Tips for reinstalling gearbox after a new clutch?

[tux850]

I’m in the middle of replacing the clutch on my Hyundai Coupe, and I really do mean the middle - on my second day now learning (and swearing) as I go along and I’ve got the engine and gearbox separated, old clutch off and new one ready to go in. Halfway point.

I feel like I am past most of the hardest bits, particularly removing seized bolts in awkward locations etc, working out what bolts are relevant and what aren’t, and whilst I am confident I can get the new clutch aligned and fitted okay I am worried about refitting the gearbox. I’m not the strongest but even weight aside it’s proven to be a right pain manhandling it around during removal and I am mindful (quite possibly unnecessarily) about causing damage to the new clutch whilst trying to push, pull, shove and generally abuse the gearbox back in to place - not to mention even getting the input shaft sufficiently aligned for it to even begin to think about going back in.

Any tips from others more experienced? I’m weighing up 1) just lying underneath (the gearbox is resting precariously on the subframe at the moment) and purely manhandling bench-press style into place, or 2) sitting it on a jack to take the weight and manhandling it in from there, or 3) getting my engine hoist out and suspending the gearbox from that adjusting it’s height and positioning before sliding it gracefully into place like an ISS docking.

Any thoughts/suggestions other than to stop procrastinating and overthinking things? What works for you?

Edited by tux850 on Monday 13th March 22:38

[tux850]

Thanks for all the input - really appreciated. Looks like the hoist might prove to be the most sensible approach, not to mention safest as I’ll be working alone. I think it was mostly laziness me thinking twice about getting it out, and also thinking perhaps I'd spend longer building it then using it! I suppose I should view that as a good thing.

Thanks for the tips/warnings about things getting trapped - that's *exactly* the sort of thing that happens to me. Can almost guarantee it so it'll be more a case of what gets caught, not if!

Regarding alignment I bought one of these:



Testing it on the bench seems to suggest it being quite effective. It almost self centres, but can be adjusted and then tightened up to make what feels quite a secure positioning of the disc against the pressure plate.

Edited by tux850 on Monday 13th March 23:01

[tux850]

This is great - thanks. Can’t beat the voice of first hand experience, and it gives me a lot more than Haynes saying ‘refitting is the reverse of removal’!

Good suggestion re the release arm - I’ll do that. This clutch is actually a pull type so once the gearbox is back on I need to lock the bearing into its circlip in the clutch with the arm so there’s no going back at that point, and that’s where I’ll be discovering a trapped harness or the suggested alignment screwdriver not coming back out so thanks for that warning too!

Edited by tux850 on Monday 13th March 23:13

[tux850]

At this rate the gearbox is going to be installing itself! Thanks again for all the input - I feel quite confident now.

I'll go with the guide bolts idea and have ordered a couple of 180mm M12 bolts from Amazon which should be plenty long enough, and whilst they might be pricey at a fiver they could well prove to be really handy and I do keep reminding myself I'm saving hundreds doing the job myself.

Point noted re copper slipping the dowels - I have seen a couple so will do that for next time, which hopefully there won't be for some time!

[tux850]

I suppose I cut cut the bolt heads off with an angle grinder to allow the box to slide over the end, and perhaps cut a slot too to ease unscrewing.

All set now, just need to wait for acceptable weather to align with when I'm free as for a while now we've been 180 degrees out of sync!

[tux850]

Thanks, good tip. The bolts have just arrived (with our seemingly daily Amazom delivery!) so will proceed with those.

I'm probably at the point now where I've talked longer about the job than it'll actually take me! Of course, there's always the possibility of my crane collapsing and the overly long bolts being unable to take the weight of the gearbox and snapping inside the crankcase. Will start another thread seeking advice if that happens.

[tux850]

Pica-Pica said:

They just remind me of a job I have only done once (back in the 1970’s) and would never wish (and never needed) to do again.

I'm tempted to get you to elaborate, but also thinking maybe I should delay that umtil my job is done and dusted otherwise it'll just be something to worry about happening!

Edited by tux850 on Wednesday 15th March 15:55

[tux850]

steveo3002 said:

id suggest watching as many youtube videos as possible on your model of car , will pick up some tips

Yeah, I've definitely found that useful. In this instance I did find one that was really good - zomming in on every bolt before removing it - and whilst it was a smaller engine/gearbox he just bruteforced it back into position. I did begin to wonder if was his car or not though... ;-) (I also noted the editing so there could well have been several hours between starting and finishing! You tend to only see the successes!).

steveo3002 said:

others that do this all day long seem to whip the box back on like its made of paper , me well its took me hours despite being a stout chap i just cant seem to lift a gearbox when laying curled up under a car

I suppose it's the combination of a reasonable amount of weight, non-symmetrical shape, weird centre of gravity what with the bell housing being little but air etc. That, and of course being under a car and excitement of wondering just how good those axle stands you got in the sale really are.

E-bmw said:

I generally find the balance it on your knees with your feet below the engine & sighting from behind the gearbox method works reasonably well.

Were it not for having the engine hoist option I could see that possibly working for me. I suppose your knees acting as a scissor lift help with both the weight and stability that arms alone might have an issue with.

Edited by tux850 on Wednesday 15th March 15:55

[tux850]

Probably something to laugh at now but not funny at the time!

[tux850]

Oh my. The new clutch is on, as is the gearbox.

I went down the engine hoist route but still seemed to have an enormous amount of difficult getting the gearbox on. Whether it was the input shaft splines, angle of the box/engine I don't know but it was having none of it. I started to doubt my centring of the clutch disc but I'd made sure to be careful throughout all of that. I was starting to despair to be honest and thoughts turned to 'well, I was planning on getting a new car at some point anyway' and then it finally went in. Not all the way home but close enough to get some bolts in that I could then pull it home carefully. Speaking of bolts, the two 180mm ones I bought had the wrong thread so I couldn't use them in the end - doh!

All the major stuff went back in, mounts, driveshafts etc but I didn't have time to do the ancillaries like filter box and wheels but I couldn't leave it without trying it and was relieved - and somewhat surprised - that it seems to have worked. The clutch works (seems lighter than before? Might be misremembering), I can change gear and the driveshafts rotate.

I have however been given the gift of an ABS light though and whilst the pessimist in me is thinking I might've damaged a sensor or toothed ring at some point I'm also thinking that having the front wheels turning and not the back might well give rise to a suspected fault so finger's crossed when I finally get round to getting it back on the road that might disappear again.

Thanks again for all your help and advice - whilst it didn't quite go as smoothly as I'd hoped it did get me to there.

[tux850]

Oh don't say that! Whilst I think mine is okay I haven't actually driven it yet...

[tux850]

TwinKam said:

SO much easier to shove a plain rod through the bell housing and into a threaded hole in the block than ever to try to get a thread started... just sayin'.

That's what I did in the end, and it help rotate the box round a little as it wasn't quite sitting straight in the sling. I think it was more the 'hands free' aspect of a bolt or threaded bar approach that would've been useful as I was using both hands, an arm, legs on occasion etc trying to manhandlie the thing around!! Someone did mention the benefits of having an assistant and I think that would've been true.

[tux850]

Just to close this one out; the wheels are back on and we're back on the road! It's never felt so smooth!

The ABS light did indeed go out by the time I'd got halfway down the road.

Thanks again for all the help.