Clutch Kit install?
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2013
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Clutch Kit install?
Hey fellas long time no talk I have a question I just picked up my new clutch set and I am not sure weather to attempt to install by myself or pay someone everyone around here (Houston,Texas) wants 300^ I feel like that is insane, considering how easy these trucks are to work on it is a 1981 F150 Straight Six, 3 with an over drive
Thanks in advance for y'alls help!
Thanks in advance for y'alls help!
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Haysville, KS
Depends on your skill set and available equipment.
You tell me;
Drop Driveshaft (or shafts if 4x4)
Drop Xfer case if 4x4
Remove transmission
Remove fork / throwout bearing
pull off pressure plate
pull out clutch plate
Remove and replace pilot bearing
Reinstall clutch plate (use clutch alignment tool)
Reinstall pressure plate
replace thowout bearing and fork
Reinstall transmission
Reinstall xfer case if needed
Reconnect drive shafts
Is $300 insane??
Doing it on a lift is not too bad. Doing it in your driveway can be a real pain.
Not hard, just heavy and time consuming.
That said, I've done all the restoration work on my '63 F100 by myself (engine hoist and gantry crane) including pulling bed, cab, hood, front clip, xfer case, transmission and engine. Put it all back by myself as well.
Challenge is a relative term...
You tell me;
Drop Driveshaft (or shafts if 4x4)
Drop Xfer case if 4x4
Remove transmission
Remove fork / throwout bearing
pull off pressure plate
pull out clutch plate
Remove and replace pilot bearing
Reinstall clutch plate (use clutch alignment tool)
Reinstall pressure plate
replace thowout bearing and fork
Reinstall transmission
Reinstall xfer case if needed
Reconnect drive shafts
Is $300 insane??
Doing it on a lift is not too bad. Doing it in your driveway can be a real pain.
Not hard, just heavy and time consuming.
That said, I've done all the restoration work on my '63 F100 by myself (engine hoist and gantry crane) including pulling bed, cab, hood, front clip, xfer case, transmission and engine. Put it all back by myself as well.
Challenge is a relative term...
New User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Had my tranny out in about 1.5 hours by myself on the grass... do it yourself and save that money. Its not hard if you have any mechanical skills at all. Have a little faith and pull out your toolbox. If you have questions just ask this group has a lot of people that are willing to answer any question you have. Just take pictures that you can resort to if needed.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,006
Likes: 72
From: Roseville, MN
If you can urn a wrench the only challenging part(s) is removing the transmission (and transfer case if 4x4). Neither is technically challenging, but without the right jacks they are HEAVY. I've done it with fairly lightweight trannies by benchpressing them in, but I wouldn't recommend that. Even with light trannies I think I was risking injuring myself.
I've rented a transmission jack (for about $80!) and it wasn't a lot easier with that. I didn't have the right cradle or whatever to hold the tranny in place, so it was tough to get it positioned correctly without it falling over.
I've rented a transmission jack (for about $80!) and it wasn't a lot easier with that. I didn't have the right cradle or whatever to hold the tranny in place, so it was tough to get it positioned correctly without it falling over.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,636
Likes: 5
From: Orlando area
Honesty - if you have to ask, have someone else do it. No offense. This is not a starter project. Do you own a torque wrench?
An experienced mechanic will do the job right and may find other things you need to know about or fix (that you wouldn't see/know looking at it).
An experienced mechanic will do the job right and may find other things you need to know about or fix (that you wouldn't see/know looking at it).
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
Honesty - if you have to ask, have someone else do it. No offense. This is not a starter project. Do you own a torque wrench?
An experienced mechanic will do the job right and may find other things you need to know about or fix (that you wouldn't see/know looking at it).
An experienced mechanic will do the job right and may find other things you need to know about or fix (that you wouldn't see/know looking at it).
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Haysville, KS
The hardest part is always dealing with the transmission. They aren't too tough to get out, but stabbing them back in, especially by yourself, can be interesting..
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Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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I'd say get a buddy and learn how to do it yourself. 300 isn't a ridiculous price for the shop to charge, but if you can learn how to do it on your own, think of what else you could be doing with that money. Furthermore, I always feel a sense of accomplishment when working on my own truck and learning new things, and I for one refuse to take anything into the shop when I have the tools to do it on my own.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
A transmission jack is DEFINITELY necessary to reinstall the thing (at least in a reasonable amount of time). Those jacks allow for minute adjustments of fore-aft, left-right tilt, angle - all of which is exceedingly important in getting it all back together.
$300 isn't unreasonable IMHO (my Taurus SHO was $1,400) and you'll have the confidence & security knowing it was done correctly if you choose to go that route (assuming the mechanic knows what he's doing) and you can do something else with your time.
But there's a certain satisfaction that comes from doing it yourself.
So, it depends on what your values are....
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