Technical Replacing a clutch

I've found silly-putty or plumbers putty works the best. Push in as much as you can, put a round rod that fits snugly in the pilot bushing, and then gently hammer on the rod and the bushing will come out.

 

...and we still don't know what the vehicle under consideration might be.....

.

 

and highlight the word after its done . no need to complicate things while its apart ..

and when aligning the shaft to the plate after the pressureplate( cover) is on you can put the trans in 1st gear and grip the tailshaft and turn it slightly to help drop the input shaft in place on the disc . and also you can heat the gear oil in the microwave for a minute to help put it in the trans with a rubber hose ( heat it in the original container ( do not cut the nozzle and remove the oil seal on the top of the bottle before zapping it or the bottle will start on fire )

 

What's the difference, they are all the same aren't they? (sarkylert)

 

READ OL55'S post #24 clear through about five times as if you have never changed a clutch or pulled a trans before he has good advice for staying alive and not getting hurt in the process.

Assuming that you are working on that little Mopar with the hemi in it the trans is probably going to way 60 or 70 lbs and when you are under the car that is 60 or 70 lbs right above your face or chest when you slide it out and have to hold it and figure a way to get it down to the shop floor without dropping it on your head or landing it on your chest or pinching your fingers or hand.

The long bolts in a pair of holes that the trans bolts to to slide the trans on when coming out or going in is a great one that works on stick or automatic trans. Get a pair of correct diameter and thread bolts that are four or five inches long and cut the heads off and cut a screwdriver slot in the cut off end. That way when you are sliding the trans out or in you don't hang the weight of the trans on the clutch hub and warp the disk. It lets you catch your breath and reposition a hand when you lift the trans back in too without putting weight on the new clutch disk.

Doing the job right does mean replacing the disk, pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bearing and resurfacing the flywheel while using quality parts in the process. I wouldn't waste my time trying to repack the throwout bearing as someone suggested as that is a shadetree fix at best and asking for trouble and should have never been suggested.

 

Thanks again for all this info. Its the 3spd in a 53 Coronet with a 241.

 

You have to get the transmission out first. That can be a bit of a challenge to separate transmission from engine. A floor jack can be used to cradle transmission when installing. Its not a lot of weight but if its not sliding into place right away you don't want to be dropping it on yourself. Good time to invite a helping hand over to see what you're up to....and replace the 62 year old throwout bearing. Don't be overwhelmed,,replacing a clutch is not very difficult.

 

I'd use a trans jack if you can get ahold of one. That trans will get pretty heavy real fast, especially if you've never done one before. If you can't find a trans jack an ATV/motorcycle jack will work.

 

even the cheap trans jack ( $89) from harbor freight will help steady it up as they like to flop over at the most inconvenient times I have seen guys make a quick adaptr from plywood and 2x4's and they remove the saddle and run a bolt thru the plywood to secure it to the jack . google up trans jack adaptors to give you a idea

 

Lots of great advice here. One response really stands out: look around inside and replace anything suspect. Look for "freeze plugs" in the back of the block behind the flywheel. At 63 years old if they are not rusted through, they are probably close to it. Consider replacing these.