Installing new clutch and rear main seal

[Darkwriter77]

IMO, it'd be safer and wiser to just buy two pairs of ramps. I wouldn't trust a 2x4 to hold up anything more than a transmission ... and even then, I'd be kinda wary about it.

Drive it up on one pair of ramps, then jack up the other end, shove the ramps under there, and lower it onto the ramps. Just don't try to drive it off of all four ramps when you're done.

Even the plastic ramps have a rating of something like 8,000 lbs. , so your 3,200-pound Fox isn't going to come anywhere close to testing the limits of them (especially considering that you're not putting all 3,200 lbs. of weight onto one pair of ramps); a pine 2x4, however, has a rating of ... ummm ... well, I don't think they have a rating at all. Probably because it's a BAAAAAAD IDEA to support the weight of your vehicle on something soft, pliable, and organic like WOOD.

Changing a clutch SEEMS a lot more scary than it really is. The T-5 only weighs about 80 lbs. and even a scrawny little runt can bench-press at least 100 lbs., so it's not that big of a deal. About all you'll really need is a quality wrench/socket set (in 3/8" and 1/2" drive), a torque wrench, a deadblow hammer and/or BFH, and the necessary tools to pull the pilot bearing and align the clutch disc, and you'll be fine. As far as pulling the tranny, itself, just be sure not to let the weight of the tranny, itself, hang on the input shaft or you'll risk bending/warping it. I've found it's easiest to lay with my fee towards the rear of the car and play "Superman" with the T-5 like you would with a little kid where to balance it on your knees/legs and your hands - helps spread the weight of the tranny to make it easier and lets you maneuver it into position more easily.

C'mon ... try it. You know you wanna.

 

[blackened88lx]

I've seen some crazy **** before, but I don't think I ever heard of someone holding their car up with a stack of 2x4s. This is insane. What ever happened to a set of jack stands? The fact that you suggested this to someone honestly leaves me speechless. Anyway, the clutch is very easy to change if you do it with a buddy. I could never imagine paying someone to work on my car, so I have no idea what it would cost. I don't see why you couldn't do this in a day with an extra set of hands though. If you do decide to do it yourself, let us know and we can give some more tips. I just rebuilt my tranny and installed a new clutch, rear main and pilot bearing, so all the helpful tips are fresh.

 

[Fast63]

IMO, it'd be safer and wiser to just buy two pairs of ramps. I wouldn't trust a 2x4 to hold up anything more than a transmission ... and even then, I'd be kinda wary about it.

Even the plastic ramps have a rating of something like 8,000 lbs. , so your 3,200-pound Fox isn't going to come anywhere close to testing the limits of them (especially considering that you're not putting all 3,200 lbs. of weight onto one pair of ramps); a pine 2x4, however, has a rating of ... ummm ... well, I don't think they have a rating at all. Probably because it's a BAAAAAAD IDEA to support the weight of your vehicle on something soft, pliable, and organic like WOOD.

having multiple 2x4's stacked is more like a piece of wood that is say 18x12. Seeing as how you obviously are very ignorant on the properties of wood and have never tried it before, I don't think you should open your mouth. What do you think holds up the roof and walls of your house and most people's houses? A bunch of 2x4's. Plastic is not soft and pliable? Are you kidding? Why not build houses out of plastic?

Blackened88lx, same goes for you. Also, what happened to jackstands? I find them unreliable compared to a stack of wood because if you bump them hard enough, the car will crash on your face and leave your wife husbandless, and your kids fatherless. This won't happen with wood because of the contact area you have. Plus the stacks of wood are out of the way, as I said earlier, whereas the stands are in your face holding up your cars frame and limiting your working area. You guys make me speechless talking about something you know nothing about acting like you know everything about it

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

Fast63, I think they're just trying to look out for your safety. Darkwriter is correct, they don't have a rating for wood. Building a home with wood and driving a car onto it are two entirely different things and can't be compared. Personally, I'd rather spend $15-20 on some decent ramps and call it a day.

 

[5spd GT]

I am all about safety.

However, I like the way the wooden ramp is constructed. Several boards are turned sideways, which increases it's tensile strength. It looks good to me.

Edit: Yes, ramps are the safest way to go, but I do like the wooden construction there.

 

[Darkwriter77]

having multiple 2x4's stacked is more like a piece of wood that is say 18x12. Seeing as how you obviously are very ignorant on the properties of wood and have never tried it before, I don't think you should open your mouth. What do you think holds up the roof and walls of your house and most people's houses? A bunch of 2x4's. Plastic is not soft and pliable? Are you kidding? Why not build houses out of plastic?

Blackened88lx, same goes for you. Also, what happened to jackstands? I find them unreliable compared to a stack of wood because if you bump them hard enough, the car will crash on your face and leave your wife husbandless, and your kids fatherless. This won't happen with wood because of the contact area you have. Plus the stacks of wood are out of the way, as I said earlier, whereas the stands are in your face holding up your cars frame and limiting your working area. You guys make me speechless talking about something you know nothing about acting like you know everything about it

Look, bud. You're entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine. But hopefully, you can find a way in the future to express yours without being insulting in the hopes of validating your own.

