Spanners
1/2" Socket set
Mole grips (do the wheelarch liners have to come off?)
WD40
Non-copper grease
Duct tape (I'll find a use for it)
Zip ties (for the undertray)
Bits of wood
Wire brush
Allen keys+sockets
Screwdrivers

Should I be acquiring a new flywheel? Come to think of it, How do you stop the flywheel from turning when removing/refitting the pressure plate? Do you just go around it using one bolt to hold it in place while cracking another?

[teamster1975]

What are drop links? Got a pic?

Antirollbar drop links Matt. Link the antirollbar to the macpherson strut. I'd change these & the antirolbar bushes while you've got it all apart, they're cheap parts.

[mjb]

Link the antirollbar to the macpherson strut. I'd change these & the antirolbar bushes

A-whaaaaaaaaaa?

Think you forget I know zilch about suspension. It's still all black magic to me, like the inner workings of the gearbox+diff

[teamster1975]

I'll take a pic for you on Saturday & label it

[djheath]

That's the speed sensor. The reverse switch is what you unscrew to put oil back in the gearbox - easily accessible from on top

Ah, ok, either way that bit is a pig to see to get the clip off.

Are you sure it's 36mm? These things are £10 a socket and I don't fancy getting it wrong Mind you, if I get it from Halfords, they appear to have a fairly flexible exchange policy...

Mine was definately 36 mm but I have made the mistake in the past when replacing cv joints that cv joint manufacturers dont use the same size nuts as each other. I had to do a nissan micra where the new bolt was 36 mm, so went and got the socket, only to find the one that was on the car was 34mm. I would go to halfords and ask to test one in the car park before buying. They wont mind.

What are drop links? Got a pic?

Pickle fork? Got a pic?

I don't know what's more daunting - moving house, or changing this clutch (bearing in mind i'm going to be doing the clutch WHILE I'm moving house! )

Moving house is easy, its just packing!!

So... Shopping and tools list. Can someone fill in the blanks and/or correct me here? Can't believe this is all I'll need...

Shopping list
1. LUK Clutch kit (£150 from eurocarparts)
2. Lower engine mount
3. Release bearing (all components?)
4. Screws for the wheelarch liners
5. Driveshaft oil seals
6. 36mm impact socket
7. Something to lie on
8. Transmission oil.
9. Lower balljoint nuts
10. Elastic band
11. Dust mask

Tools list
Trolley jacks (one good, one crap)
Axle stands
2lb 'ommer
2' breaker bar
Torque wrench
Wheel brace
Spanners
1/2" Socket set
Mole grips (do the wheelarch liners have to come off?)
WD40
Non-copper grease
Duct tape (I'll find a use for it)
Zip ties (for the undertray)
Bits of wood
Wire brush
Allen keys+sockets
Screwdrivers

Should I be acquiring a new flywheel? Come to think of it, How do you stop the flywheel from turning when removing/refitting the pressure plate? Do you just go around it using one bolt to hold it in place while cracking another?

Don't forget the screws on the wheel arch coverings are torx screws so you will need some bits for them. Even though some of the screws where rusted, they all came off easily and the linings were probably the easiest part of the job!!
The clutch kit should come with a release bearing so don't need to get one of those separate.
I cant advise about the new flywheel I am afraid. To stop it turning you can use a flywheel locking tool, but I am sure there are other heath robinson ways to do it. I used a small screwdriver jammed in between one of the teeth and the engine, to stop the flywheel moving whilst I undid and tightened the pressure plate. To remove the flywheel I would get the proper locking tool as the bolts will be mega tight compared to the pressure plate bolts.
Remember the lower mount will be a pig to press out, but since you have the driveshaft off it shouldn't be too bad once you have removed the bearing holder thing.

Hope that helps.

[mjb]

Moving house is easy, its just packing!!

...and pulling vast quantities of money out of thin air

Don't forget the screws on the wheel arch coverings are torx screws so you will need some bits for them. Even though some of the screws where rusted, they all came off easily and the linings were probably the easiest part of the job!!

I'm a pug owner - I have torx Actually, most of them will probably need the use of mole grips to remove. On high milers, the screws tend to rust to nothing meaning the torx bit won't do anything

Remember the lower mount will be a pig to press out, but since you have the driveshaft off it shouldn't be too bad once you have removed the bearing holder thing.

