Making a Clutch Install a One Man Job

Use a cutoff bolt with a slot cut in it.

Making a clutch installation a one man job might be as easy as some bolts with the heads cutoff. This trick will work for installing the flywheel as well as the pressure plate which is also called the cover assembly.

Check this YouTube video out HERE to see what we mean.

Where this really helps is on flywheels and clutch covers that weigh a lot. If you put these two studs at roughly 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock then you can slide the flywheel or clutch cover on these studs and then start the other bolts without fear of dropping.

You fingers and feet will thank you. If you're not wearing steel toed boots (and that still may not keep you from injury) and you drop a flywheel or pressure plate on your feet....well we don't have to describe how that might turn out.

Of course, in order to truly make this a one man job you may still need a transmission jack and a car lift.

Torin TRA4053 Pedestal Transmission Jack - 1/2 Ton Capacity

Torin QJY230C 2 Post Lift - 7,000 Lbs., Symmetric Base Plate Chain Drive 

 

1998 Mazda B2500 Pickup Clutch Set, Flywheel and Clutch Hydraulic System Installation

This video shows the replacement of the clutch, flywheel, master cylinder and slave cylinder on a 1998 Mazda B2500 pickup.

Upon initial inspection, the clutch master cylinder reservoir was empty which led to the inspection of the slave cylinder which was visibly oily and obviously leaking and in need of replacement. While inspecting the slave it was also noticed that the self adjusting mechanism was at the end of its adjustment which indicated that the disc was worn down and in need of replacement.

While the clutch in this vehicle is pretty standard (other than the factory self adjustment mechanism on the cover), the hydraulic system on this series of vehicle proves to be quite challenging for most mechanics and do-it-yourself folks alike. The things covered in this video are common to many years of the Mazda B-Series and Ford Ranger pickups.

Ways to Increase Clutch Torque Capacity

There are a few simple ways to increase torque capacity in a clutch system.

1) Add friction surfaces. Instead of just one disc, two or three disc clutches are sometimes used.

2) Increase the coefficient of friction of the friction material. The following materials are often used: organic (.25), carbon/kevlar (.28), kevlar (.36), ceramic (.38)  and steel/feramic (.40). As the coefficient is increased clutch grab or chatter might occur.

3) The spring/diaphragm pressure is increased in the cover assembly (a.k.a. pressure plate). The clutch pedal effort will usually increase.

4) A larger mean radius (r) is used. This is also called the radius of gyration. This means generally a larger diameter disc, cover assembly (pressure plate), and flywheel but can sometimes mean that the inside radius of the lining is increased which would give a larger mean radius without changing the overall diameter.

          r = mean effective radius of lining in feet [(inside radius + outside radius) ÷ 2]

Sometimes a combination of all four are used. For example, an Eaton (aka Spicer) clutch for a large 18 wheeler truck can have two discs that have ceramic button discs that are 15-1/2" in diameter with a 2,000 lb cover assembly clamp load.

Related Pages:

Calculating Clutch Torque Capacity 

Clutch Torque Calculator