Gearbox Clutch CVs - Removing the clutch

see also General Homemade gearbox removal clamp

Tex Ritter: I feel compelled to say this:  If you do not feel 100% competant to carry out this work then please,
please do not attempt it. If you do then good luck and WORK SAFE at all times.

First thing to do is prepare your working area.

You'll need a trolley jack for the box and another jack to support the engine.

Disconnect the battery.

Jack up your van high enough to gain comfortable access to the box.

Put good quality axle stands (at least 2 tonners) in place before you attempt to get underneath, and rattle the van to make sure they are secure, then chock the front wheels.

Begin by removing the drive shaft bolts, clean out the allen headed holes before attempting to loosen them, make sure the tool is a very good fit.

(Even tap the bit home, into the holes N.B. Some are allen 6mm, others can be 12-point spline-drive, 8mm 12 point internal spline, aka CV Joint tool aka triple square) another good reason for cleaning them out, use the correct tool, esle you'll regret it! These are HT cap socket headed bolts, and should have small hard dimpled washers under them, and 3-curved spreader plates.) Ed.

Tie the loose drive shafts out of the way.

Remove the gearchange shaft at the g/box end.

Remove the cap from the Fluid resevoir-under the dash pod-and fit a pastic bag or similar, hold the plastic in place by screwing the cap down tight, hopefully this will cause minimal fluid loss. By the way, if your fluid is black or you know it to be a few years old, then now is the time to renew it.

Remove the clutch hydraulic connection at the flex hose to slave cylinder fitting and remove the bolt holding the flexi hose bracket onto box side, fasten the hose out of the way. At this stage you may have to remove the clutch slave cylinder...some do some don't. You'll still get a bit of fluid loss from these pipes so watch out for your eyes and paintwork...be prepared.

Remove the engine access hatch, disconnect the air hoses and remove the air cleaner body. Disconnect the heat exchanger/valve box pipes and any ducting pipes if they are in your way.

Place the trolley jack under the g/box using suitable packing pieces, and remove the bolts and earth strap from the front mounting, place the second jack under the front of the engine using a piece of wood as a spacer, make sure it is in a secure position and will not foul your working area. Maintaining the weight on the 2 jacks remove the starter motor cable and its 2 bolts (you'll have to get at one of the nuts via the engine access.)

With the weight still on the jacks remove the other 2 bolts that fasten the g/box onto the engine.

Now, this is the tricky bit if you are like me and working on your own. Lower both jacks down VERY slowly to about 2". make a final check in the engine space to make sure nothing is going to foul against anything as you lower the jacks.

Continue to lower the jacks just enough to slide the gearbox towards the front of the van and to clear the clutch. Lower the box onto the floor and drag it from underneath the van.

Remove the old clutch components making a note of how the release bearing springs are located on the yoke. If there is no obvious oil leaks from the crankshaft seals then it is simply a case of cleaning the bell housing and spigot shaft and checking that all is well. Grease the spigot shaft splines lightly and grease the inner part of the release bearing and the carrier sleeve that it fits over.

As they say in all the workshop manuals, to refit, simply reverse the removal procedure. Look in the Wiki for additional advice, as Harryman has pointed out Re-installing clutch

Most (if not all) of this will be found in your manual. I may have missed some of the procedure, but if you get stuck put a shout out.

If in any doubt, get someone else to do it (or to help you - Ed).