[mwortham]

I'm in the process of pulling my transmission and can't figure out how to disconnect the axles from the trans. Do I just pry them out? Or is there some kind of retaining clip, etc. that holds them in?

Thanks,

- Mark

 

[TheKorean]

no clip...just pry em off at the tranny. But, try not to just yank on the thing.

 

[mwortham]

Well, the passenger side axle came out easily. No prying necessary. I can't for the life of me get the driver's side axle to come out of the trans though. I've pried quite hard, but it won't even budge. Do you have any tips or tricks?

Thanks

 

[TheKorean]

Without damaging the axle...no. Twist, pry, or find a fork spreader big enough and hammer that in. Beware the axle may be damaged after you use that spreader.

 

[fullmetal6]

You could put a slider hammer on the spindel.

 

[mike2005]

Let me know what you figure out. We had to stop wasting time, and realized it'd be faster to pull the CV boot off and rebuild that up after the transmission was back in. It's not that big of a deal, just messy (just be careful not to F up the hub side like we did :swearin: ). I'll try to find the "right" way to do it here in the euro spec manual. The shop where I had the hub side cv joint fixed said they couldn't get the transaxle side out either, and figured there was a clip that required a special tool.

There it is, if you need anymore or want some more first hand of experience of what we did (may not be right, but it worked) just shoot me a PM.

*Note that my passenger side axle came out easy as well. Just pressure holding that in.

 

[mwortham]

Thanks for the input everyone. I decided to stop for today, but I'll hit it again tomorrow. I got to thinking that I may just separate the axle from the hub and then drop the trans with the axle still attached. It would definitely be easier with it off, but if it's gonna be too much trouble I'll just leave it. I'll post again tomorrow to let everyone know how it went.

Thanks again.

- Mark

 

[mwortham]

Well, getting the trans out wasn't too bad. Getting it back in should be fun though. :blink: Does anyone have the torque specs for the flywheel bolts on the 6s? And while you're at it, how about the torque for the bolts that attach the pressure plate?

Thanks!

 

[mike2005]

Well, getting the trans out wasn't too bad. Getting it back in should be fun though. :blink: Does anyone have the torque specs for the flywheel bolts on the 6s? And while you're at it, how about the torque for the bolts that attach the pressure plate?

Thanks!
[/b]

Flywheel: 79.7-84.8ft lbs (If you're re-using the old bolts, clean them and use loctite. New bolts need nothing)

Pressure Plate: 14-19 ft lbs

Just so you know these are the euro specs for the 4 cylinder, but its all I had at the time of installation, and they felt quite snug when torqued to these specs. If you want to be sure the V6 is close I'd PM crossbow on 6tech to see if he can give you the exact specs.

Have fun lining it all up to go back in.

 

[mwortham]

Thanks mike2005, fullmetal6, and TheKorean for your help thus far. Y'all have been a big help. Have a cold one on me! :beer:

I'm still far from being done, but I figured I owe y'all a few pics of what I've got brewing.


The subframe removed:

A slightly clearer view of the trans with the subframe removed:

Exedy flywheel installed:

Clutch Masters Stage 2 clutch disk installed:

And finally the new pressure plate installed:

 

[Mazda Gremlyn]

Oooo, pretty Should have done the Phantom Grip while you had it all apart!

 

[fly757]

I assume you used a lift to do all this work, right?

 

[mike2005]

Damn, that RB front sway is HUGE compared to the OEM one. Wow...

Nice choice in clutch+flywheel though :thumbup:

 

[mwortham]

Oooo, pretty Should have done the Phantom Grip while you had it all apart!
[/b]

Believe me, I toyed with the idea. I may regret it later. Who knows...

I assume you used a lift to do all this work, right?
[/b]

No lift. Just a floor jack and 4 jackstands.

Damn, that RB front sway is HUGE compared to the OEM one. Wow...

Nice choice in clutch+flywheel though :thumbup:
[/b]

Yeah, that RB bar is a monster isn't it? I hope this clutch / flywheel combo will be good. I'm anxious to see how it's gonna drive when it's all said and done. I won't be able to work on it again until this evening after work, but I'll be sure to report back.

Later.

 

[dayam6]

Now thats some beaufitul stuff right there! Good work!

 

[mwortham]

Well, some long days at work mean the car hasn't had the attention it needs to get this job done yet. Hopefully I'll get back to it tomorrow. Time to sleep... :closedeyes:

 

[fullmetal6]

Nice looken. Probably throw ya around like a rag doll with that nice new clutch.

 

[Monsoon]

Wow! Very nice work. About how long in hours do you think it will take you to complete this project? Yes, the RB sway bar is very nice piece.

 

[mwortham]

Well, I finally got the car all back together today and took it for a spin. I really dragged this job out a lot longer than was necessary. It was difficult to find time during the week, and halfway through I really lost motivation. Oh well. It's done now.

For those of you considering doing a clutch replacement yourself - I give this advice: don't even think about it unless you have the right tools for the job. :nono: I soon realized that getting the transmission back in the car was going to be impossible without a transmission jack. So I ended up buying one. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with it now... All in all I've poured 20+ hours into this. Having the right tools from the start would have made it a lot easier though.

I still have some adjustments to make to the clutch, but after a week or so of driving I should be able to give some impressions. I will tell you this - the lightweight flywheel makes a difference. I don't really have any way to measure it, but it sure seems like I go through 1st and 2nd gears a LOT faster now. I think I'm gonna enjoy this!

 

[mike2005]

Yeah getting it back it in was a bitch. We started with a regular trolley jack...yeah right. Just got a huge ass nascar type jack, and balanced it. Glad to hear you got it back together though, and that you like it.