mechanical guidance

Tappen · March 16, 2011, 08:10:54 PM

Hi there, im currently about to take the clutch out of my truck so i can put a new one in, and i am looking for some guidance on how i should go about this, im going through the tranny, but being that ive never taken a tranny out before i was wondering if anyone could give me advice and input, or even a step by step on how to accomplish it. Its a 1990 gmc sierra 1500, 4x4.

Bills Custom Calls · March 16, 2011, 08:56:09 PM

Tappen
I am gonna make a suggestion here that you get a repair manual for this truck there are alot of steps to take doing this, it should have a hydrolic clutch and you are in for a lesson when it comes time to bleed the air out of the system if your putting the clutch in it is a wise move to put a new slave cylinder in it also.
You need to take the boot off the gear shift that is held to the floor with screws and unbolt the shifter from the top of the tranny.some of those have a 2 part gear shit and you will take that one apart there you will need a tranny jack and you will also need to block the motor so it can't come down also
Take all the bolts out of the cross member under the tranny and the bolts out of the tranny mount in the center of the cross member,jack the tranny/motor up so you can take one side of the crossmember forward and the other side back that is the only way that cross member will come out of there no room to spare and you will get dirt in your eyes and keep your mouth closed while doing this task,disconnect the drive shaft Make sure this truck is blocked wheels chocked before removing the driveshaft.let the tranny and motor back down until it won't come down no further then block motor at this height.
Do Not try to man handle this tranny it is to heavy you must use a tranny jack

FinsnFur · March 16, 2011, 09:01:43 PM

If you've never taken one out before, are you mechanically capable of doing it at all? I'm not saying that to demean you, I'm trying to figure where your knowledge starts and ends with this.

Get a Chiltons book, or do some Googling if your totally in the dark.
It's a fairly big job, and it sucks laying on your back doing it. Trust me. If you have two drift shafts you can eliminate dropping the transfer case, but thats the only positive I've got to mention. And it isnt enough to make the job any more pleasant.
I've done three of them, and I will never do another.

Tappen · March 16, 2011, 09:11:03 PM

No worries jim, i get told alot by my stepfather im dreaming if i think i can do this, and it made me really really wanna do it. and it really is a big job but one im excited to learn from. It does have a hydraulic clutch bill which is where i thought(hoped more so) my problem was when it first happened, i bled them already. my conclusion thus far is that it is my fork and bearing being the problem, as when i bought the truck the bearing rattled around. I had also dissasembled my slave and cleaned it all in new break fluid, everything was still in good shape. so its back now, i reckon tommorow morning i will start. and i dont have a transmission jack so i made a wood platform with sides on it that fits around my tranny and bolted it to my floor jack, and im hoping it works good. I also took a 2x4 and screwed to chucks of 2x4 onto each en which will rest on my fenders where my hood goes which im going to chain somewhere on the motor so it will hold it up, i will also put blocks under it though. So tomorrow i take it apart, see what i need, go get parts and hopefully friday it goes back together. what will i need to do with tranny and tcase fluids?

Bills Custom Calls · March 16, 2011, 09:17:57 PM

Just 3 Jim

You shouldn't loose to much fluid unless you split the tranny and the transfer case

FinsnFur · March 16, 2011, 09:21:44 PM

Your engine should set there by itself, there's another cross member under there. It sounds like your setting it up like we did to pull the tranny on a front wheel drive car.

If it's your throwout bearing, you might, and I can't believe I'm even saying this, but you might be able to swap it without dropping the whole tranny. If I remember right, you might be able to slide the tranny back far enough to reach that.

Oh, and the transmission oil isn't the same as your transfer case lube. The transfer case lube is going to be more like 20/50 or 80/90, you'll have to look that up.

FinsnFur · March 16, 2011, 09:22:37 PM

It was three too many Bill.

slagmaker · March 16, 2011, 11:33:28 PM

Get yourself a Chilton's or Haynes manual. I get one for every vehicle I own wether I plan on working on it or not.

