Gearbox removal question.

[Jesus-Ninja]

OK - we've hit a point at which we're a little bit stumped. The gearbox and engine are sitting at a nice angle, supported on the one remaining OS engine mount and a piece of wood under the block.

All the bolts are undone between the bell housing and the block, but the sodding thing REALLY won't shift. We have the clutch held open, as I understand is required. We've not even managed a crack between the block and bellhousing.

Are we going to have to go in through the inspection hatch and butcher all the flywheel to pressure-plate bolts?

Secondly - how much clearance do we need to slid the gearbox off? As far as I can see the rearmost section (that the NS driveshaft comes from, and to which the xfer box was bolted) looks like it will foul on the big cast iron crossmember (the one that the rack is bolted to)

Any help to avoid anoterh late night would be greatly appreciated. :)

[Nutter_John]

Nick it needs to sit well forward for the rear of the box to clear the subframe (almost to the point where the radiator would normaly sit )

Have you released the release bearing from the cover plate , and check that all bolts are out as it should only be sat on the dowels

[Jesus-Ninja]

Cheers John - so swing it right round on the engine mount?

How do you mean "released the release bearing"? I think I may have misunderstood something here. I thought I just had to disengage the clutch.

[lancerevo3]

is the transfer box unbolted and drive pulled out?

[Jesus-Ninja]

is the transfer box unbolted and drive pulled out?

Yup. By drive - you mean the shaft that runs from the NS driveshaft through the xfer box?

[Nutter_John]

The RB is cliped into the cover plate with a spring clip that sits on the inside of the cover plate , there are two methods to dettach this

1) using a big flat blade insert it through the inspection cover and try and twist it between the face of the RB and the cover plate
2) using a 1/4" driver and a 12mm sockoet undo the 6 bolts that hold the cover plate onto the flywheel through the clutch arm hole

I personally find option 2 is as quick as the other method as it can be hit and mis to snapping the RB free (even broken teeth on the cover plate and the RB still did not unclip )


And yes is it pull the engine forward on the mount to give the clearance

[lancerevo3]

Yup. By drive - you mean the shaft that runs from the NS driveshaft through the xfer box?

thats the fella.i find it much easier to undo the pressure plate bolts through the slave cyc hole and then it will slide off.

[Nick Mann]

One of the NZ members explained how to get the release bearing off in a you tube vid.

But if you are holding the clutch in the disengaged position without unclipping the release bearing form the pressure plate then that will effectively hold the engine to the gearbox.

[Nick Mann]

Not the NZ vid I was thinking of, but this one for the Evo should help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqicDPXugg&feature=related

[Jesus-Ninja]

2) using a 1/4" driver and a 12mm sockoet undo the 6 bolts that hold the cover plate onto the flywheel through the clutch arm hole


We just did this :) Had to cut a 1/4 drive 12mm long socket down, but it was perfect :D

[Jesus-Ninja]

But if you are holding the clutch in the disengaged position without unclipping the release bearing form the pressure plate then that will effectively hold the engine to the gearbox.

Doh - OK, that would explain a lot....

[Jesus-Ninja]

And it's off :)

Didn't help that we found one cheeky little bolt at the last minute.