DIY Clutch Replacement

[Kazteel]

Hey guys, I'm thinking that I might have to replace my clutch soon, I say this because of whats going on and I'm hoping that you can either verify or correct me in my way of thinking when it comes to what has to be replaced on my Corolla. Everything about my car was running great until late last winter, I was driving down a country road and hit a patch of black ice, I spun out and put the car into a ditch, but thankfully it got put into the ditch backwards and it didn't mess up my steering or anything else like that. I had a flat tired and that was that. But I noticed that ever since that small accident, the car would rev up through the rpms if i gave it too much gas, kinda like if the clutch pedal was only half way in, how it feels like its grabbing but isnt completely grabbing. Ever since then, its been getting progressively worse where I now cant give it more than 25% gas without it starting to slide up the RPMs while in gear. I dont think the little accident had anything directly to do with whats going on now, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm looking into what it would cost to buy a new clutch and replace it myself, but before I get going down this road, can anybody perhaps steer me back on the right path if I'm on the wrong one? Is it indeed the clutch I need to replace? Is it more? Is it less? Any input would be greatly appreciated and I'll make sure to respond ASAP to any questions you might need to ask me in order to narrow down what the cause of this problem is.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Which engine and petrol or diesel?

[Kazteel]

I believe its the 1.8L and its petrol. its the Corolla S if that helps any. I dont have the engine size information at the moment

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Also what country are you in  and is yours a manual or auto ?

The symptoms you describe , if a manual, is typical of clutch Slip which I had on my 1.6  at 80k miles and was able to renew myself.

However the price of the manual clutch kit, typically around  GB £100+, plus the extra equipment you may have to buy, hire or borrow make it a close call against having a garage doing it for you, so do get some prices from local garages before you decide anything.

[Kazteel]

Just now, oldcodger said:

Hi,

Also what country are you in  and is yours a manual or auto ?

The symptoms you describe , if a manual, as typical of clutch Slip which I had on my 1.6  at 80k miles and was able to renew myself.

However the price of the manual clutch kit, typically around  GB £100+, plus the extra equipment you may have to buy, hire or borrow make it a close call against having a garage doing it for you, so do get some prices from local garages before you decide anything.

Hey, I appreciate the help, I did however mention a clutch pedal so that should answer your auto/manual question. I also live in the states. I can get a performance clutch kit for around $150 US. Which was cheaper than I expected, but is this really just a clutch issue or could this be something like a master/slave cylinder? Or something else? Any local garage here wants to charge me over $1500 for a clutch replacement, which is down right stupid and Id rather bust my knuckles than pay for some bonehead to do it. So no, I'll never take it to a garage, my only solution is to do it myself. I have plenty of mechanical knowledge, first thing I ever did on a car was a headgasket, thermostat, waterpump and timing belt. I'm sure this isnt any more difficult. With that being said. Can you say with a high certainty that it would just be a worn clutch? Or could something else be the culprit?

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Long time since I was in the states driving autos with two pedals , 1980 ish  Bruick .

The other test often talked about is to find some clear flat space, put the handbrake on tight , engage 4 or 5 gear with a about 2-3k rpm and then slowly let the clutch out.

If its slipping then it will continue to rev, abeit a bit lower and labouring, if the clutch is good and strong it should stall against the brakes.

If you were having hydraulic problems then that would probably give you difficulty engaging gears / crunching

My slippage was typically when hitting the long uphill  entry slope to a freeway , in third and acellerating hard, the revs would rise, but the speed did not for a few seconds then it would bite again for a few more seconds 

In more normal use it was ok, but the pedal foot pressure was quiet heavy and the biting point high up.

A new clutch was very much lighter and a lower down biting point.

The $1500 might also include a new flywheel, no idea if your model has a dual mass one , which they say should always be changed at the same time ...?

You can see what did in the pdf.

 

clutch details(1).pdf

[furtula]

The handbrake test is pretty straightforward, plenty of videos about it on youtube.

Being that it's the 1.8 petrol, and seeing the age of the car, it should not have the dual flywheel. Those are mostly used in diesel to absorb the brunt of the torque.

[Kazteel]

10 minutes ago, oldcodger said:

Hi,

Long time since I was in the states driving autos with two pedals , 1980 ish  Bruick .

The other test often talked about is to find some clear flat space, put the handbrake on tight , engage 4 or 5 gear with a about 2-3k rpm and then slowly let the clutch out.

If its slipping then it will continue to rev, abeit a bit lower and labouring, if the clutch is good and strong it should stall against the brakes.

