replacing throwout bearing

[mike]

i have a 87 2wd 4.0L 5-speed, not sure what type the tranny is, here's the problem. when pushing in the clutch the bearing sounds like it's grinding and squealing, but the clutch works good. when the clutch is out there is no noise so i'm sure the bearing is shot. i know it has a internal slave cyl. as the line goes into the bellhousing. how hard is it to replace? i have never done that yet and was wondering if it's better left to the tranny shop. i have lots of tools and a garage but never had to mess with a manual before. thanks in advance.

[mjeff87]

That depends on what your definition of hard is :D but you can save alot of cash if you do the work yourself.

 

In a nutshell, you have to pull the tranny off the back of the engine to replace the TO. While you're in there, you might as well replace the clutch assembly and pilot bearing too, since 90% of the work to get to it has already been done.

 

Probably the hardest part of the job is accessing and removing the two top bellhousing bolts. They are also a special type of bolt head, an external torx, and you'll need a special socket (E12) to remove them. I'd suggest you replace those bolts with regular hex head bolts when you reassemble it. Basically, the job goes like this:

 

-jack up and block the rig as high as safely possible

-remove shift lever from top of trans

-remove driveshaft (plug end of tranny housing to prevent gear oil loss)

-disconnect speedometer cable, CPS, and the backup light switch harness

-disconnect the clutch hydraulic line at fitting outside of bellhousing

-remove starter (on 4.0L only)

-jack under the tranny and remove crossmember bolts, remove Xmember

-lower tranny/engine carefully and remove jack (check engine fan to radiator clearance

-unbolt the bellhousing bolts

-carefully pull tranny off of engine with a helper or tranny jack and set aside

-replace TO with new unit, plus new hard lines

(replace clutch assembly and pilot bearing)

 

Put it all back together in reverse order, bleed the clutch system and road test

 

HTH,

Jeff

[Pete M]

And if you say it reeeeal fast, it almost sounds easy. :D I highly recommend replacing the upper bolts with long studs. It helps with aligning the tranny when reinstalling.