Unlimicon Build by redrelyt12

4 minute(s) of a 42 minute read

Only one I've taken so far

12-21-2013

So... When I was packing up my Jeep to move into a new apartment, it was on a hill in my Mom's driveway. As it sat there, with the transmission engaged and the emergency brake on, it would roll down the driveway, bit by bit. I knew the emergency brake was lacking, but I wasn't aware that my clutch was slipping.

Low and behold, I decided to head to rock auto and pick up a new clutch and flywheel. Last Saturday, my Dad comes over to begin the clutch job with me. We get a bunch of stuff taken apart, and then get to the shovel. After trying to budge it with a standard 1/2" ratchet, it wouldn't move. Thinking that we're a bit lacking on tools, we decide to put everything back together. Everything goes back together well, until we go to start the Jeep. Press the clutch in, which is pretty stiff, and then hear a snap... Oh dear...

After checking out the slave cylinder, the rod doesn't appear to be lined up with the clutch fork. We're thinking, 'Wow, really? What do we do now?' So we head over to Sears to get some more tools (breaker bar and other things), and then back to my apartment. Knowing the Jeep won't run, and not having anything better to do, I start taking the Jeep back apart on Sunday. I get everything unbolted up to the transmission bellhousing and transfer case, and then my Dad comes back over to help out.

I don't know whose idea it was to invent the external torx, but they should be tortured. The upper passenger side bolt was FUBARly stripped, but we somehow got the bolt out. Thank you, Grandpa for all of the tools!

Now, using a combination of ratchet straps and a floor jack, we manage to lower the bellhousing and transfer case. This thing is HEAVY and AWKWARD. It seems the center of gravity on this is not on its actual plane.

We change out the clutch and the flywheel and begin to put everything back together. The assembly goes pretty well, using the same ratchet strap/floor jack combo, and then we go to start the Jeep, and it won't start... At this point, all I can do it put my head down and want to start hitting the Jeep with this brand new breaker bar...

After doing some research, the flywheel sold by rock auto is the wrong part. The new flywheel has different timing patterns than the old flywheel, so it's time to take everything back apart and replace the new flywheel with the old flywheel. This was a major pain, but we had already done the job at this point so it went much better.

After re-lowering and re-installing the transmission with the old flywheel and new clutch in place, we finally got it back to a workable position, and started the Jeep. SHE RUNS!

We go to put everything else back together, and try to start her again, and... click click click... For some reason the starter isn't engaging. It sounds like the teeth just don't want to grab onto the flywheel. We try tinkering a bit with the starter, like putting a washer on one of the sides so the teeth are closer to the flywheel, but to no avail.

The battery starts showing signs of weakness and so I use my jump starter and wala! She once again runs!

I finally drove myself to work on Thursday morning, after a 5 day clutch job. It was a long and stressful experience, but it beats paying $1000 to a transmission shop to do a fairly straightforward, but time consuming job. I really don't see any job being much more challenging, and the important thing learned here is to make sure you have all of your tools handy and with you!