joefloyd

What is involved in replacing a clutch on an 80 ? The last one that I did was over 30 years. I think it had a split bell housing and did not need to remove it.I know the drive shaft and trany need to be removed, and assume the bell housing to. How hard is it to remove the bell housing and were do I support the rear of the motor? I may back out if it is too much work for a man over 60. What is an average price to pay to have it done ???


Thanks Joe.

jnb5101

i just changed the clutch on my 72. it has a removable cross member that made the job much easier. i used an engine hoist with chains attached to the back of the heads to support the engine. it allowed me to raise and lower the engine as needed.
i'm 62, and it was not a fun job. give some thought to farming it out.
jeff

BKbroiler

A small hydraulic jack and a piece of wood under the back of the oil pan are all you need to support the engine. Remove the distributor cap so it won't hit the firewall.

bt57

I had not replaced 1 in 25 years and the days of putting them on the chest and sliding them in are a long way off, I made a jig out out 2x4 and plywood and slid it right in with a floor jack, but if it
is not an easy job,you may save some wear and tear by finding a local garage,they should be able to change it out in 3 hours or less

79vetter

Easier said than done. I think that he is looking for some realistic expectations. If you have an engine hoist you can put some bolts in the back of the block/heads with a chain and raise the back. If you have a hydralic jack under the oil pan you might be pressed for room underneath- you'll find that you will need all the room you can get under there. The whole job of removal is difficult becuase you need to slide the transmission as far back as possible/ raise up the engine and then slide the trans/bellhousing forward to be able to clear through the opening. It took me a lot wiggling and looking for clearance space. I didn't have a lift so I was lying under the car. I even had a helper. This is a job that can do but I would encourage a helper to join you. I had a clutch problem so I had to remove it a few times. I eventually took it to a Corvette shop to diagnose a different problem and they replaced the clutch too - charged me $700. Let us know if you have questions.

gg521

I do this once in a while and it is not fun. I am over 60 so I appreciate your concerns. Usually the standard shift frames do not have a removable cross member so this makes the job a bit more difficult. You need to remove the exhaust pipes, shifter, and drive shaft. After that, unbolt the transmission from the mount and and bell housing. Pull the transmission back and you may need to twist the thing a bit to clear other things there. Remove the bell housing (need to remove clutch linkage first). Removal of the bell housing is probably one of the easiest things in this job. It is fairly light. Take your time on the job. Make sure to use the clutch alignment tool when puting the clutch back on. I have Hooker headers on my car so that I don't have to deal with the exhaust pipe thing so I can't remember the exhaust removal sequence. Remove the flywheel and have it resurfaced before putting the new clutch back on. Hope this helps.

tfi racing

The tranny weighs about 70 pounds so make sure you are comfortable wrestling with that weight,on your back ,in a tight space.Other than that if you have the time to be patient and methodical,it is pretty straightforward.Don't forget to get a pilot tool to line the disc up and don't put the disc in backwards!Also a good idea to replace the output seal on the trans,they always seem to leak when the job is done.