bxlt

Now for some of the people on this forum what I am talking about will be no big deal but for me replacing the clutch is a pretty big deal as I have never done anything this big before. And for those of you that are like me (slightly mechanical but afraid of some of the "bigger" jobs out there) I think you can do it.

So now to why I titled this "take 2" About a month ago I started to get a noise from the clutch and figured it was time to replace it. So new clutch in hand I crawl under and start going to work on it. Well after draining all the oils I go to remove the rear drive line. And after breaking a craftsman 14mm end wrench on blots that had to be tightened by Hercules, and several hours I finally get the rear drive line off.

Now onto the front, which are on just as hard and in an even worse location then the rear. Basically I spent about 4 nights working on getting stuff off just to even get the the tranny and got nowhere. Also on the one day I actually have the time to really work on it I decide to rent a transmission jack so after a 5 hours of waste time tracking one down I get it back home only to find out it doesn't work!!!

To make a long story some what shorter. I give up, spend about an hour bolting everything back up (It really wasn't that much, rear drive line, one bolt in the front drive line and a few shields) I decide just to take it in and pay to have it done.

Well the other day I got a quote and I thought $600 for labor only was a little one the high side...a little who am I kidding I was hoping for that price they would at least use Vaseline. So back to the garage it went and with the new motivation of not wanting to get reamed in two hours last night I was able to get almost everything off I needed so that on Friday all I will need to do is remove the starter and the transmission, drop the tranny and get the flywheel to the machine shop and hopefully have it all back together before next weekend.

Its amazing how much more motivation I have now knowing that if I get it done myself I will have $600 to put into other projects on the truck

Anyway I'll keep you posted as to how I finish. This isn't going to be a tech post there is enough of those on here just more of a motivational thread because if I can do it I know a LOT more people can do...of course I also say that now even though I'm not even close to done, just a lot closer then I was the first time

Plumbrbob

well good luck buddy the fun part is getting the tranny to mate to the block. I started like that 10 years ago or so with my first clutch job and now I have torn everything apart and put it back together on my truck, even my tires. no more repair shops for me.

Ed H.

you can do it man, just take your time, look at what needs to happen and just do it, my tranny is laying in my garage right now because i am putting a clutch in. get some penetrating oil for those sticky bolts.

bxlt

Oh I am already at half a can of liquid wrench, and two broken sway bar bolts (of course back in 1996 when I had my first 86 Toyota I broke 3 out of 4 of those when trying to replace an auto tranny filter and that was on a 10 year old truck now that this one is 22 years old I am glad I only broke 2 :-)..)

And thanks for the encouragement. I think the first time I felt like it would be super easy and just started trying to get stuff off, now I have plan and it seems to be working out. I know there will still be some challenges...like getting it all back together but with some patience and help from a few friends I'm confident I will be driving yota again

75k5toy

Good for you "B" it's good to take care of our trucks problems after all it means $$$$$, Just make sure those !FEW FRIENDS! are not to many, all you need is one or two guys and a floor jack. salud.

bigt

spray everything in thrust or pb blast few days before!!!

then rent or buy a tranny jack i got one at princess auto like you HF for 70 bucks and it goes on my floor jack..

and a freind helps.. its not actually that hard and i was like you when i did mine last summer... now im rebuilding a suzuki samurai long wheel base from scratch and love tearing into anything!

watch you once you do this youll wanna do all sorts of stuff.. yota tech helped me through it and it will help you!

strykersd

I could never get them to align so I just started buying extra bolts, grinding off the heads and using them to align the engine and transmission. Works like a charm and it just pops into place.

75k5toy

Good idea.

whorider

As well you can cut slots in your newly made studs so you can get them out with a flat blade screwdriver.

Matt16

Take pictures.

yotaduck

I'm doing the same thing you are right now. It's a lot of work, but well worth it in the end.

As Matt said, take pictures.

bxlt

Good luck with yours!

And I was thinking about taking some pics but wasn't going to but since I have to requests I will start, I didn't get anything done last night but plan is to do everything but drop the tranny tonight, tomorrow I'll get the transmission out and get the flywheel to a machine shop and replace the rear seal in the transfer case and have it all ready to go back in as soon that the flywheel is done.

I will get some pics up this weekend.

Oh and something for this thread as well as the "Dumbest you have ever heard about cars" thread. I was at the local auto parts store and I ask for the rear seal for the transfer case on an 86 Toyota.....and I know the question he was going to ask next...."IS that a 4wd?"

I was nice and didn't laugh in his face

bxlt

So just an update on the project. On Saturday I was able to get everything out. It actually went really easily and even though it still needs to go back together I feel a sense of accomplishment. However there were a few problems that I noticed once everything was completed.

1) The pilot bearing was broken (which is what I now think was making the noise that I though was the clutch)
2) The flywheel was too warn down to be turned so I need to get a new one
3) I drained some large chunks of metal out of the transmission and am thinking it is starting to fail (good news is I have the same g52 tranny out of a 2wd parts truck with less miles so I think I will be doing a swap
4) After doing some research I decided I should take back the chepo clutch I had and today I ordered a Marlin 1200lb clutch and a few other goodies

Pics are coming I forgot my jump drive at home so they won't be up for awhile but rest assured I took a lot of pics and will also take pics of it all going back together.

Also Thanks for all the encouragement. It helped knowing there were people out there routing me on!

Plumbrbob

check and replace the rear seal as well just so you dont waste time gong back for it, I had do it all agian after I installed my centerforce.

Man you live pretty far from me, I just put my rebuilt G54 up for sale for $500 it has less than 30,000mi paid a grand to have rebuilt 3 years ago with HD bearings.

91Toyota

Good luck!

It takes me about 30-45 minutes to remove my tranny+t-case

904_runner

Good luck with the tranny.

I sort of accomplished my clutch replacement. In the form of a motor swap!
It is a PITA to get it aligned that way.

Get an extra set of hands for the transmission installation, it will help.

The marlin seems to be a good clutch kit, i haven't driven on it yet so i cannot verify, but i heard really good things and that is what i went with.

Marlin also sells refinished flywheels.


Good luck..

Your half way there..

bxlt

Tacoma isn't that far its the $500 that's the prob the wife would kill me! I need to get the one out of the parts truck and asses the situation. As for the rear seal I have read that I need to do that and with miles on the truck I really should do it.

bxlt

Yeah that is where the flywhell is coming from, about the cheapest I have seen anyway so figured it was a good deal

Plumbrbob

Well the price is OBO,

but I understand that you can get a high mileage tranny for couple hundred

edit: if you have a top shift t-case I woudl give $150 for it

904_runner

Hey the rear main is pretty simple to change.

I changed mine when i did teh flywheel and clutch job on my rig.
Didn't want to chance it.