Finally got around to it this week; at around 156,000 miles we finally put her up on stands and swapped out the clutch. And not a moment too soon! The one we removed was apparently the factory clutch, and had definitely seen better days - the clutch surface was smooth as a baby's ***. It probably didn't help that the prop shaft seal was leaking transmission fluid all over the clutch!

It appears that someone else had made an attempt to change it, and after DESTROYING two of the pressure plate bolts, they gave up and put everything back together. How awesome is that?

Found a few things on the way in that need sorting; my front brake lines are frayed, and the rear diff final drive output seals are shot and leaking at an alarming rate. Also, after I replaced my steering rack last fall I got the car aligned, and the guy who did the alignment did not loosen the outer clamps on the rack boots, and so when he turned the tie rods it twisted the boots around and around themselves, and they are now both ripped. Yay. Also the driver's side cam position sensor is boned; the wire connector clip is half broken off. And the PCV system is clogged with more sludge than my grandfather's arteries.

So, I ordered new brake lines, rear diff seals, and rack boots today. I'll also be ordering PCV hoses and CPS and all new front control arms ASAP. Parts already in are bushings for driver's rear control arms, which will be replaced in the next couple weeks along with the parts I ordered today.

Anyway, who wants some pictures??

Passenger side upper pinch bolt was seized, took about eight hours of hammering and pounding, penetrating oil, torching, drilling, blood, sweat, tears, cigarettes and copious and unrepeatable cursing and swearing to get it out. Also, you can see the twisted steering rack boot.


Exhaust band sleeves were rusted and had to be cut.



Finally got the transmission down.


Old clutch out!


Pilot bearing ground to oblivion, and leaking input shaft seal. Both were replaced.


Box of replacement parts which were installed.


Apparently, no one thought to take a picture of the new clutch; so just imagine a shinier, rust-free, and not smooth version of the old one you see above.

Mucho thanks to Alek, Tim, and TJ for their hard work!

Good times!

 

Good post man! I'm getting ready to do this next week. Where did you buy your clutch from/how much?

 

God, I wish I had the know how/tools/friends to do this. Mine could use a new clutch soon, and its gonna cost me a pretty pretty penny. =(

 

Great job!

How does it feel?

 

Can you post a link or tell me how much the pcv tubes and relating items were? I'm having issues locating those since I have the same problem again after cleaning them out with the throttle body last time. New ones are going in with a catch can and suction pump.

 

I haven't priced PCV parts just yet, as I'm not going to buy them until my next paycheck. Feels like a whole new car - the old clutch didn't grab until I had the pedal about 3/4 of the way up off the floor, so I had adapted a driving/shifting style which worked with that. Made for some unbelievably smooth gear changes, but the slipping meant that even accelleration on a level surface was poor (even for a 12v) and I frequently needed to downshift to go up any self-respecting hill.

New clutch is nice and grippy, grabs just after I let the pedal off the floor, and car puts power to the wheels much more willingly.

I am very lucky to have a friend like Alek, he is a very experienced mechanic and specializes in German/European imports. In fact, he himself drives a 1999 A4 2.8q that he changed the clutch on just a few months ago, so apart from my car being a filthy German *****, he was quite prepared for this job. I also happen to have a friend who works at a CarQuest store who got me a little bit of a deal on the clutch, I think I paid something like $235 for it.

 

This brings back unpleasant memories... But it's a great feeling once it's all back together and working. Nice.

 

The pinch bolt can be a lot of work. You get good at taking them out though once you do a few times. Air chisel works the best from my experience. If you use a normal hammer it will mushroom the end of the bolt making it even harder to get out.