Clutch Replacement

[gpse3400]

Need to replace my clutch, I'd like to pull the engine from the top. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[91LQ1Lumina]

When I rebuilt the trans on my 89 GP I pulled the engine and trans at the same time. I only took about 6 hours and it was my first time getting deep into a 660. So what I am trying to say here is it's not really all that hard.



P.S. Don't try pushing the car around with out the axles bolted into the bearings, I learned the hard way when my bearing came apart half way down the driveway.

[91DOHC284]

you can just carefully drop the subframe on the driver's side and wiggle and jigle the trans out, thats what me and my dad did with my car, but that was before i was the owner.

but pulling the engine is unnessesary. You can get it out the driver's side, just pull the strut and everything that might get in the way, and disconect the stearing collum, and it is possible, its a biatch but it is doable, takes about the same amount of time as pulling the engine if not less

[gpse3400]

yeah I just did not want to mess with the alignment as i kinda like how it tracks right now.... did you have to unbolt both sides?

I need to change out my oil pan, intermediate cam gasket and
i was wanting to change over to the automatic exhaust manifolds

[pocket-rocket]

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Never eat yellow snow :P On a more serious note >.> it is easy. I would say just as easy as pulling a 3x00. The big difference besides the engine/tranny balance is the 284 sticks out under the unibody on the drivers side a little bit, so the engine has to slide to the passenger side a couple inches after being lifted to clear lower engine mounts. Other then that it should be pretty strait forward and simple for someone that has pulled engines like you.

[91DOHC284]

I cant recal if we dropped both sides, I dont think so, I think there was enough room with just one side undone. what we did was unbolt the engine and tranny mounts and held the motor up level where it would normally sit, then dropped the subframe on the driver side, undo steering collum, take strut out, bellhousing bolts, axles and your golden

[grandprixgtp_91]

Unfortunatly you cannot pull the engine from the top with the manual transmission, it wont fit because the transmission stick out under the frame. you will have to drop the subframe and do it that way, which is ALOT easier, i can do a clutch in 4-5 hours on these cars that way, just make sure that you have the flywheel machined or you will be wasting all your time, it will destroy your new EXPENSIVE clutch, for the $50 have it done.


Jake

[gpse3400]

There are some things I need to do that require the engine to be removed...I wish it were just the clutch as it would seem to be a lot less work.... I will be changing the oil pump, oil pan, rear cover gasket on the block, front and rear exhasut manifolds, and the low side A/C line.

[grandprixgtp_91]

Well, you will still be better off dropping the engine from the bottom, its very simple, basically just unhook the input shaft from the steering rack, unhook the vacuum line from the booster, vacuum line from the firewall, fuel lines, clutch hydraulics, cooling fans , coolant hoses, ground straps, and take the computer and main harness throw it on the intake , support the subframe, undo the 4 bolts holding it in, raise the car and the whole assembly stays put, i think its less than 2 hours if i recall.

Jake

[pocket-rocket]

Unfortunatly you cannot pull the engine from the top with the manual transmission, it wont fit because the transmission stick out under the frame. you will have to drop the subframe and do it that way, which is ALOT easier, i can do a clutch in 4-5 hours on these cars that way, just make sure that you have the flywheel machined or you will be wasting all your time, it will destroy your new EXPENSIVE clutch, for the $50 have it done.


Jake

That's odd... I remember helping Ben pull his out of his 92 GPSE from the top, and I remember dropping the one in the 91 in from the top during the 5 speed swap... Just because the book says to drop it out the bottom doesn't mean it can't be done from the top. Some people probably thought a V8 RWD Focus couldn't be done without making a hack job.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/roadtests/0404scc_ati_terminator_ford_focus/index.html

[grandprixgtp_91]

you guys musta had that engine really angled, lol . well i guess it can be done, but probably still easier to drop it, and less risk of damage


Jake

[OldSkoolGP]

Unfortunatly you cannot pull the engine from the top with the manual transmission, it wont fit because the transmission stick out under the frame. you will have to drop the subframe and do it that way, which is ALOT easier, i can do a clutch in 4-5 hours on these cars that way, just make sure that you have the flywheel machined or you will be wasting all your time, it will destroy your new EXPENSIVE clutch, for the $50 have it done.

