jester1341

i have never installed an aftermarket clutch and never installed a clutch period on an engine that wasnt already outside the car.

is it hard to install a clutch on an rx-7 tII without pulling the engine, in theory you should be able to support the tranny on a jack.........lower it........swap and jack it back up right???

dosnt seam to hard in my head....

AcidShock

iTrader: (49)

You can do the whole transmission on a jack thing. I prefer the bench pressing it method though. Works good for me and I can feel how to get it in. :shrug: Each to their own and that is what I like.

jester1341

so that would work?? and what is the bench pressing way??

i want to get an ACT clutch, but i want my engine to stay exactlly where it is.....

Tofuball

I love my ACT clutch.

Dropping the tranny with a jack is better if you're doing it for the first time.

A Clutch Job is WAY WAY easier with friends.

If you have trouble lining the tranny up when you put it back in, you can have a friend move the engine around.

Don't forget to buy a new gland-nut seal, as they tend to not be included in the kit.

Optional, but reccomended, is that you replace the front and rear (driveshaft) seal for the transmission.

Tofuball

Oh yeh, you're going to need an inside bearing puller to get the gland nut out in the first place. Not easy to find one the size you'll need, just be warned.

Also, make sure you pick up the right oil, and enough of it. (it all comes out when you're removing the tranny)

Lotsa people here reccomend Redline oils.

The Mazda FSM says GL4 or GL5 is fine, Haynes Manual says GL5 only.

Pick up new exhaust gaskets, nuts and bolts cuz you have to pull that too. Coat those bolts in anti-sieze, you wont regret it.

jester1341

okay so is there a step by step write up on this. dont take me for stupid, but ive never done it and want to make sure i do it right.

get the car off the ground, take the exhaust off, support the tranny, unbolt it, lower it, pull the clutch and flywheel, then do everything in reverse and fill up with gear oil.

?????

Tofuball

This is by no means complete, just a general idea (what I can remember offhand, it helps to have the FSM handy):

Dissasemble the whole shifter asssembly and pull out the shift lever. Pull the slave cylender off, lift the car, pull the exhaust, disconnect and pull the starter, disconnect the starter neutral switch and all that wiring, drain the tranny, pull the exhaust heat sheilds, unbolt the driveshaft and pull it out carefully. Support the tranny and pull every single one of the bellhousing bolts and supporting crossmemeber bolts out. Lower the tranny, pulling away from the engine.

With the tranny out of the car, pull the and replace the rear seal that the driveshaft fit into. Check the shift bearings and fluid in the shifter area. Pull the shift fork and old pilot bearing out and check to see if the front seal is leaking, if it is, replace it. Clean the shift fork real nice, then place a dab of grease on the fork ends and where it pivots. Place the new pilot bearing on it, put a VERY small amount of grease on the neck (where the bearing slides) and stick the whole assembly on.

Remove the old pressureplate from the flywheel, take it and the clutch off. Use an inside bearing puller to remove the gland nut bearing (hardest part of this whole thing, SOME cars you can remove the gland nut by filling it with grease and slamming the clutch tool into it so hard the bearing flies out, but I've never got a 7 to do that). if avalable, use the old gland nut to help you force the new one in, then put in a new seal (Make sure it doesnt want to come out, you might need to use a small amount of locktite) then stuff it with grease. Use the clutch positioning tool that came with the kit to position the clutch and bolt on the flywheel with whatever reccomended torque is required (I dont remember offhand) but bolt it on in a 'skip two or three' circular pattern so that it is torqued down evenly. Sometimes you might need to brace a flathead screwdriver agaisnt the flywheel teeth to keep it from moving while you bolt in the pressure plate.

Assembly is the reverse of removal, make sure you dont try and slide the transmission shaft in to the gland nut at too steep an angle or you'll toast that needle bearing.

Where in MD are you? I can probably just come and help you

jester1341

Keedysville......its like 15-20mins from hagerstown, i havnt even bought a new clutch i just wanted to make sure i had some idea of what to do, i hope to get one in the next month or so.

i dont know how far sliver springs is from here, but i do know we dont get many 7's around here. only ones i see all the time are mine my friend down the streets[v8 in progress] and two that are by no means in good condition[owners have no pride in the rotary]

Tofuball

I need your zip to look up the distance to me

shiftnmadkwik

jester whose fault was that accident in your pictures.. hopefully you werent driving backwards

jester1341

21756

the supra.........driving backwards........hahahaha!!!!! no man i was sleeping actually. the car[86.5 N/A supra] was parked outside my friends house and when i woke up it was moved about 40 ft and had a truck, ON TOP OF IT!!!

Tofuball

Total Est. Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes Total Est. Distance: 63.59 miles

You're coming to ME if you want help :-p

aka_rocket

definitely get some friends to help you out if it's your first time. when i did it my first time, had my brothers help me, just three of us. i used the jack method to get it down and the bench press method to get it back in (needed adjusting). was working on my brother's 90 gtu.

jester1341

bench pressing?? is it harder to jack the tranny back up??

Tofuball

Without a doubt. Cuz you have to align it at the same time. I still reccomend using the jacking method both down and up, because it is your first time.

jester1341

im sure i will.......thanks for all your help guys