Clutch job - 89 Civic - Need Advice

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Cogito

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I'm going to have to get the clutch in my 89 Civic (126K miles on it) replaced soon. Its been slipping a little for a while, but recently seems to be getting much worse. The car is the 4WD Wagon model with the D16A6 engine, not the smaller 1500 cc engine found in most of the other Civics of that year. It has the standard 6 speed manual trans that came with the 4WD model that year.

I am assuming that I should get the clutch plate, pressure plate, and throwout bearings all replaced, is this right? Someone mentioned a 'pilot bearing', but I don't know what that is, has anyone here ever heard of it? I've got the Service Manual and don't see it mentioned? Can you guys recommend a good brand and fair price for these parts? Also, what is a fair price to pay for the labor on this? Any advice is appreciated.
 
Yes, replace all those and the pilot bearing!! You might also have to resurface the flywheel wif it is burned from the slipping clutch. The pilot bearing (or bushing in some vehicles) is pressed into the center of the flywheel and supports the tip of the transmission input shaft. When you sit a a stop, in gear, with the clutch depressed, this bearing is working as the flywheel is spinning but the input shaft is not.
 
No might about it when it comes to getting the flywheel resurfaced. It is a must to do the job right.
 
Quote:

No might about it when it comes to getting the flywheel resurfaced. It is a must to do the job right.

Click to expand...

Does that just involve milling it down like brake discs?
 
Any good clutch kit will come with a new disk, pressure plate, pilot bearing and throwout bearing all as a package for under $130 bucks. Luk is a good quality replacement set.
 
I'm doing a clutch on my friend's subaru next weekend. We went ahead and bought a resurfaced flywheel from Advance Auto. It's pretty tough around here to find a machine shop to turn a flywheel on a weekend. We didn't want to have the car out of service for more than a day or two, and we didn't want to risk having to put the car back together with a substandard flywheel. I think it was around $35 with a $35 core.

I assume you're pulling the engine given it's a 4wd. If so you may also want to think about anything that you'll be removing that might be due for replacement. We're also doing the timing belt, plugs, exhaust gaskets, studs, and nuts, rear main seal, thermostat, air filter, fuel filter, PCV valve, oil separator plate, taking a look at the starter solenoid contacts, and replacing tranny and rear diff lube. Some of these are subaru specific items, I would look on a honda forum for more specific advice.
 
out of curiosity, how much does a new flywheel cost? its not like getting replacement rotors from autozone, but then again, I assume that a flywheel doesnt have as much thermal loading on it (unless youre really bad at driving stick
smile.gif
).

Is there a benefit to replacing vs. resurfacing flywheels? I always just replace rotors, not turn them...

Thanks,

JMH
 
I prefer to just replace the flywheel if possible,it depends on how much material was removed but turning can give a weak feel to the clutch if its at the min thickness.The ring gear is also replaced with a new flywheel possibly eliminating issues down the road.Also this would be a perfect opportunity to replace the rear engine seal if its the type pressed in from the rear and front tranny seal.IMO whenever a large unit is disassembled its a good time to take care of the other parts that could fail so you don't have to remove it again.Invest a few more $$ for a quality long lasting repair.
 
FWIW I do not always resurface flywheels when replacing a clutch, nor do I always turn rotors and drums when doing brakes. I do always scuff up the surface though with sand paper or a power sanding wheel. I only turn rotors if they are warped or scored. I have had machine shops resurface flywheels incorectly, that is not perfectly flat, then it all has to come apart again so it can be done right. If there is not serious heat checking, a sanding is all it needs.
 
I just got a quote from a repair shop that I have used previously that seems to do good work. They said $950, P&L, to do it. This included a clutch kit and resurfacing the flywheel. The guy said there was 7-8 hours of labor involved and around $200 in parts. I was pretty shocked. Are these guys even in the ballpark?
 
Buy a good manual, find a friend who is car savy, and make a weekend project out of it. It's just nuts and bolts. There are a couple of tricks though, and that is where the car savy friend comes in. Treat your friend to a prime rib dinner and you'll still be about $600 bucks ahead!
 
Quote:

FWIW I do not always resurface flywheels when replacing a clutch, nor do I always turn rotors and drums when doing brakes. I do always scuff up the surface though with sand paper or a power sanding wheel. I only turn rotors if they are warped or scored. I have had machine shops resurface flywheels incorectly, that is not perfectly flat, then it all has to come apart again so it can be done right. If there is not serious heat checking, a sanding is all it needs.

Click to expand...

Can you tell by looking whether there is serious heat checking? Is it common for machine shops to screw up a flywheel resurfacing?
 
I read years ago that if you must have a flywheel resurfaced make sure it is done with a "Blanchard Grinder" and not just chucked in a lathe- IIRC it makes a big difference in surface accuracy.
 
Local places around here want about $90 to turn a flywheel. For my 88 Mustang GT, a new flywheel is about $115.

I think I'll pay the extra money for a new one..
 
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