Nah I'm going to get a new mount bracket from the stealers with the bush pre-fitted. I don't have the facilities required to change the bush myself

Actually, I've just looked it up on servicebox and it seems all the mounts on my D9/ES9J4 are different to the ones I had on my D8/ES9J4, not just the top one (D9 has a substantially heftier torque reaction link). According to servicebox (diagram D9G118A50A for those interested) there's no option for buying the bush on its own (typical!). £88. Half tempted to leave it alone at that price, but I know the engine's been suffering a lot what with the running on 5 cylinders, the siezed brakes and now the clutch judder so I guess it'll thank me for the new one. It f***ing better thank me!!!

WARNING - part numbers here are for an early D9 with ES9J4 engine. Mine, as looked up by VIN. Always check for yourself if you're following this thread with a view of doing the job.

181602 £88 Bottom engine mount
182729 £16 Gearbox mount. Definitely worth chucking one of those into the mix too
329733 £4 Driveshaft nut. Might save someone with 15" alloys a lot of time if they can't get to theirs in Halfords carpark!
205204 £263 Clutch kit which contains the plates and the thrust bearing. or £150 from eurocarparts
6924K1 30p Wheelarch liner screws
693951 £3 (£1.55 each) Lower balljoint nuts
£6 Ball joint splitter fork from Halfords
£10 35/36mm impact socket from Halfords
£10 Transmission oil from Dealers
Total: £290. erk.

Looks like to completely replace the actuation mechanism I'm looking at an extra £63. Not sure if I really need to, but the pedal's very lumpy, like a rusting cable clutch.
211759 £34 Clutch fork
211816 £18 Fork shaft
217549 £11 (£5.30 each, 2 required) Fork bearing

Someone's going to have to help me with these diff oil seal things. I'm looking at "D9G 3 31A45A DIFFERENTIAL MANUAL GEAR BOX" and it makes no sense to me. Do I need a part #1 (300934 £23) and #13 (312124 £10)?

[jasper5]

You won't need to replace the fork actuating mechanism, the stiffness will be down to dirt and accumalated dust on the bearing sliding surface, that's one reason I suggested not to use copper grease, it goes hard and grips the bearing causing tightness.Another reason for a heavy clutch is that the "fingers" on the pressure plate rise up as the clutch wears, the higher they are, the harder they are to push down.

It's pretty rare to need to change the clutch actuation fork, having said that, my Nissan Terrano 4x4 broke the fork, the hydraulics failed, causing the actuating rod to fall out allowing the fork to move too far forward, the bearing came off its track and smashed the pressure plate and the actuating fork, cost me £400 quid in bits and 3 days of my time to change the clutch.....now, that WAS an adventure.

You won't need to replace the flywheel unless it's the DMF one, when I looked up your clutch price, they didn't mention anything about DMF.

Undoing the clutch bolts is very easy without locking the flywheel, simply knock the ratchet / spanner with your hand, shocking the bolts undone.

Tightening them is easy as well, just hold the flywheel with one hand, making sure the angle of the ratchet / spanner is such that it can't turn the flywheel easily.(flywheel at 5 o'clock and the ratchet at 2).Of course if you are in doubt, lock the flywheel with a screwdriver as dj said.

[mjb]

Cheers Jasper - very informative. I'm still confused about the diff oil seals though

[jasper5]

Those parts don't look like diff casing oil seals.

Have a look under Engine Clutch Housing, manual gearbox for your model.

[mjb]

Those parts don't look like diff casing oil seals.

Have a look under Engine Clutch Housing, manual gearbox for your model.

That would be D9G 2 22D 15C. The only seal on there's the one for the gearbox drain plug?

[jasper5]

An update on the how-to.....

I had to change the gearbox oil this morning on a W reg, 110 HDi, so, I had a good look at whether I had missed anything, well, as some have said in other threads, I think it wise to undo the subframe and lower it down at the gearbox side to give you good clearance to remove the gearbox.There are only two bolts (18mm spanner/socket required) by the looks of things.

Don't worry too much about it, it doesn't look such a big deal, even if you have to lower it down at the other side as well.