I watched my master mechanic struggle on this job. I watched the guys from Dougherty's struggle with the car on jacks to just check my slave at Pocono (amazing guys...they felt sorry for me and shared some food and drinks...I later went to their shop to have them finish the job for a proper payment....). These are crack race mechanics.... struggle. I don't think this is an easy job..... take Mikelly's advice very seriously and add mine. Unless you are very agile, have a lift to use, AND have many hours to curse...just pay someone who has done it before. I think the experience of doing one in this case is priceless.

When at a dealer, on this job, I think it is fair to insist that it be done by someone who has done it....if possible...or have them guarantee the book time for you. I can see it taking double book if a new person tried it. I'd get that in writing. It is a PITA.

Just my 2c.

 

Thanks for your advise jcb. I am starting to feel too old for this kind of adventure ;-)

 

Having done a few of these it does get easier. The clutch fluid line can be really tight, a nice piece of advice is to get the two wrenches to where you can "squeeze" them together and use scissor-like leverage to break them loose. I've gotten pretty comfortable doing these, and no longer dread them like I once did.

 

great thread. im going to be changing mine soon

 

Step one in this job, LOWER THE MOTOR AND TRANNY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE TRANNY MOUNTS AND MOTOR MOUNTS. That extra room (a good couple of inches) saves a tremendous amount of time and far fewer bashed knuckles....

 

I didn't even bother with the motor mounts. I lowered the tranny mount to the water lines and that was more than enough space for me to get it in. I'm waiting on those little plastic clips so I can address the TSB3001 issue now. I can drive the car, but after a while the pedal feel changes, which tells me I still have air in the system and the union at the green line-to slave- connection is likely sucking air. I'll address all three at once when the other two clips come in.

Mike

 

LOL, hate to laugh, but I'm calling myself "cross thread dez" now for the number of cross threads I've had to fix (that I caused) and am still thinking of one for the stripped bolts and allen heads I've done. Very frustrating.

But at least I'm not the only one. I stripped a bleed bolt on my brake caliper, one of the allens that lets loose the rear bumper, and cross threaded a seat mount, someone else cross threaded one of my wheel bolts. It's pretty funny. Oh and two of my exhaust bolts rusted and broke off when I changed to straight pipes, have to fix those.