Clutch Replacement

[Berkeley and Bill Conner]

I recently completed my first clutch replacement on a FWD car -- my 1993
Classic.  At about 110,000 miles, the clutch started slipping on the 1-2
shifts at the drag strip.  Also, I was suffering from the gritch so I
knew it was time to take action.

I decided to go with the HP Clutch from C.A.P Manufacturing (Quality
Clutches at Warehouse Prices).  I have bolt ons up to and including the
S3s -- putting down about 145 WHP on the dyno.  The "HP" is one step up
from the OEM replacement, streetable, billed at +30% clamping force and
rated at 221 ft-lbs of torque (model number 06-057HP).  The cost was
$169.50 plus shipping  for the kit which included pressure plate, disc
(it said Exedy on it), throw out bearing, and clutch installation tool
(go to  http://www.capclutch.com/index.html for more information).

I also installed a Fidanza aluminum flywheel while I was at it.

Thanks to the incredible wealth of information available from the
mailing list and SE-R.net, I was prepared for all the wrinkles that I
encountered during the installation.  I used the FSM, Ron Chong's write
up and the Arcstarter's clutch chronicle, and benefited from the recent
discussions of Omer Khan's adjustment problems.  I also followed Darth
Roffe's wise advice to take your time and do things one step at a time.

Some points that may be of interest to others who attempt this:

- I left the driver's side axle in place, as recommended by some.  This
definitely saved time but made the tranny more difficult to handle.  The
passenger side axle is child's play to remove compared to the driver's
side.
- I disassembled the withdrawal lever assembly by driving out the 2
roller pins.  I did this to make sure I got it it clean and properly
greased.  I wouldn't do that again because I afterwards noticed that
there is enough vertical movement in the assembly to allow cleaning and
greasing once the return spring is moved out of position.
- I heated the flywheel in the oven (30 minutes at 450F) to get it over
the nose of the crank.  No problems there.  Use your best oven mitts.
- I replaced the striking rod oil seal and both switches to stop little
leaks that had developed.  I also replaced the right axle seal as a
preventative.
- I was unable to properly position the tranny for re-assembly using a
floor jack.  So, I invested in a $65.00 (plus shipping) transmission
jack from Northern Tool Company.  This jack has a larger platform (that
tilts) to hold the tranny, four multi-directional casters, and a
scissors action so it goes straight up and down using a half inch drive
ratchet.  Using this jack it was possible for me to bolt up the tranny
with no assistance.
- Initially I could not adjust the slack out of the clutch cable, so I
moved the bracket toward the firewall about 3/4 of an inch by drilling 2
new holes in the bracket.  This allowed proper adjustment of the clutch.

- For breaking and tightening the axle bolts, Ray Kawski's "screwdriver
in the rotor vent" technique worked great.

All bolted up and back on the road, the clutch seems fine.  Light
action, plenty of grip, no gritch, and no leaks.  The adjustment is good
-- engagement is at the same point in the stroke as the OEM clutch.  The
lighter flywheel allows the engine to spool noticeably quicker, and it
really took no effort to get used to driving with it.

This is something that I never could have done without the information
available from the SE-R community.  Many Thanks!

Bill Conner