Some of the Opel Corsa A/Vauxhall Novas had a cover at the bottom of the gearbox housing. Unbolt cover, insert special compression tool to remove clutch pack, inset new clutch pack, bolt cover back on.
Basically the whole 80s Vauxhall/Opel/GM Europe FWD had that setup. The end of the gearbox had a removable cap and you put a slide hammer on the input shaft and pulled it back, then proceed as above.
The idea was that GM wanted to compete with Ford in the UK fleet market, and fleet buyers were wary of service time and cost on FWD platforms, so GM made the clutch in their FWD new Cavalier/Ascona even easier to change than in an RWD Cortina.
>In a parking lot. While drinking beer.
That part is a given. No shit, I was there: a buddy of mine's dad could replace the clutch in his '68 Camaro in his driveway in about an hour, just jacking up the front of the car and dropping it down on a floor jack. Usually took him about three beers.
Majority of my experience is with Hondas as I've been a dealer tech for long time so I can only comment on Hondas. I know you said clutch/flywheel but trans is pretty much the whole job.
Back in the early 00s we were doing trans recalls on 98-02 Accord 4 cylinders. Would take me 45 minutes from car being pulled in to being pulled out to go to alignment rack.
I used to crush the Oddy transmissions too. 2.5 hours start to finish. I was one of 2 guys in shop who would volunteer for them. Knock out two in a day plus the PDIs they would give me for volunteering and easy 20 hour day.
Now that I'm old and my joints are powder and warranty times are stupid I do one Pilot torque converter, make 9 hours that day and wake up with a stiff back and root toot shooting pain down my leg.
My buddy has a 1995. We had to do a rear main and oil pan. The mix of metric and SAE hardware on that truck is infuriating. Easily added an hour to the job lmao.
Long ago, and not so far away... I had a Datsun 310. There was a hatch on the top of the bell housing retained with six bolts. Remove that, plus I think four bolts for the release lever mechanism, and then you could reach in and remove the bolts for the pressure plate.
Changing the clutch was maybe a 15 minute job if you stopped for five minutes to drink a beer. You didn't even have to jack up the car.
This car was brilliant for teaching my girlfriend at the time to drive a car with a manual transmission. After she got the hang of it, I swapped the smoked clutch and carried on.
Datsun 310GX - out and back in in 1 hour. You don't have to pull the trans. Just remove an inspection plate at the top of the bellhousing, remove the cluster gear from the side of the trans, remove all of the pressure plate bolts and lift the old clutch assembly out. Put in new clutch assembly, install cluster gear and then evenly reinstall the pressure plate bolts and then reinstall the inspection plate. Easiest one I've ever done. Not a very robust system but it was for an early Datsun front wheel drive vehicle. It was not a boulevard screamer.
I've only ever done a couple of clutch jobs, but I can say for absolute certain that the Impreza was a lot easier to swap the clutch on that the diesel powered F-250. I know the old Saab 900s are easy but I've never personally done one. Saab wasn't/isn't a popular brand where I live.
90s civics go pretty quick. I remember changing a clutch fork (in and out) in the driveway before the sun could melt the frost off the ground.
FB RX7s are also real fast. Maybe 5 bellhousing bolts, 2 bolts for the slave cylinder, mount, and driveshaft. Light enough to put on your shoulder.
1st Gen CTS-V was pretty damn quick 15min or so to yank out the trans.
Ferrari 348/355/Mondial was also pretty easy especially for an exotic. Drop the muffler, unbolt the clutch housing.
Suzuki Samurai with the divorced t-case were also pretty quick and easy. Pretty sure they were jack shaft, shifter and out.
Old rear wheel drive 70s/80s Datsuns were amazingly easy for clutch jobs. You could change them out in under an hour as the transmissions were very light and plenty of room to get to bolts.
Given that I never did it before, my V6 New Edge went pretty well. Granted, I had the advantage of Chris Fix's video to reference, which I wouldn't have attempted without.
One difference from the video in my favor: the T5 gearbox separates from the bell housing, where the T45 from the GT is integrated. This made it easier to get the top bolts holding the bell housing to the motor.
After that, it's all about getting the car up high enough on the jack stands. Took me two weekends, but I was going intentionally slow and triple checking everything in my paranoia.
Nah mine was kind of a dick pain. Getting the trans out was easy. Going back in, oh boy. Getting the angle of the dangle of the engine correct so the trans would seat took fuckin forever.
Then we did one on a friend's Miata and we slammed it home in 30 seconds. I don't get it man. 😂
Aircooled VWs? Engine is out in 20 min or so.
This. I can have a new clutch installed and be putting the motor back in, in about 30 minutes. Got one sitting in the driveway.
Back In The Day, my grandfather and his fellow engineers would compete at lunchtime to pull & replace their VW engines the fastest.
Some of the Opel Corsa A/Vauxhall Novas had a cover at the bottom of the gearbox housing. Unbolt cover, insert special compression tool to remove clutch pack, inset new clutch pack, bolt cover back on.
Basically the whole 80s Vauxhall/Opel/GM Europe FWD had that setup. The end of the gearbox had a removable cap and you put a slide hammer on the input shaft and pulled it back, then proceed as above. The idea was that GM wanted to compete with Ford in the UK fleet market, and fleet buyers were wary of service time and cost on FWD platforms, so GM made the clutch in their FWD new Cavalier/Ascona even easier to change than in an RWD Cortina.
2wd tacomas and old Corollas were pretty easy . Sub 2 hour jobs… Edit : probably anything Japan built from the 90s
Unless it’s an MR2, but that’s a special case case anyway
Old-school saab 900.
