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replacing clutch 3spd

bluebronco69

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,856
Loc.
Damascas, OR
just wondering what kind of tips you all might have for replacing the clutch on my 3spd.
i got the kit from BCBroncos
any tips, tricks, advice or other parts i will need?
 

dbevans2249

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Sep 21, 2003
Messages
610
Loc.
Buena Park, Ca.
JMO it is easier to pull the engine than it is to drop the trans/xfr. I dont know what is in your kit but I would change the pilot bushing and TO bearing while in there.
 

Boss351

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
510
Loc.
Foxboro
pull engine pretty straight forward.If you pull tranny make shore not to let the trans output pull out of case the bearings will fall out of the input shaft.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,355
What Boss said. There is a tip in most of the shop manuals that details how to make a fixture to lock the two shift levers in such a position that, if you're separating the intermediate housing from the transmission, you can't pull the output shaft out so far that the roller bearings fall out and into the bottom of the case.

As said, don't cheap out and absolutely resurface the flywheel, change the throwout bearing and pilot bushing/bearing.
You don't want to do it again!

Good luck.

Paul
 

kaw550

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
1,133
How are the clutch linkage bushings? Might be worth replacing them now.

When installing, line up the transmission then use some really long bolts to bolt it to the bell housing. Use the bolts as a guide to slide in the the transmission.

Find someone to help. I did a couple myslef and struggles with each one. A second set of hands would make it 3x easier.
 

JLBachs

Full Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2011
Messages
333
If you use a pilot bushing rather than a bearing, a lot of people will tell you to not lubricate the bushing as it is impregnated with oil or a graphite lubricant - I've changed a lot of clutches, but on the two that I tried to follow the directions on the paperwork and not lube I've gotten burned. Had to take them both apart and lube. the key is don't over lube to the point that it slings out on your new parts. NAPA sells a lithium grease in a tube about the size of a toothpaste tube that works great - way better than bearing grease. Also works well on caliper slides and the like so you'll eventually use it again.
 

DirtDonk

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Messages
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Make sure that your pilot bearing is fully seated too. You don't want everything coming to a halt 1/4" from seating and not knowing if it's the bearing, or if your clutch is just not quite perfectly aligned.

If you do get the trans to within that last 1/2" or so of fully seating in the clutch, don't try to force it. Even when you use an aligning tool they don't always line up perfectly.
If wiggling it doesn't seat it, one trick is to release the clutch slightly. If the linkage is connected, it's easy enough to have someone gently push on the pedal until you feel things release and shift a bit and the trans seats.
If no linkage, you, or a helper, can usually push the clutch fork enough to partially release the clutch.

If everything else is correct usually that's all that is necessary to getting it in that last little bit.

Paul
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

Bronco Guru
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Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,856
Loc.
Damascas, OR
i got this kit
The Luk clutch kit includes the pressure plate, disc, throw out bearing, both input shaft bearings, lube and a clutch alignment tool. All new top quality parts. 11"


i was planing on taking out the trans and transfer in one unit. then long bolts to guide it back on. i will get everything out in the am
have the flywheel done and then put it back in in the afternoon.

no engine lift so i cant take out the engine.

i was mainly hoping to keep the trans and transfer together. i have a fixture that mounts to my floor jack to hold the trans up for installation.
 

JLBachs

Full Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2011
Messages
333
all that cast-iron is a lot for jack adapter to handle all at once - it adds to the fun, but beee careful. You might want to consider separating them.
 

Explorer

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Messages
4,390
Loc.
Raphine, Virginia
I have a ATV jack I use along with the floorjack to support T case and tranny. A little creative blocking and it works well. I avoid it like the plague, but I always have to work by myself and have to make things easy. It also comes in handy for lifting those heavy a** tires for mounting.
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

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Messages
1,856
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Damascas, OR
so i think in the past when i have separated the trans and transfer, i left the intermediate housing attached to the transfer case, and it was fine, no bearings spilling their guts all over.
is this correct or a figment of my imagination.

do i need to take off the bell housing to take off the flywheel?
i did not resurface it last time i did the clutch but will this time.
machine shop is only open 8-12 on sat. so i want to get it there early in the morning. so it will be done that day
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
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so i think in the past when i have separated the trans and transfer, i left the intermediate housing attached to the transfer case, and it was fine, no bearings spilling their guts all over.
is this correct or a figment of my imagination.


Correct, but lucky too.
If you remove the t-case from the intermediate housing, you loose several (maybe 9 or so?) roller bearings.
If you remove it from the back of the trans, you can get lucky and not pull anything. If the shaft comes out cleanly and does not stick, and if you pull straight back without any binding, it can be done.
One false move though, and if it starts to yank the transmission's output shaft with it, you might lose some, or all, of the (12 or so?) roller bearings way down inside the transmission, between the input and output shafts.
Maybe you got lucky, or maybe you're just reeeeeellly good!


do i need to take off the bell housing to take off the flywheel?


