Changing clutch

vielecustoms · Post by **vielecustoms** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:10 pm

Is there a way to change the clutch without pulling the engine?

aftershock2686 · Post by **aftershock2686** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:19 pm

better off droppin the hole thing

Post by **Vinny** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:37 pm

I've never heard of anyone pulling the entire engine out of a Neon for a clutch change.

I've never done it personally so I don't feel I am qualified to write out a proper how-to, but these should be some basic steps:

- pull wheels/tires
- unbolt strut clevis and ball joints
- pull axles, shift cables, clutch cable, VSS, etc.
- put a jack under the engine for support
- pull tranny
- change clutch

Buy a Haynes manual or FSM and it should tell you exactly how to do it.

vielecustoms · Post by **vielecustoms** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:13 pm

yeah that would be my asshole uncle telling me that you have to take the engine out to get to the tranny. but your ways are oh, so much more easyer. I think I am going to throw some booger bushings on the shift linkage while I got it all apart. any other suggestions?

sohcneon13x · Post by **sohcneon13x** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:40 pm

new fluid perhaps?

sohcneon13x · Post by **sohcneon13x** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:45 pm

also it would be a good time to the rear main seal. even if you might not need it, they are cheap, and considering you would have to pull the tranny from the engine to do it also, you kill two birds with one stone.

Lackof · Post by **Lackof** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:56 pm

original how to from the following link ...

http://theneonworld.jconserv.net/viewtopic.php?t=276

NoDestiny wrote:Written by Dazz himeself!!!

manual transmission removal....

if your neon still has the stock air filter assembly, remove it completely. disconnect battery and remove. remove battery tray. unhook shifter cables, sensors, and transmission mount. remove mount. also, there is a bracket for the shifter cables, remove the braket and tie up the cables and bracket out of the way. also unbolt the bobble strut bracket.

raise front of car in the air and support it with the proper jack stands. from under the car, disconnect the rear bobble and bracket from the tranny. pull front wheels off. undo the hub bolt, and lower ball joint bolt. with a prybar, position it on the lower control arm and the frame and pry down until the ball joint pops out of the hub assembly. move the hub/spindle assembly out and away from the axle. repeat this step on the other side. now that you have a good clearance on the axle, drain the gear oil out of the tranny by the drain plug. take a large prybar or flathead screwdriver and place it between the tranny and the axle shaft. a few good sharp, crisp pry's and the axles will pop out. if they become difficult, do not push them back in! simply turn the axle 90*'s and pry and keep turning every other pry until the axle pops out. once the axle is removed, repeat on other side.

there should be a brace that goes from the tranny to the block by the firewall, remove this totally, two bolts. undo all the bottom bell housing bolts and starter, and the two bolts going from the front motor mount to the tranny. you will still have 3 or 4 bell housing bolts in the top of the bell housing so dont worry about the tranny falling!
while under the car, disconnect any sensors attached to the tranny and wire harnesses if any. double check that everything under the tranny is either unhooked or unbolted. undo the dust shield for the lower part of the tranny. if it is a modular clutch, you will need to undo the 4 bolts on the flywheel. locate 1 bolt, put the socket and ratchet on it and turn the ratchet in the direction to remove the bolt. the flywheel will turn with it until the socket becomes lodged against the bell housing. then, give the ratchet a smack with your hand to loosen the bolt. once that bolt is out, you might be able to see another one, if this is the case, put a wrench on it and turn the flywheel with the wrench until you can get the ratchet on it again, repeat until all bolts are removed. if your transmission is a traditional clutch, you do not need to do this step as the bolts are from the transmission side, and not the engine side. goto next step.

with everything under the tranny unhooked, axles out, dust cover off, ect, come back up to the top of the tranny, and remove the last 3-4 bolts on top. start from the firewall side and go towards the front of the car. once the last bolt is removed, the tranny will move just a little bit, but will not fall out. if your strong like me, you can get under the tranny again, and wiggle the tranny around til the shaft comes loose from the engine, (if yours is a modular clutch, the clutch will come with the tranny, if it is traditional, it will stay on the engine.) after it is free from the engine, it is loose, you can lower it onto your chest because these tranny's are not very heavy, i can carry one around one handed. if your not so strong, or are concerned about it, you can use a cherry picker. bolt one end of the chain to the place where the bobble strut bracket mounted, or where the shifter cable bracket was. the other end bolt to the starter bolt hole.

it is easier and probably the only way to get the tranny out is once the shaft is clear, lower the tranny down instead of up and out.
again, i have never used a cherry picker to take the tranny out, always just bench pressed it.

to install, get it into position with the shaft all the way in. (if you are bench pressing it, you may need a helper to put one bolt in the top while your under wiggling the tranny around and such. once it is semi in with the one bolt, just reverse proceedure.

hardest part in this whole proceedure is the damn bracket that goes from the tranny to the engine block.

if you need any more advise or help, let me know as i wrote this from memory and may have left out a thing or two.

starter bell housing bolts

top bell housing bolts and throttle cable

shifter bracket and bobble bracket

tranny mount and bracket

tranny through bolt for mount

starter bolts and front motor mount bolts

dust cover removed to show modular bolts, traditional wont have them

lower engine to tranny bracket

bobble strut

pita upper engine to tranny bracket tranny side

engine side

passenger axle at tranny

drivers axle out

front motor mount tranny bolts

bobble bracket top view

drivers hub assembly with axle out

drivers hub with ball joint bolt removed and loose from hub

drivers hub assembly moved out of the way for axle access

showing shot of removed drivers axle

vielecustoms · Post by **vielecustoms** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:26 pm

thanks for all the info. now I am going to change it as soon as I get my parts in! ... now to keep my mother out of my car to make the clutch last...

sohcneon13x · Post by **sohcneon13x** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:34 pm

just pull your fuel pump fuse

vielecustoms · Post by **vielecustoms** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:33 am

lol.. I was thinking a battery disconnect going to the starter...

She'll probably use the zr 2 any ways it's way more Comfy than the neon. of course same problem it's a standard... she drives my stuff more than I do!

Post by **RTizzle** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:52 pm

Replacing the clutch is cake man. I've had my trans out a few time. If your good you can get the trans all the way out in 2-3 hrs with normal hand tools!