doing clutch need help! LT1

[TraceZ]

The pilot bearing. How does it come out? Forgot to ask. Pull hammer? Special tool? I would like to replace it with the new one from SPEC.

wet toilet paper.


I'm not kidding. if you hammer enough wet toilet paper into the cavity behind the pilot bearing the hydraulic pressure will force the bearing out. I've done it and it works great.

Start by getting a socket that just fits in the bearing. Put a short extension on it. pack it tight with wet toliet paper so the face is hard. Use a plastic bowl and get lot more wet toilet paper.

Take the bowl and tools out to the car along with a hammer. place wet TP in the pilot bearing hole until it is full. Insert the socket and hit it with the hammer until it compacts the TP. Add more TP and repeat until the pilot bearing litterally falls on the floor.

It sounds crazy, but it works very well!

[N20LT4Bird]

wet toilet paper.


I'm not kidding. if you hammer enough wet toilet paper into the cavity behind the pilot bearing the hydraulic pressure will force the bearing out. I've done it and it works great.

Start by getting a socket that just fits in the bearing. Put a short extension on it. pack it tight with wet toliet paper so the face is hard. Use a plastic bowl and get lot more wet toilet paper.

Take the bowl and tools out to the car along with a hammer. place wet TP in the pilot bearing hole until it is full. Insert the socket and hit it with the hammer until it compacts the TP. Add more TP and repeat until the pilot bearing litterally falls on the floor.

It sounds crazy, but it works very well!

hmmmm........ ill have to try that next time.

[raroZ28]

wet toilet paper.


I'm not kidding. if you hammer enough wet toilet paper into the cavity behind the pilot bearing the hydraulic pressure will force the bearing out. I've done it and it works great.

Start by getting a socket that just fits in the bearing. Put a short extension on it. pack it tight with wet toliet paper so the face is hard. Use a plastic bowl and get lot more wet toilet paper.

Take the bowl and tools out to the car along with a hammer. place wet TP in the pilot bearing hole until it is full. Insert the socket and hit it with the hammer until it compacts the TP. Add more TP and repeat until the pilot bearing litterally falls on the floor.

It sounds crazy, but it works very well!

Tracy, this better not be a gag! I'll feel like a jackass if it doesn't work.

Been at work since 7, still have 4 hours to go. Can't wait to get this job done. flywheel has been resurfaced.

[soCalTA]

If it doesn't work .. then you have your own home made handy wipes while you are down there trying to get it out

[TraceZ]

Tracy, this better not be a gag! I'll feel like a jackass if it doesn't work.

Been at work since 7, still have 4 hours to go. Can't wait to get this job done. flywheel has been resurfaced.

No gag, it's for real! I thought the same thing the first time I did it, but then it actually worked!

[MN6WS6]

The TP trick does work. Craziest thing I'd ever heard of but it does the job.

[wrd1972]

wet toilet paper.


I'm not kidding. if you hammer enough wet toilet paper into the cavity behind the pilot bearing the hydraulic pressure will force the bearing out. I've done it and it works great.

Start by getting a socket that just fits in the bearing. Put a short extension on it. pack it tight with wet toliet paper so the face is hard. Use a plastic bowl and get lot more wet toilet paper.

Take the bowl and tools out to the car along with a hammer. place wet TP in the pilot bearing hole until it is full. Insert the socket and hit it with the hammer until it compacts the TP. Add more TP and repeat until the pilot bearing litterally falls on the floor.

It sounds crazy, but it works very well!

What he said!!!
It never failed once, the wet paper seudo-hydraulic like pushes the bearing out. You will be amazed how much wet paper you will hammer into the hole.
Absolutely no puller required.

[Sean 94z28]

Redline D4 ATF

[raroZ28]

All finished. I was suprised at how easy it was to do this clutch. There were a couple of snags. I wouldn't recommend the toilet paper thing, that wasted a couple hours of time. I ended up going to autozone and renting the pull hammer. It's free, clean, and makes it take literally about 15 seconds.

Only problem was this.. I put in the trans, and it felt like there was a brick under the pedal. The release fork wasn't going onto the T/O bearing. DOH! So I had to pull the trans, just to turn the T/O bearing 1/8" so it lined up. I am not used to a car like this. Still pretty easy though. Trans is pretty heavy, heavier than it looks. I did it myself with just a floor jack. A strong shoulder really comes in handy

[TraceZ]

All finished. I was suprised at how easy it was to do this clutch. There were a couple of snags. I wouldn't recommend the toilet paper thing, that wasted a couple hours of time. I ended up going to autozone and renting the pull hammer. It's free, clean, and makes it take literally about 15 seconds.

Only problem was this.. I put in the trans, and it felt like there was a brick under the pedal. The release fork wasn't going onto the T/O bearing. DOH! So I had to pull the trans, just to turn the T/O bearing 1/8" so it lined up. I am not used to a car like this. Still pretty easy though. Trans is pretty heavy, heavier than it looks. I did it myself with just a floor jack. A strong shoulder really comes in handy

Why didnt the wet TP trick work? I know of many people that do it that way and nobody has problems. Sorry it didnt work for you, but I've never heard of it not working before.

[MN6WS6]

Since Autozone has their rent-a-tool program where you get a full refund if you bring the tool back, it's just a lot easier to use that. I guess after about the 20th roll of TP, it gets kinda expensive

[raroZ28]

I could see how it would work, but I'd rather just take the trip to the autozone. There are like 3 of them that are less than 10 minutes away in different directions.

This SPEC Stage 3 is crazy. It just wants to grab. At first I couldn't drive it and I thought something was wrong, but I'm used to it now. This is NOTHING like a stock clutch. It grabs the flywheel and wants to bite. I thought it would be more streetable than it is, but I'm happy with it. It'll take 700 ft lb's, so I don't know why I expected it to feel more like the stage 2 in my other car.

I'm happy. Thanks for all the help guys.

[Joe 1320]

just a floor jack. A strong shoulder really comes in handy

I am able to do it without the floor jack... I think it's easier without it in the way.

[raroZ28]

I am able to do it without the floor jack... I think it's easier without it in the way.

You're right, I know what you mean. With limited room though the jack does help some. If I had a lift, I would pick it up and slide it in, but I couldn't get under the trans enough to lift it. It would sandwich me inbetween the ground and the bottomof the car or something. Too awkward of an angle.

80 miles on the new clutch. couple hundred more and I'll be ready to race tomorrow. Might be kinda foolish to race it so quick, but I'll probably put another 200 on it today, and then a few tomorrow. I've driven all stop and go. Construction zones, streets, etc... So that should make up. I know a lotta people that break it in with a lotta highway driving, with just everday stop and go. I have gone outta my way to stop and go, which I hate doing. But I want this thing broken in good before tomorrow.