That being said, your comparison to home construction and car supports is beyond apples to oranges. Mobil 1 10w-30 might work great as a lubricant for an engine, but I'm not going to start using that in place of KY Jelly, too.

I have yet to see a set of plastic ramps fail. Go to a store and pick a pair up sometime. Throw it around. Bang the hell out of it. TRY to destroy those things. Short of igniting them with some means of extreme heat, or detonating explosive charges within them, they're pretty much indestructible. They're a cast solid piece of material.

Using a bunch of bound-together 2x4's, on the other hand, is something that's not quite as structurally sound, and its reliability depends not only upon the conditions under which it is used but also the quality by which it was assembled by its user. I think I'd sooner trust a set of cinder blocks than some planks of wood cobbled together ... but hey, whatever you feel safe with, go for it.

ANYWAY. Keeping this on-topic ... let it just suffice to say, for the OP, that you'll need some way of safely and securely supporting the vehicle at all four corners in order to gain a decent amount of working room underneath the car. Basically, you'll need AT LEAST enough clearance to be able to pull the transmission, itself, out from under the car, although additional work room will also make removing and re-installing the exhaust and other large parts MUCH easier.

 

[Fast63]

Hey, I am not insulted, I am just saying people should not talk poorly about anything they don't know about. And no, my comparison was not beyond apples to oranges. He questioned the strength of wood supporting a car. If it can support a house, it obviously is strong enough.

It's also funny how people draw their own ideas about what others say. I never said plastic ramps were bad, or a bad idea, or ramps in general, or even that jackstands are a bad idea. I am just saying people are idiots for talking smack about an idea they have never tried and make lame assumptions about it. GO TRY IT. Tell me how bad it is.

I think it is the others that are offended??

 

[blackened88lx]

I don't really see a problem with the strength of the 2x4s, it's the possibilty of them falling over. It's obvious that they are not going to actually break stacked up like that, but I can just see them falling over. I see no problem with one solid block of wood, but a bunch of smaller individual pieces would be much more dangerous if they are not held together somehow. I understand that it is a large contact patch all together, but each piece only has a contact patch 3.5" wide. If one slips, the whole car comes down. It would be much safer on a perfectly level concrete floor of a garage or something, but I still wouldn't even consider it, nevermind in the back yard or something where I do all my work. A good, properly placed jackstand with the weight of the car on it is not going to budge no matter how hard you kick it. I guess as long as you're attempting to support in some way or another rather than these jackasses crawling under their car with just a floor jack holding it up.

 

[TokyoJoe]

Just make sure you have a clutch centering tool or make one. Here's what I used:

 

[Darkwriter77]

Hmmm ... never seen it done like that before. Cool trick to know, in case a clutch kit doesn't come with the alignment tool, or you've misplaced it by chance.

 

[savegoodautonfg]

Just dropped it off to get fixed.. $300

 

[blackened88lx]

Wow. I gotta start doing sidework on cars on the weekends. $100 an hour isn't too shabby.

 

[HISSIN50]

You guys crack me up.

I wanna play too: Water holds a battleship up, so can we use water to hold our stangs up?

NO matter what anyone uses, redundancy is key IMHO. I routinely use ramps and jack stands all at once. And my jack is always under the car as well (used for jockeying throughout the process).



Blackened, in Nick's first post and throughout the thread, he was trying to find someone to do it on the side. No need to add salt to the wound, though I think $300 is not bad at all. If someone walks in off the street to most clutch/trans shops, it can be a lot worse than that once resurfacing, RMS, pilot bearing and so on are added to the mix.

Nick, don't forget the steel bearing retainer swap.
Good luck with it.

 

[TokyoJoe]

Hmmm ... never seen it done like that before. Cool trick to know, in case a clutch kit doesn't come with the alignment tool, or you've misplaced it by chance.

LOL, building a beast on a budget sometimes you need second hand parts. With that comes sacrifices to luxuries that come with new parts. Too keep from spending more money you are only left with ingenuity. Write that down

 

[blackened88lx]

Nick, don't forget the steel bearing retainer swap.
Good luck with it.

Good call. I got mine for like $40 from Jegs. But he will have to reshim the input shaft, so it might be more $ than he wants to get into.

 

[savegoodautonfg]

my dads friends shop has all the tools as far as i believe. either way once i get the car back i have to sell it now. long story im in alot of debt so wen i get home from school in 2 years im gonna get another one.

 

[savegoodautonfg]

Well, my mechanic called me today and said whoever installed my engine to tranny destroyed my pilot bearing and also the clutch was worn and the rear main seal was dry and it was'nt leaking. he said the timing cover gasket was leaking and the funny thing about that is a few weeks after my engine was installed taht gasket was leaking and i paid my old mechanic again to fix it and it seems he still didnt fix it the right way.. could the pilot bearing being destroyed made my clutch go at only 20k miles.