pwrtripls1

I am about to order a new clutch as soon as I find out which one. lol I want to know if its an easy swap to do in my garage. I only have basic tools mostly, ramps, and a tiny cheap floor jack. No real help to speak of either so it would be just me. So is it worth just paying someone $400 to do it for me?

Alwaysworking

i had my trans out many times and its easy to do, i also use a floor jack, but with a flat plate on it with some chain hooks on it to chain it down, i also put some 1/2 inch wood stakes (use for concrete forms) under the trans cause its kind of round on the bottom.
in my opinion its only worth paying someone when you dont have the time or smiply cant do it. it also helps to have a bottle jack to jack the frame up on one side once the trans in down on the floorjack, that way you dont have to pull the trans off the jack under the truck

12valve@heart

I've done my own in a gravel drive twice. Not fun but doable.

Ramps probably won't be high enough. I use Harbor Freight 6T jackstands set as high as I can get them and it's still hard to get the tranny out from under the truck on the jack. How do you feel about bench pressing 200#s?

big stinky

What he said...
Other than that its easy. I think the hardest part for me was figuring out which way the crossmember and tranny mounts went back in.

roughstock

I'd check around, the last few shops that I had change out clutches, did it for about $150, they had a lift at their shop. Its not imposssilbe to change out in a driveway with jackstands and a jack. Ive done it before, but not with a heavy NV4500

pwrtripls1

If it only weighs 200# then I can do that with one arm. lol I've done alot of gas truck clutches and even my LS1 camaro in an apartment parking lot, just thought the cast iron case getrag weighed like 400# or something stupid. What do you tq the new flywheel and pressure plate to?

pulltilbroke

Piece of cake

Takes me about 30 minutes to drop it and about an hour to put it back in

That is with power tools of coarse

GLHS

I am taking my tranny out tonight. Yes, it's about 200#.
If a 4x4 truck I just place a 2x6 under the front tires for a little more clearance.
It seems to take just as long to remove/replace the flywheel and clutch as it does the tranny and transfer case.

CaptainChrysler

A 2wd makes it even easier.

Flywheel is 101 ft/lbs.

PP is 18-20 ft/lbs. (they're only like 5/16 bolts)

Do it yourself and put the $400 towards a better clutch or whatever.

I don't really like promoting made in china stuff, but this style jack works great with the shape of the 'rag.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=39178

deerslayer1979

I wish I had shops like yours around here! When I had me clutch done it cost me $1100!!! They freakin charged me 8hrs labor, since I found the clutch for him. My dad picked the truck up and paid for it with our joint "scrap iron" account, so I didn't even have the chance to ask him why it took twice the time a normal tech gets ( I have a friend that works in a dealership that gave me the flat rate numbers), which is 4.5hrs. If I would have had a place to do it that wasn't in the way I could have done it faster than that using hand tools!!! Oh well at least I got a nice Valiar clutch put in.
DS79

90firstgen

It's a real PITA to do it yourself. Definately have to have a jack to get the frame up high enough to get the trans out. and that trans is one heavy beast. Two of us had a hard time getting it to my tailgate. Air tools and 2 really long extensions with a wobble joint make the bell housing bolts easy work. Its all straight forward though.

GLHS

I wish I had people like you around me.

I'll do clutch or tranny installs for a bunch less.

deerslayer1979

It would not have been that much had I picked the truck up! I knew it only takes 4.5hr to R&R a tranny, and would not have paid that bill. He is overpriced and I think he has screwed my dad and others more than once. Unfortunately they don't want to hear that, so continue to go there. It sucked cause I could have used the leftover money to do a 4" exhaust on my truck.
DS79