I remember now why I hate imports so much.........

[Bamamav]

Wife's Uncle burned out the clutch in his 06 Nissan Frontier pickup, guess who got volunteered for the job? Yep, yours truly. Wife said, save him some money, which it did, he was quoted $800 to put the clutch in. Now I know why. What a PITA! This thing has fought me ever since I got it in the shop. Started on it Wednesday after I had just had to put a starter on my Freightliner, another fun job. Got it pulled up on my ramps, then went to jack it up to put the rear on the other set of ramps. Cheap floor jack wouldn't even pick the rear end up, I should have know it was starting to fail. Had to break out the 20 ton bottle jack.

Next afternoon, started dis-assembly. Got down to three nuts in the crossmember I couldn't break loose with a 17 mm deep well 12 pt socket. Quit until Friday. Got in early Friday, so went to buy a 6 pt 17 mm deep well, parts store was out of them, but the owner let me borrow one of his. Got the last nuts off and carried his socket back. Pulled the tranny back and let it set on the crossmember. Got the pressure plate and clutch disc out, then layed eyes on the stupidiest looking flywheel I've ever seen. This thing is what is called a "dual mass" flywheel, it's actually two pieces joined by some kind of spring hub shock absorber. Worse yet, this thing is held on by Torx bolts! I hate Torx bolts! I had a T-50 and a T-60, neither fit, so it was a T-55. Quit until today.

Went to parts store, bought a Lisle T-55 tool. Brought it home, and promptly broke it! Trash! Cast metal! Carried it back and got my money back. Had to drive 15 miles to county seat and go to Oreilly's and get another one, this time a different brand. I bought two just in case. It did the job without breaking. Got old flywheel off, new back on, new clutch installed. Changed out throwout bearing with new one, then couldn't get the damn clip back on. Spent a hour fighting with it until I finally just pulled the clutch arm off and put it all together, took 5 minutes. Felt stupid. Then started trying to put tranny back in place.

Fought with that POS all afternoon. Had floor jack under it on a piece of board to get it high enough. Get it nearly together and the tranny would roll off the jack. Decided to make a "V" shaped piece to go on the jack to keep the tranny on it since there isn't a flat place on it to jack. Put it on, then the jack wouldn't work anymore. Fling the POS into the yard.

After supper, Pa in Law comes over to give me a hand. After a few unsuccessful tries, I come up with a new plan. No, not gas and matches, although that did enter my mind. I took a ratchet strap, hooked it to the frame, up through the door, down through the shifter hole in the floor, back up and out the other door to the frame on that side. Tightened the ratchet, it pulled the tranny up into position. With a little help from a long pry bar, got it close enough to start the bottom bolts. Carefully pulled the units together a bit, then put in upper bolts and sealed the deal. Whew. What should have taken about 8-10 hours has taken nearly a week. Still have to put the rest of the stuff back on tomorrow after I get back from loading the truck.

Sorry for the long winded post, just needed to vent a little. I've cussed more in the last two days than in the last 10 years. I'd rather take a a$$ whooping than fool with a import. Stupid designs that take forever to figure out what you're doing. So far, he's only spent $400 on parts, don't know what my labor will be yet, what ever he pays I guess. I don't mind helping friends or family out like this, just as long as it's not a import or FWD. This is the first one that has ever taken this long to do. And I hope it's the last......

 

[Hollow65]

I feel your pain. I worked for vw. Same flywheel deal and a whole bunch of other over engineered garbage. Special tools were needed for almost every major job. Not tools you can buy at the parts store either.

 

[junker39]

I feel for you Bam. But, it's not just the imports. Some of this crap they make here is totally crazy. One of my older friends, he's 73, had a headlight bulb go out on his 0 something Caddy. I said, no biggy, I'll change it out for ya. Right!!. According to the book, to do it right, first, pull the entire grill and front bumper cover. Then pull the inner fender and inside bracket. What?? For a bulb? I loosened what I could, of the headlight assembly, and took a pry bar and pried it out far enough to get some long handled needle nose in and turn the socket and pulled the thing up far enough to change the bulb. It took about an hour that way. I bet the dealership would get at least three hours labor to change that bulb. I decided right there not to volunteer any more work until it's researched real good. So, remember, it's pretty much ALL newer vehicles that are a PITA, not just imports.

 

[Hollow65]

I'll help on an old car, anything '00 and newer forget it. They're computers on wheels. I have all the tools but I lack all the patience. It's only going to get worse I'm afraid. Good for you to help out though. It's like helping someone move, never fun and rarely will you get paid back.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I've done hundreds of clutches, hated every one. I'd rather get ran over by a car than lay under it anymore.

 

[39flatback]

Yep, that's the way they have all gone. Make it so only the stealerships will be the ones who can work on them.

 

[CR55]

I've done hundreds of clutches, hated every one. I'd rather get ran over by a car than lay under it anymore.

[cl[cl

I'm feeling your pain Bamamav..Working on a hot rod or something similar is way different cause you can simply lay your tools down and walk away, but when it's a daily driver or someone else's, it seems to be an endless series of misadventures!

 

[smallfoot]

Gentlemen....I believe this could be the major reason for building your own. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Very careful consideration is going into every aspect of mine to bypass all that cussing in the future...the older I get, the less apt I am to putting up with the BS!