Yes.
You can either remove the transmission first, or remove the bellhousing with the transmission still attached, but it has to come off.


i did not resurface it last time i did the clutch but will this time.

You got lucky again.
Well, I shouldn't really say "lucky", as in cases like this, most people get away with it, without too much trauma. Unfortunately though, when you don't "get away with it", you really get screwed.
Life sucks big-time when you have to re-do the clutch TWICE(!) in short order.

Paul
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

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Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,856
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Damascas, OR
thanks for the tips...

so do you think it is easier to remove the trans and t-case together then in order to not loose any bearings?
though it will be heavier that way...

thanks for the advice.
just want to make sure i get it right the first time.

so if i take the tcase off of the intermediate then the roller bearings will fall out, not into the tcase right? onto the floor?
 

DirtDonk

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Not really. I've done it both ways and hated taking the two down together. It was heavy, awkward, and doubly awkward twice-removed then squared.
But I didn't have a tranny jack OR an ATV jack, so that added to my troubles.

If I was doing it by myself again (which I did recently), I would take the transfer case off with the intermediate housing, then take the trans off by itself, then the bell housing. I just prefer it that way, because you can lock the trans in gear to avoid losing any bearings.
Frankly though, if you find that removing the t-case by itself just makes sense from a nut-n-bolt standpoint, go for it. It's easy enough to retrieve the fallen bearings from the bottom of the case, and easy enough as well, to put some grease on them to stick them back in when you go to re-install it.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Doing it my way is still awkward on a Bronco, due to one or two of the housing bolts being hard to reach with it all up in the tunnel like they are. If you have a body lift, it's easier.

If you do it like I describe, we can tell you how to make the tool to lock the trans linkage so that you don't lose the bearings.

Paul
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

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Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,856
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Damascas, OR
i am thinking that doing it that way would be best.
I have a hurst floor shift if that matters, but when you unhook the shift handle, are you just bolting the tabs together that control each shift rail? i think there is one tab for 1st and R and another for 2 and 3?

i think i will take it apart, transfer case with intermediate
then tranny
then the bell.
if i start to slide the transfer/intermediate housing off, can i slip a flat screwdriver in between the intermediate and the transmission so it will not pull the bearing out too?

for what it is worth i am planning to hit it hard on friday night in hopes of having the flywheel out for sat morning to take to the machine shop


any tips for re installation too.
loctite on the flywheel bolts right?
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

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1,856
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Damascas, OR
any tips on the "tool" to make to keep the bearings in the trans? maybe i just had it in the right gear last time.. though i think last time we didnt care either, because it needed a rebuild. we lost 3rd gear, and i think the case was cracked.
 

DirtDonk

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You'll need to find or fab a tool made from 3/8" diameter round stock (doesn't actually have to be round, as long as it fits into the holes in the shift levers) formed into a basic "[" shape.
Should have these dimensions.

Length: 5 13/16" outside-to-outside dimension.
Depth (or reach): 2"

Basically, the standard practice, unless you prefer other methods, is to take the rod and bend one end in a 90° and just weld the other end on at a 90° instead of trying to figure out how to bend both ends and retain the proper length.
If you're real good at calculating bend radii and all that geometrical stuff. it might be good and fun practice. Bending one and welding the other just saves your brain the factoring and figuring trauma.

Place the 2/3 shifter in neutral, and the 1/Rev shifter in "1st" gear.
Insert the tool into the holes of both shift levers.

You're done. Basically you're just locking the trans into 1st gear. If you don't physically lock it, it's real easy for them to pop out just from the output shaft getting a yank or two towards the rear. Pops out of gear a lot easier than you'd think!

Good luck.

Paul
 
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bluebronco69

bluebronco69

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Damascas, OR
thanks, so with it locked the bearings wont come out of the trans, and with the intermediate housing on the transfer then the bearings wont come out of the transfer case.
of course i will have to drain the transmission because on of the bolts holding it to the adapter is also the oil drain plug.


just wanted to double check before i dive in.
 

DirtDonk

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thanks, so with it locked the bearings wont come out of the trans.

Correct. The shift fork actually holds the shifter ring/collar up against the gears, which keeps the output shaft from being pulled rearwards. Which is what allows the bearings to become dislodged.
You can get away with a little rearward movement, but at anything over half an inch or so, you're living dangerously.
Without the fixture locking the shift arms in place though, simply pulling on the output shaft will pull the shift collar back with it.


...and with the intermediate housing on the transfer then the bearings wont come out of the transfer case.

Correct again.


...of course i will have to drain the transmission because on of the bolts holding it to the adapter is also the oil drain plug.

Which is not a bad thing to do anyway. Unless the fluid's been changed recently anyway, when it comes to gear boxes, clean and fresh oil is never a bad thing.

PaulB
 
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