This is totally false. Sorry man, but you don't know what you're talking about. The ONLY way to pull the tranny out is with the engine. Any other way is more of a PITA than it's worth. Take it from someone who's done it 6 times now on 3 different cars. When you have a 5-speed, you have the clearance to pull it out from the top. I have it down to a science where I can have the drivetrain out in 90 minutes. The keys to doing it are:

- Disconnect the C100 harness connector from the firewall
- Unbolt the ECU from the car and lay it and the C100 on the engine
- Unbolt all the mounts
- Disconnect the coolant hoses and drain the coolant
- Pull your coolant fans out
- If you have A/C, you will need to unbolt the compressor from the engine and leave it in the car. But I don't think you do, so you can skip that step
- If you're worried about alignment, instead of breaking the ball joints loose to remove the CV shafts, unbolt the control arms from the cradle to get your range of motion you need.
- Don't forget to unbolt your downpipe
- Make sure to disconnect the battery cables from the starter
- Disconnect the power steering sensor from the rack if you have one
- Disconnect the shifter cables and tuck them away behind the intermediate shaft

That takes care of the big things. When lifting the drivetrain out, the things you have to worry about clearing are the brake master if you have ABS, and yes the tranny hump does stick a bit under the driver's side bodywork, but when you start lifting just set your chain so the passenger side is tipped upward about 15-20 degrees. This also helps you later when you need to clear the brake master. The only other thing to watch for is the oil filter unless you're running a Gen 3 block in which case I think they moved it to the bottom of the motor.

I've had engines out this way half a dozen times, it is by far the easiest way to do it.

[pocket-rocket]

I wouldn't go as far to say the ONLY way to get the tranny out is pull the engine with it. When the TO bearing went in the 92, I left the engine in the car because I didn't have a hoist. That time I used a 4x4 w/ a chain wrapped around to hold the engine from falling out of the bottom of the car after I dropped the subframe. I used 2x4s in the grove that water runs down (inside the lip that the fender bolts are in) to hold the 4x4 up off of the fenders. Then I unbolted the pressure plate from the flywheel 1 bolt at a time, turned it over by hand to get to the next one and so on. Then the pressure plate came out with the trans because of the whole locking TO bearing deal because it's a pull type clutch. Next step was to drop the frame and finish unbolting the tranny from the engine, and dropping it out of the car. I had limited space, time and tools on that one, but I got done what I needed to get done.

you guys musta had that engine really angled, lol . well i guess it can be done, but probably still easier to drop it, and less risk of damage


Jake

Yes, it was really angled, lol. I don't really consider lifting the body of a car high enough to clear an engine/trans that safe without a lift though, which is why I prefer angling the snot out of it and pulling it out the top.

[grandprixgtp_91]

Ok, i know this is gonna start a fight, lol and i really dont want to, but you have no right to say that i dont know what im talking about and that my statement is totally false.

yeah you might have done this 6 times, i do this at work all the time, a few times a month, i have 4 91 GTP's ive done it on my own vehicles at least 20 times, if you show me a random bolt i will know where it goes, i know all the sizes and tools to have ready before even starting the job and know the size of every bolt without having to look at it.

pulling the engine to do the tranny is a waste of time. i can do a complete clutch job in these cars in 4 hours. with the engine still in the car.


plus pulling the engine from the top requires the removal of everything plus power steering lines.

i am a GM goodwrench tech at a good GM dealer ill make you a copy of the video that was made for the 3.4L DOHC from GM back in 91 it will even tell you you have to drop the engine from the bottom with the 5 speed , its more efficient,


anyways, i dont mean to be rude, but when someone tells me i dont know what im talking about, when ive won awards from GM , and have one of the highest CSI ratings , it really gets to me.


anyways, sorry for snapping there, but you coulda just said, heres how i do it and works good.

Jake

[gpse3400]

..Alright........

I need to know if I need to pull the transmission to get the engine out. I was hoping to leave the transmission in. Yes I do have abs and A/C. I would like to just pull the engine and leave the transmission, but if I need both then, it is what is is. I have things I need to do to the engine so it needs to come out.