I'm thinking of upgrading the clutch and was wondering how difficult changing a clutch is on an 8? I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but have never done a clutch. I worked a good amount on V8's with automatics many years ago, but this is unfamiliar territory. Is it just a matter of disassemble and reverse the process to reassemble? Or will I need special tools and run into a world of headaches. Any thoughts?

 

In short , yes its something like disassemble and reverse the process.

For this one you have to drop your transmission, TAKE the old flywheel and clutch out, thats a pain in the *** part because I read some post here that some people actually broke the flywheel stopper when trying to take the flywheel out. and you better make sure everything is secure since you dont want something to fly into your cabin when you're revving it at 9K rpm

I would rather pay someone to do it. Doesnt mean its 100% secure but for me I think thats better.

 

Sometimes it can be a bitch. Too many hours involved. Check out the DIY section and make your own judgement.

I vote for letting the experts do it.

 

If you have time and impact tools, get the shop manual and do it yourself. If you don't have impact tools pay someone else. Ipact tools make the job relativley quick instead of trying to figure out how to hold the flywheel still.

 

Also removing the flywheel can be a bitch.

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm

 

you need some pretty hardcore tools. the nut that holds the clutch is huge.

 

Thats funny, the nuts that I clutch are huge too!


Sorry, couldnt resist

 

Anybody know what labor should cost to replace the clutch with an aftermarket one?

 

I paid $700 to have a clutch replaced in the Miata once (similar difficulty and layout). Figure $500 of that was labor. That's when I started playing around with cars. The first time I did the Miata clutch was with basic hand tools and it took about 8 hours with help. I could do one now with air tools by myself in a couple of hours. However, that doesn't include machining the flywheel, which should be done anytime you change the clutch.

I think the most difficult part is bench pressing the transmission back into the car. You'll be holding it up for a long time. The most important tool is the clutch alignment tool, but that should come with your new clutch.

 

A Mazda dealership here quoted $630 to cover the labor of installing my RB clutch and flywheel.

I feel it's a small price to pay considering the hardware we're altering here... I wouldn't touch the tranny myself...

 

Heh... Skeet Skeet

 

I wouldn't bother swapping in a heavier duty clutch unless the engine was producing over 300 rwhp as the factory clutch is pretty good and it can handle about 250 ft./lbs. of torque. As far as the myth of difficulty removing the nut without power tools, the flywheel without a puller, and holding the flywheel without special tools I haven't had any of those problems with the clutch/flywheel swaps I did on my back, in my driveway, with no power tools.

 

Thanks everybody. From what I gather... I'm not going to bother swapping the clutch until the current one is shot, but when I do swap it... I'll likely do it myself to save $500-$600. It takes a long time for me to put that much in the bank, so if I can prevent spending it AND get the experience of changing the clutch in the process... I'm all about that!

It's unbelieveable what places charge for doing some jobs. I was recently quoted $300 for the dealership to change the front brake pads. Damn! I replaced the pads with ceramics and had the rotors turned myself for $75. I doubt the dealership would have put ceramics on and probably wouldn't even turn the rotors if they could get away with it. I did have to buy an impact driver for an additional $20 to get the rusted phillips head screws out of the rotors though. Now I have it for the future.

 

I just installed my flywheel myself a few weeks ago, and for how much it would have costed me to have someone do it for me, it was worth the time and effort.

Like someone before said, I bent my flywheel puller trying to get the stock one off, so it is a tricky job even with the correct tools. If the flywheel wont budge try heating it up for a good 20 minutes with a blow torch to expand the metal... then that sucker will pop right off (make sure your face isnt in front of it)

If you have an impact wrench, a flywheel puller, a (2 1/8") socket, and a trolly jack you can do it with one friend in about a days labor.
Disassembling everything is simple as hell, its wiggling the tranny out from undernethe the car that takes up all the time. Once the tranny is out you have space to work on the clutch and flywheel assembly.
And then again, wiggling that sucker back up in there and making sure the drive shaft is aligned and everything will take time, maybe even an hour just to line things up right, but with persistance it will slide right back in, and eveything will bolt right back up.

Like I said, most of the labor time isnt even spent wrenching, its just dropping the tranny and raising it back up. You dont really wanna be paying someone $100 and hour to pump a jack and say 'Alittle bit the the left... okay. Now up a bit. Okay now slide it forward a little...'

Get your head under there, get dirty, have some fun, and get it done. You'll feel amazingly accomplished at the end, you have the piece of mind of knowing exactly how it was done, and you'll have kept your wallet much fatter, which is always a plus.

GL man, I hope everything goes well, and dont be afrade to take this one on, its much easier than it would appear to be.

 

EvilMiata mentioned the flywheel should be machined. Why? Where does it wear that machining it would fix.

Please excuse my ignorance.

 

Machining the flywheel serves the same purpose as cutting the rotors during a brake job. SoFL and I have the same attitude regarding DIY projects; don't be fearful but also don't be ignorant. He and I do disagree, however, on the difficulty getting the flywheel off and what-not. This weekend I'll put together a thread on flywheel swaps in your own driveway without the benefit of air/power tools. There are only three tools I can think of that one needs to get that are not standard for the DIY toolbox but I'll also list the necessary tools.

 

Its not 100% necessary to machine a flywheel. If its smooth and even-colored on the wear surface, you can get away without doing it. If you've been drag racing the flywheel surface will be glazed and different colors from the heat. That's one you should get machined. I usually go to a NAPA store. Most of them have machine shops and will do a flwheel for $25. Some cars have a two-plane surface and usually run an extra $10. Dump trucks and cement mixers are $65 so do let anyone rip you off. They shop will ask for 1/2 a day but if they're slow it becomes a 'while-you-wait' job.

 

a R&R clutch and flywheel job, is easy on a rear wheel drive.
if you did one you could do them all.
all RWD is the same.
disconnect battary, remove shifter, remove clutch slave, remove starter, remove cat, remove drive shaft, remove tranny mount, remove tranny, remove clutch and flywheel.
get the dealer manual have a lot of diagrams and info you need.

 

See? So easy a caveman could do it!

 

Just make damned sure the car is secured on jack stands, and be careful not to jerk it too much on the tougher bolts. You do not want the car to fall on top of you or anyone else. Other than that, GO FOR IT!