 

[Dirtyrat]

Sorry for your frustration, sounds like with a couple tools you didn't have it would have went more smoothly, including a trans jack...

 

[Tripper]

Like the old saying goes... "No good deed goes unpunished"! [ddd

Exactly why I don't work on other peeps cars!

BoB

 

[Bamamav]

I feel for you Bam. But, it's not just the imports. Some of this crap they make here is totally crazy. One of my older friends, he's 73, had a headlight bulb go out on his 0 something Caddy. I said, no biggy, I'll change it out for ya. Right!!. According to the book, to do it right, first, pull the entire grill and front bumper cover. Then pull the inner fender and inside bracket. What?? For a bulb? I loosened what I could, of the headlight assembly, and took a pry bar and pried it out far enough to get some long handled needle nose in and turn the socket and pulled the thing up far enough to change the bulb. It took about an hour that way. I bet the dealership would get at least three hours labor to change that bulb. I decided right there not to volunteer any more work until it's researched real good. So, remember, it's pretty much ALL newer vehicles that are a PITA, not just imports.

Yep, wife's cousin has a Chevy HHR. She had me change a headlight out in it, I had to Google to see how......you take out the inner fender liner to get to it!

 

[Bamamav]

I've done hundreds of clutches, hated every one. I'd rather get ran over by a car than lay under it anymore.

I prefer to just pull engine and tranny as an assembly, but this thing has so much junk on it it would take even longer.
This is the third clutch I've did for him over the years, all on Nissan trucks. First two weren't too bad, the third one he owned he sold just before it had to have one. I think this will be my last one to do for him.

 

[Toad]

Yep, wife's cousin has a Chevy HHR. She had me change a headlight out in it, I had to Google to see how......you take out the inner fender liner to get to it!

Reminds me of the good old days when you had to loosen the motor mounts and jack the motor up to change spark plugs on some of the 70's cars!

Toad

 

[Bamamav]

Sorry for your frustration, sounds like with a couple tools you didn't have it would have went more smoothly, including a trans jack...

Yeah, I have lots of tools that almost never get used, and the T 55 Torx is an odd size that didn't come in the set of Torx that I have. As far as a trans jack, I only need one about every two or three years, I usually just pull motor and trans together. I've never had any problem just using a floor jack when needed, but then again, I've never had a round trans without a flat spot to jack on! A trans jack is one of things that would just be in the way gathering dust most of the time. But, it might have made it easier. The best thing to have had would have been a two post lift and a trans jack, but unfortunately, I don't see that in the near future, if at all.......

 

[rustybeercan]

A trans jack is one of things that would just be in the way gathering dust most of the time.

I agree, I've never owned one and will just rent one if I ever need to. Not high on my tool list at all.

Beercan

 

[Willowbilly3]

Yeah, I have lots of tools that almost never get used, and the T 55 Torx is an odd size that didn't come in the set of Torx that I have. As far as a trans jack, I only need one about every two or three years, I usually just pull motor and trans together. I've never had any problem just using a floor jack when needed, but then again, I've never had a round trans without a flat spot to jack on! A trans jack is one of things that would just be in the way gathering dust most of the time. But, it might have made it easier. The best thing to have had would have been a two post lift and a trans jack, but unfortunately, I don't see that in the near future, if at all.......

You never done one on a 70s Chevy 4x4 with the married cast iron T-case, especially the full time? 800 pounds of lopsided awkward that you couldn't balance on a jack (or two) no matter how you tried. Plus the exhaust crossed over right under it and you basically had to cut that apart and weld it back together. They always came in caked in mud. I doubt if the Nissan could be much worse. 2 things I won't do, even for my own mother, do a clutch job or move. Even my best friends have had plenty of warning, if they ever decided to move, don't ask me to help.

 

[Country Misfit]

I quit working on "newer" stuff a long time ago.Like Smallfoot said,I guess that is why I like Ratrods.

 

[timbo]

All flavors of late model cars and trucks are a pain to work on. Newer GM vehicles have to reflash the computer if you replace a window switch. I will stick with my old but still running and dependable cars/truck.
Tim

 

[JBailey]

You never done one on a 70s Chevy 4x4 with the married cast iron T-case, especially the full time? 800 pounds of lopsided awkward that you couldn't balance on a jack (or two) no matter how you tried. Plus the exhaust crossed over right under it and you basically had to cut that apart and weld it back together. They always came in caked in mud. I doubt if the Nissan could be much worse. 2 things I won't do, even for my own mother, do a clutch job or move. Even my best friends have had plenty of warning, if they ever decided to move, don't ask me to help.

Haha. Yes! I had an '81 3/4 that I traded for, had a 400 SB and turbo 400 and cast t-case. Heavy awkward and dirty lol. Not nearly as bad as the clutch I did in my brothers 95 ford escort though and it wasn't as bad as Bam had it. It took me eleven hours straight of cussing and throwing tools around in my garage before I finally whipped it.

I feel your pain Bam!

 

[440shorty]

Oddball and late model

When I was working on cars full-time, the boss would assign me the foreign and domestic odd ball difficult jobs and give the gravy to the other guys. At first, I loved the challenge. Later on it grew old. Now I am glad I don't work on cars for a living.

Those challenging jobs made me a much better mechanic, though.

440shorty