If you were having hydraulic problems then that would probably give you difficulty engaging gears / crunching

My slippage was typically when hitting the long uphill  entry slope to a freeway , in third and acellerating hard, the revs would rise, but the speed did not for a few seconds then it would bite again for a few more seconds 

In more normal use it was ok, but the pedal foot pressure was quiet heavy and the biting point high up.

A new clutch was very much lighter and a lower down biting point.

The $1500 might also include a new flywheel, no idea if your model has a dual mass one , which they say should always be changed at the same time ...?

You can see what did in the pdf.

 

clutch details(1).pdf 561.5 kB · 9 downloads

So lets say that it is slipping and does not grab and stall, does that point the faulty piece to only the clutch? Or could it be something else still? And thank you everybody for your speedy replies and input, this is greatly appreciated and infinitely helpful to me.

[oldcodger]

Hi,

"could it be something else still"   - possibly, but its down to you to inspect and eliminate most probable causes.

1.  Is it slipping during heavy acceleration  - you say yes.

2. Is the clutch pedal heavy, indicating clutch assembly wear   - you say  ?

3. Is the clutch biting point high up on the pedal , again indicating wear ?

4. Any sign of Oil coming from the bottom of the bellhousing where it meets the engine block  ?

5, Are you having trouble changing gears  ?

6. If your problem started after your accident, could some engine oil have spilt over and contaminated the clutch plate ??

7.  Any excessive vibration from the engine/drive since the accident ?

8. When was the clutch last replaced and what was the mileage then and now ?

cannot think of anything else ......

[Kazteel]

On 5/6/2019 at 11:50 AM, Kazteel said:

So lets say that it is slipping and does not grab and stall, does that point the faulty piece to only the clutch? Or could it be something else still? And thank you everybody for your speedy replies and input, this is greatly appreciated and infinitely helpful to me.

So I tried the handbrake test and it stalled in 3rd 4th and 5th, and surprisingly it grabbed and started to try dragging me in 1st and 2nd, so maybe its not the clutch? Sorry its taken me so long to get back to you with an answer, very busy life xD

 

 

[oldcodger]

7 hours ago, Kazteel said:

So I tried the handbrake test and it stalled in 3rd 4th and 5th, and surprisingly it grabbed and started to try dragging me in 1st and 2nd, so maybe its not the clutch? Sorry its taken me so long to get back to you with an answer, very busy life xD

 

 

 

Just the same as mine, it also passed that crude test, though still slipping on heavy acelleration,

You need to go though that above list which should guide you to the answer.

Alternatively , take it to a few garages and ask them to free test the clutch for you , as no idea of anything else that could give you such symptoms.

Rather than a 'normal' garage. seek out one who specializes in clutch/gearbox/transmissions.

[Kazteel]

13 hours ago, oldcodger said:

 

Just the same as mine, it also passed that crude test, though still slipping on heavy acelleration,

You need to go though that above list which should guide you to the answer.

Alternatively , take it to a few garages and ask them to free test the clutch for you , as no idea of anything else that could give you such symptoms.

Rather than a 'normal' garage. seek out one who specializes in clutch/gearbox/transmissions.

Hi,

"could it be something else still"   - possibly, but its down to you to inspect and eliminate most probable causes.

1.  Is it slipping during heavy acceleration  - you say yes.

2. Is the clutch pedal heavy, indicating clutch assembly wear   - The clutch doesnt seem heavy, or at least its the same amount of force needed to push it in as before it was slipping

3. Is the clutch biting point high up on the pedal , again indicating wear ? Yea the bite point is about about 1/4 from idle position

4. Any sign of Oil coming from the bottom of the bellhousing where it meets the engine block  ? No leaks of any kind, I take really good care to check that on a weekly basis and do oil changes every month regardless of mileage

5, Are you having trouble changing gears  ? The only gear I notice sometimes not go in, is 3rd unless I have the clutch depressed completely.

6. If your problem started after your accident, could some engine oil have spilt over and contaminated the clutch plate ?? No

7.  Any excessive vibration from the engine/drive since the accident ? No 

8. When was the clutch last replaced and what was the mileage then and now ? Clutch never replaced since I got the car at 130xxx miles, now nearing 160xxx miles

cannot think of anything else ......

 

[Kazteel]

Bump

[oldcodger]

#2  - probably  feels normal to you if nothing to compare against, but would think it will seem heavy against a new clutch.

From all your other answers it does sound like its getting fairly worn, its down to you how long you put up with it before replacing, but we can only go on the info you supply and without even driving the car its impossible for anyone to remotely say exactly whats wrong.

If you are doing mainly short local trips you could live with it until the symptoms get worse, but if doing long journeys you could get caught out with a sudden failure .

Just buy a decent complete clutch kit if you do replace and give yourself plenty of time as its not an afternoons job for the diyer with minimal tools and equipment.