Tappen · March 17, 2011, 11:51:15 PM

one of the bolts on the clamps that hold the ujoint in on my front driveshafts is rounded off, any idea on how to go about getting it outa there?

slagmaker · March 18, 2011, 12:07:25 AM

Erwin makes a set of bolt extractors that will remove a rounded off bolt. But I dont know our exact situation or what kind of cleareances you have where your bolts at.

slagmaker · March 18, 2011, 12:17:33 AM

you got it fairly easy I have to replace the timing chains and tenisioners and all my lash adjusters on my 01 F-150 4.6 liter. Probably be starting on that this weekend.

FinsnFur · March 18, 2011, 12:54:20 AM

Quote from: Tappen on March 17, 2011, 11:51:15 PM
one of the bolts on the clamps that hold the ujoint in on my front driveshafts is rounded off, any idea on how to go about getting it outa there?

Yikes!
Those are 7/16's arent they? Did you round it or was it like that? I guess it dont matter, but if your using a open end wrench...KNOCK it off

You might be able to get a small but good pair of vise grips on the head and at least get it loose. But you better get the torch out and heat the yolk up that it's threaded into so it lets go of the bolt a little bit.

Next time, no open end wrenches, and spray them down with a lil panther piss several times, starting the day before.

Bills Custom Calls · March 18, 2011, 03:59:29 AM

Thats why the make 6 point sockets and wrenches
Take a hammer and punch and smack the head of the bolt get a 6 point socket that fits tight metric or sae one that will take a bit of abuse cause your gonna want ti hit it on there
a bit of heat on the yoke won't hurt a bit GM has been known to use lock tite on those and they can be very stubborn

Panther Piss I haven't heard that for a few years Dad called it that all the time

Yotehntr · March 18, 2011, 11:02:43 AM

Is this the "U" bolt type?... If so it could just be cut off along the straight with a hack saw or cut off wheel, then slide out through the hole...loosen the other side then replace the u-bolt... If it's not a u-bolt you can try using a hammer and sharp chisel to make a notch in the nut... use a dull chisel to spin the nut off.... (glancing blow counter clockwise with the chisel).... If none of the above works there's always drilling it out.

Bills Custom Calls · March 18, 2011, 03:38:00 PM

Brad your out dated man

At work we call them straps they go over the cap and 2 bolts hold each one on, the bolts go into the yoke a clip goes on the u joint cap on the inside of the strap to keep the cap from slipping off if he cuts that strap he will probably have to buy a new u joint in order to get that strap

Tappen · March 18, 2011, 09:51:17 PM

how do i know if i need to get my flywheel resurfaced?

Tappen · March 18, 2011, 09:57:02 PM

Another problem i have is, my dash lights wont work, my shift light, check guages, battery, service engine, and all those lights work, but my speedo oil pres, gas and temp and whatnot doesn't light up, any ideas why?

FinsnFur · March 18, 2011, 11:03:29 PM

Depends on how badly the pressure plate was worn down. If it was wore down enough to expose metal which then grinds on your flywheel, and you drove it a while longer you should get a new one. Depends on how badly ground up it is.
But keep in mind you have it apart now...replacing the flywheel now will be some pretty cheap insurance down the road.

Bills Custom Calls · March 19, 2011, 02:26:22 AM

Look at the flywheel you will see where the clutch disc sets It will be shiny now starting at the outer edge and going towards the center of the fly wheel take your finger and very slowly run your finger across once you get to where the clutch rides you will feel a indent on the fly wheel and then almost at the center you will come back up.Be careful doing this there could be some sharp steel splinters there and those cause blood and hurt for a long time
If the indent is very rough or 15 thousands .015 or more then I would take the fly wheel to the local machine shop and get it resurfaced and there they will be able to tell you if it can be done or if you should buy a new one

You may need to replace bulbs in the dash cluster

I am guessing that you got the bolt out of the drive shaft then

Tappen · March 19, 2011, 10:50:44 AM

yes bill i sure did. i took a nut and welded it on after everything else was unsuccessfull, hurt my hand pretty bad trying to vice grip it off first though haha. And im gunna take my guage box apart today and go get new bulbs, one was burnt out when i bought it, i guess the other could of just went now to