RPS Turbo Clutch install on a '96 Z28


Materials:
a) Metric sockets & wrenches(12 points are best), 1 really long extension, Torque Wrench, Clutch Pilot tool
b) 4 strong jack stands
c) Creeper (nice if you've got one)
d) Either a hydraulic floor jack or a strong friend
e) Brake Cleaner spray (to clean the surface of the pressure plate/flywheel)
f) rags/paper towels and some hand cleaner
g) Some Dextron III transmission fluid (in case you spill a little)
h) some small cardboard boxes to keep the various bolts in so you can write the names of their origins as you remove them from the different components of this process.
Labor:
1) car up on 4 good strong jack stands (level)
2) Disconnect Negative battery cable
3) Disconnect driveshaft at the differential by removing the four bolts and their straps. DON"T take the driveshaft out from the transmission! You can replace the clutch without taking the shaft out. This will prevent you from having to drain the transmission and refill it.
4) Unbolt the torque arm and remove it from under the car to a location out of your way. There are two large bolts/nuts/washers in the back and 2 or 3 in the front. Place bolts/nuts/washers into a box and label.
5) Using the floor jack, jack up the cradle of the jack until it just supports the weight of the transmission.
6) Unbolt & remove the curved brace behind the transmission. Place bolts in box and label.
7) Remove the nut holding the transmission mount to the transmission. Save to a box/label.
8) Making sure the floor jack is applying enough upforce to remove tension from the transmission cross-member, remove the transmission cross-member bolts (box and label) and then remove the cross-member to a safe place.
9) Disconnect all the electrical sensor wires from the transmission (3 of them, I think) and suspend them out of the way.
10) Now, get in the car and;
a) Remove the shifter ball(put it in the back seat)
b) Lift off the console cover/shift boot (put it in the back seat)
c) Unbolt the shifter arm (Box & Label)
d) Remove the console hold-down screws(2 in the console box, 1 under the shift boot cover and 1 in the cavity under the stereo). Using a long thin screwdriver, stick the screwdriver blade down beside the parking brake lever and disengage the pawl that holds the toothed gear so that the parking brake lever can be free to position straight up. Now lift off the entire console by grasping the back of it and lifting up (Gently!) while pulling back. Lift the console over the parking brake lever and set the console aside. Caution! There are wires still attached to the console so your movements will be limited. Don't be too aggressive as it will swing out of the way if you work gently with it.
d) Remove the inner shifter boot screws (Box & Label) and then remove the inner shifter boot itself.
e) Remove the four bolts from the shifter itself (Box & Label) and carefully lift out the shifter assembly. Wipe off the bottom of the shifter and clean up the sealer from the flange where the shifter bolts to. Place a clean paper towel or two inside the shifter cavity to prevent any debris from accidentally falling in there when you're doing this clutch replacement.
11)Ok, out of the car and back under it. Remove the 6 bolts that secure the transmission to the bell housing. You'll need to lower the transmission (via the floor jack) a bit to get access to the topmost bolts on the transmission. This the time to use the extra long extension to reach over the transmission and get the topmost bolts. Box & label.
12)Now gingerly, and with an eye on the end of the driveshaft (so the end cups of the U Joints don't come out and spill needle bearings everywhere =O ) roll the floor jack backwards so that the transmission will slowly come out from the bellhousing. You want the transmission to only come out as far as it has to, which is just where the end of the input shaft is outside of the bellhousing mouth by about the width of the bell housing. This will allow you to unbolt the bell housing and lift it over the pressure plate assembly and out of the way.
13)Remove the two bolts that secure the clutch pedal slave cylinder to the bell housing. Swing the slave cylinder out of the way and secure. Remove the collar/spacer the slave cylinder was bolted against. Box & label.
14)Grab the throwout arm that the slave cylinder was pushing against and pull OUTWARD. If it doesn't come out an inch of thereabouts, wiggle it while applying moderate force. This is not a strongmans task.
15)Unbolt the 8 bellhousing bolts. There is one of these that can be tough (Drivers side, second from the bottom) because it's too close to get a socket on and the conventional design of a combo wrench won't allow the boxed end to get access within the working confines. I took a 'spare' 14mm wrench and bent it in a vise to somewhat resemble an 'L' (where the upright is more at a 45 degree angle and the bottom of the L is where the boxed end is). Once again, this is a good time to use the long extension for the topmost bolts. Box & Label.
16)Remove the bellhousing. There are some locating dowels that can make the removal of the bellhousing a little annoying but just be patient and wiggle the thing while pulling at different points around the perimeter of the housing.
17)Remove the six bolts around the perimeter of the Pressure plate but do it progressively, that is, turn a bolt a few turns, go to the opposite side of the pressure plate, loosen it a few turns, etc. The intent is not to warp the pressure plate by completely removing a bolt and letting the other bolts hold all the pressure. Go patiently since the clutch disk will drop down without warning and mash a finger if you're not prepared. Box/Label.
18)Take off the flywheel in the same progressive manner.
19)Reassembly is basically just reversing the disassembly process with the exception of 2 things;
a) Place the clutch pilot tool through the disk (Pay attention to the front/back orientation of the disk!! The disk can only go on correctly one way!) then stick the nose of the pilot tool into the crankshaft bushing (put just a small amount of grease (and I mean SMALL, as in film, otherwise it could sling onto the clutch and make this whole effort meaningless!) into the bushing in the back of the crankshaft). Holding the clutch disk in place with one hand (or someone's hand), place the pressure plate over the disk and thread 2 of the pressure plate bolts into the flywheel. Start ALL bolts before beginning to tighten ANY of them. This will prevent you from binding any of the bolts. Tighten, then torque to specifications.
b) 'Stabbing' the transmission. Even with the pilot tool, because they are manufactured so sloppily, there is a chance that the clutch disk will not line up with the bushing in the crankshaft when you attempt to slide the transmission back thru the disk. Don't panic. If this misalignment occurs, try this;
1. Push the trans in as far as it will go. Watch the driveshaft! It may try to slip out, leaving you with an oily mess!
2. Start as many transmission bolts as you can (try to get as many turns on each as you can while trying to keep the surface of the transmission/ and bellhousing parallel.
3. Having done the preceding, install the throw out arm into the throw out bushing by pushing the arm back into the throw out bearing collar. You'll have to do this by feel since you won't be able to see whats going on. Next install the clutch actuating slave cylinder. This next part will take 2 people to pull off the intended affect. One person will get in the car and gently push the pedal down just enough to relieve the pressure plates grip on the clutch disk. The other person, assumed to still be under the car, will now move the transmission around until the trans can be pushed in the final few inches.
This page was last updated: 11/04/2000