 

[Kazteel]

32 minutes ago, oldcodger said:

#2  - probably  feels normal to you if nothing to compare against, but would think it will seem heavy against a new clutch.

From all your other answers it does sound like its getting fairly worn, its down to you how long you put up with it before replacing, but we can only go on the info you supply and without even driving the car its impossible for anyone to remotely say exactly whats wrong.

If you are doing mainly short local trips you could live with it until the symptoms get worse, but if doing long journeys you could get caught out with a sudden failure .

Just buy a decent complete clutch kit if you do replace and give yourself plenty of time as its not an afternoons job for the diyer with minimal tools and equipment.

 

Fair enough, once I find out what tools I need and how long its gonna take, I'll just request a few days off extra from work. Thanks for your work Oldcodger. You're a beast 😄

[roks]

16 hours ago, oldcodger said:

give yourself plenty of time as its not an afternoons job for the diyer with minimal tools and equipment.

OC is correct, took me whole bank holiday weekend and over flowed on to Tuesday. All because the stubborn inner joint would not come out from the engine, ended up re-doing inner and outer CV joints on both sides. I don't think I'll be doing another clutch change anytime soon.

[Kazteel]

1 hour ago, roks said:

OC is correct, took me whole bank holiday weekend and over flowed on to Tuesday. All because the stubborn inner joint would not come out from the engine, ended up re-doing inner and outer CV joints on both sides. I don't think I'll be doing another clutch change anytime soon.

Anybody know what tools are going to be required to get this job done from start to finish? I'd like to make sure I have all the tools handy before I embark on this journey lol

[oldcodger]

2 hours ago, roks said:

OC is correct, took me whole bank holiday weekend and over flowed on to Tuesday. All because the stubborn inner joint would not come out from the engine, ended up re-doing inner and outer CV joints on both sides. I don't think I'll be doing another clutch change anytime soon.

Think you were very unlucky there, that said, seems there are now lots of complete driveshaft assemblies on the market for about £50, as another forum member reported and fitted recently.

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/186002-driveshaft-advice/

 

37 minutes ago, Kazteel said:

Anybody know what tools are going to be required to get this job done from start to finish? I'd like to make sure I have all the tools handy before I embark on this journey lol

Did you see page 1 of my above pdf ?

Plus,  not sure of any differences with your 1.8 US model,  perhaps some useful info on your Toyota US sites/forums ?

[Kazteel]

1 hour ago, oldcodger said:

Think you were very unlucky there, that said, seems there are now lots of complete driveshaft assemblies on the market for about £50, as another forum member reported and fitted recently.

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/186002-driveshaft-advice/

 

Did you see page 1 of my above pdf ?

Plus,  not sure of any differences with your 1.8 US model,  perhaps some useful info on your Toyota US sites/forums ?

I will do, thanks for your help guys! Much love!

[tooSavvy]

ToyotaNation has legion data on the 'humble Crolla' m8

2sav

[Kazteel]

Well I'm in the process of working on the car, however the mounting bracket near the exhaust is extremely hard to get to, I've gotten 1 of the 3 bolts out, the other 2 are so jammed on that I cant break them loose with the little clearance I have and thats the ONLY thing keeping me from opening up the gear box and getting to the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel. Any advice on how to get this damned thing done? lol

[oldcodger]

First thing is to give them a good soak with a good quality penetrating fluid, preferably overnight.

Might sound obvious but there are some fluids better than others, found PlusGas to be one, but not sure if thats around in your area.

If its the bolts I think you mean, mine uncracked ok, but as you say space is so limited you almost have to turn them one spanner flat at a time, hence me saying in the pdf,  a ratchet spanner would probably be a lot easier once you have them moving.

You could use some form of spanner extension, in extreme circumstances I have saw off the other end to allow an extension tube to be fitted or you could try the two spanner method - just google/ ytube,

Also try adjusting  the jacking support height to relieve the weight from those bolts / the bracket

[Kazteel]

Thx OC. Finally got the gearbox out and to my surprise my pressure plate is flat as a pancake. The springs....don't exist anymore lol anywho time to work overnight on this so I can make it in to work tomorrow lol I'll keep y'all posted. The first picture is of the bracket I was struggling with. And the second picture as you can see. Pressure plate springs non existent. Lol what a crap show this has turned out to be. Oh and just to show you guys. Doing this all in my garage with stands lol

[Kazteel]

Me like a dumbass didnt take note what side the tab was on for the clutch bearing inside the gearbox, does that little tab go inside the forks or does it stay on the outside? I'm gonna be searching for the answer while awaiting one here.

[Kazteel]

Is this the correct way to mount the bearing onto the fork?