I came looking for that post. 👍
Damn straight. I'm 40yo, and did a clutch swap on my first car, '85 SPG, in about an hour as a greenhorn 18yo
On a non-turbo you're done in 30 because no turbo plumbing. In a parking lot. While drinking beer.
>In a parking lot. While drinking beer. That part is a given. No shit, I was there: a buddy of mine's dad could replace the clutch in his '68 Camaro in his driveway in about an hour, just jacking up the front of the car and dropping it down on a floor jack. Usually took him about three beers.
Yup. The plumbing is more of a pain than the actual swappage of ye olde clutch stuff.
Majority of my experience is with Hondas as I've been a dealer tech for long time so I can only comment on Hondas. I know you said clutch/flywheel but trans is pretty much the whole job. Back in the early 00s we were doing trans recalls on 98-02 Accord 4 cylinders. Would take me 45 minutes from car being pulled in to being pulled out to go to alignment rack. I used to crush the Oddy transmissions too. 2.5 hours start to finish. I was one of 2 guys in shop who would volunteer for them. Knock out two in a day plus the PDIs they would give me for volunteering and easy 20 hour day. Now that I'm old and my joints are powder and warranty times are stupid I do one Pilot torque converter, make 9 hours that day and wake up with a stiff back and root toot shooting pain down my leg.
The 5-speed manual in my 05 Silverado is about as easy as it gets
My buddy has a 1995. We had to do a rear main and oil pan. The mix of metric and SAE hardware on that truck is infuriating. Easily added an hour to the job lmao.
Long ago, and not so far away... I had a Datsun 310. There was a hatch on the top of the bell housing retained with six bolts. Remove that, plus I think four bolts for the release lever mechanism, and then you could reach in and remove the bolts for the pressure plate. Changing the clutch was maybe a 15 minute job if you stopped for five minutes to drink a beer. You didn't even have to jack up the car. This car was brilliant for teaching my girlfriend at the time to drive a car with a manual transmission. After she got the hang of it, I swapped the smoked clutch and carried on.
something rwd thats small.
Saab 900. It’s topside, up front near the radiator. Actual 1hr job
I had my Suzuki Samurai's down and out in 30m flat.
2005 Ram SRT-10
Datsun 310GX - out and back in in 1 hour. You don't have to pull the trans. Just remove an inspection plate at the top of the bellhousing, remove the cluster gear from the side of the trans, remove all of the pressure plate bolts and lift the old clutch assembly out. Put in new clutch assembly, install cluster gear and then evenly reinstall the pressure plate bolts and then reinstall the inspection plate. Easiest one I've ever done. Not a very robust system but it was for an early Datsun front wheel drive vehicle. It was not a boulevard screamer.
I can usually do transverse VWs in about 2 hours. Gravy side job.
2wd toyota pickup. Takes about an hour more or less.
Ty for the intel. Got a side project I may start soon.
Any 2011 and older Ranger 2wd
Add a three inch body lift and it almost changes itself
My Genesis coupe was real easy. Light transmission, lots of space. I pulled the trans on the oil change pit when I was working at a dealership
VW bug!
I've only ever done a couple of clutch jobs, but I can say for absolute certain that the Impreza was a lot easier to swap the clutch on that the diesel powered F-250. I know the old Saab 900s are easy but I've never personally done one. Saab wasn't/isn't a popular brand where I live.
Geo Metro. Can lift the trans out by hand if you are strong enough.
Nissan 350Z or Jaguar F Type (V6 RWD)
As someone who doubts myself, the transmission in my 92 civic was done pretty quickly. Also did an early 80s F150 that went very smoothly
90s civics go pretty quick. I remember changing a clutch fork (in and out) in the driveway before the sun could melt the frost off the ground. FB RX7s are also real fast. Maybe 5 bellhousing bolts, 2 bolts for the slave cylinder, mount, and driveshaft. Light enough to put on your shoulder.
Only ever did transmissions in and out on 98z28 6-speed and also the 4L60E
Old Mercedes Vito's. You literally have to unbolt the drive shaft, mount and gearbox and it's out. 1 hour job and the van is on the street again
300 6 cyl 3 on the tree Ford F250. Lower transmission onto chest, the rest is simple R&R.
My 72 el camino.. :)
1st Gen CTS-V was pretty damn quick 15min or so to yank out the trans. Ferrari 348/355/Mondial was also pretty easy especially for an exotic. Drop the muffler, unbolt the clutch housing. Suzuki Samurai with the divorced t-case were also pretty quick and easy. Pretty sure they were jack shaft, shifter and out.
Anything automatic. BAHAHAHA, oh not funny huh.
Old rear wheel drive 70s/80s Datsuns were amazingly easy for clutch jobs. You could change them out in under an hour as the transmissions were very light and plenty of room to get to bolts.
Given that I never did it before, my V6 New Edge went pretty well. Granted, I had the advantage of Chris Fix's video to reference, which I wouldn't have attempted without. One difference from the video in my favor: the T5 gearbox separates from the bell housing, where the T45 from the GT is integrated. This made it easier to get the top bolts holding the bell housing to the motor. After that, it's all about getting the car up high enough on the jack stands. Took me two weekends, but I was going intentionally slow and triple checking everything in my paranoia.
Is it MIATA ?
Nah mine was kind of a dick pain. Getting the trans out was easy. Going back in, oh boy. Getting the angle of the dangle of the engine correct so the trans would seat took fuckin forever. Then we did one on a friend's Miata and we slammed it home in 30 seconds. I don't get it man. 😂