Hyundai Elantra Clutch Replacement

Q. I've got a 1998 Hyundai Elantra. I

suspect the clutch is about to go, chatters when I downshift. Do you have any good links to sites that have good detailed descriptions of how to replace a clutch on a FWD car? I'm confident I can do the job with the right instruction. If you don't have any sites that come to mind, I do have a few specific questions that would help me greatly. Do you actually need an engine hoist? How do you support the engine? How the hell do you get the transaxle out of the transmission, and front hub? Do you have to drain the transmission oil? (I just replaced mine...) How heavy is the transmission? (I'm thinking like 50 lbs. Do you actually need to use a jack to lower it and hold it in place for re-assembly?) How do you get the transaxle back into the transmission/hub when re-assembling?

I don't need the car every day (I can walk to work) and I'm aware it might take 12 hours or more for myself to replace the clutch.However, the almost $900.00 repair cost (Canadian) is a little heavy for me right now. Seeing as I can buy myself a new kit for about $140.00 and that comes with an alignment tool. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks a lot! Corey

A. You do need to support the engine. There is a special fixture for this, but you can make due with
something like a steel fence post or, at least, a 2x4 laid across the engine compartment using the strut towers to hold it from moving. Then use a chain or stout rope through the engine lift eyes and around the steel post. The transaxle weighs about 80 pounds and standing up with the car on the lift, one man can lift it into place. On the ground, laying on your back, you will want an extra pair of hands to get it in. Re-installing the transaxle can be a little tricky. The splines on the clutch disc have to line up with the splines on the input shaft. Also it is critical that the clutch disc be centered in the pressure plate and pilot hole. That's where the alignment tool comes in. Once the transaxle is out, there is a special procedure for setting up the pressure plate, clutch disc and throw out bearing. The whole Here is the procedure for both: Manual Transaxle Removal: 1. Remove the battery (-) cable. 2. Remove the air duct.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Remove the air cleaner and air flow hose assembly. Disconnect the backup light switch connector. Disconnect the clutch tube and clip. Remove the clutch release cylinder. Remove the speedometer cable.

8. Remove the select cable and shift cable.

9. Remove the starter motor mounting bolts. Remove the transaxle assembly upper connecting bolts. 10. Attach an engine host to the engine hooks. 11. Remove the transaxle mounting bracket and insulator. 12. Lift up the vehicle. 13. Remove the front tire.

14. Remove the under cover. 15. Remove the drain plug and drain the transaxle gear oil. 16. Disconnect the tie rod end, lower arm ball joint and drive shaft. 17. Remove the center member.

18. Remove the transaxle stay. 19. Remove the transaxle rear mounting bracket. 20. Remove the bell housing cover. NOTE: When supporting the transaxle assembly, make sure that the lifting force is applied to a wide area, not to a small localized area.

21. Remove the transaxle assembly lower mounting bolts with the transaxle assembly supported by a jack. 22. Remove the transaxle assembly. Installation: 1. Installation is the reverse of removal. Clutch Cover And Disc Removal:

1. To remove the transaxle assembly firstly remove the air cleaner, joint, mounting bracket, and wiring etc. 2. Remove the release lever. 3. Loosen the release lever nut and washer. 4. Remove the clevis pin and snap ring from the release cylinder. 5. Remove the release lever. NOTE: It is impossible to remove transaxle assembly without doing this step because clutch cover, release bearing and release fork are combined together. 6. Loosen the bolts attached to the release cylinder and remove the release cylinder. 7. Remove the transaxle assembly, after removing each bolt which connect the transaxle assembly and engine.

8. In the state that the clutch cover is attached to the flywheel remove the release bearing using appropriate tool as shown.

9. Rotate the release bearing in the easy direction in order to examine the snap ring.

10. Insert the tool under the wave washer as shown in the illustration and locate in the center of snap ring.

11. Widen the space of snap ring by pushing the bearing as shown in the illustration.

12. The snap ring-widen state is like as shown the in figure.

13. In the snap ring-widen state pull out the release bearing and remove it. 14. Insert the special tool (09411-11000) in the clutch disc to prevent the disc from falling. 15. Loosen the bolts which attach the clutch cover to the flywheel in a star pattern. Loosen the bolts in succession, one or two turns at a time, to avoid bending the cover flange. NOTE: Do not clean the clutch disc or release bearing with cleaning solvent. 16. Remove the release fork shaft and bushing. Clutch Cover Assembly Inspection 17. Clean the dust on the clutch housing using the vacuum brush or dry floor cloth and ought not to use the compressed air absolutely. Check the oil leakage in engine rear bearing oil seal and transaxle front oil seal. If leaky, repair them. 18. The friction surface of pressure plate must be equalized to entire disc surface. If any part is excessive wear at the point of contact, the pressure plate is installed badly. 19. Check the friction surface of flywheel for color change, partial damage, small crack and wear.

Installation:

1. Apply multi-purpose grease to the spline of disc. Grease: MOLYWHITE TA No.2 CAUTION: When installing the clutch, apply grease to each part, but be careful not to apply excessive grease; It can cause clutch slippage and judder. 2. Install the clutch disc assembly to the flywheel using special tool (09411-11000).

3. Install the clutch cover assembly to the flywheel and temporarily tighten the bolts one or two steps at a time in a star pattern. Tightening torque: Clutch cover bolt 15 - 22 Nm (150 220 kg.cm, 11 - 16 ft. lbs.)

4. Align the bearing to the release fork and then install it to the sleeve of housing. CAUTION: Apply multi-purpose grease (Molywhite TA No.2) to the grease groove of bearing sleeve and contact point of release fork.

5. Install the release lever to the release fork. CAUTION: If transaxle assembly is installed to engine without doing this step, release bearing can be separated according as the release fork rotates free. 6. Install the transaxle assembly to the engine.

7. After finishing step 6, pushing the release lever to the arrow mark it is sounded click that the release bearing and clutch cover are aligned correctly. Release lever operating range: 3 or less If the range is over 3 it is a symptom that the release bearing and clutch cover are not aligned correctly. So, push the release lever to the arrow mark one more time. Some of the steps will sound funny. The translation from Korean to English is, at times, quite literal.