new clutch?

[toddao]

I've got the judders when taking up drive in first. I know this can be mountings ( how do I check this?) but if it is the clutch ( mine is a 1.9D n/a)

Is this engine out?
Timescale and difficulty?
Any special tools needed?
Other jobs to be done while engine is out?

Any advice gratefully received. Cheers

[cauchoiskev]

Since none of the clutch out-and-in in 4 hours boys have got back to you yet, Todd, here is my experience as a 1-time on-my-lonesome clutch changer on a 19D :

Is this engine out? No
Timescale and difficulty? A good weekend ; hard.
Any special tools needed? No (except a centering device if you don't get one in the kit)
Other jobs to be done while engine is out? Up to you mate. The gearbox mount might be a good idea, though.

Good luck ; it's a great feeling when you've done it !

[AndersDK]

Other jobs to be done while engine is out? Up to you mate. The gearbox mount might be a good idea, though.

Replacing he octopus

[m_2975]

I've got the judders when taking up drive in first. I know this can be mountings ( how do I check this?) but if it is the clutch ( mine is a 1.9D n/a)

Is this engine out?
Timescale and difficulty?
Any special tools needed?
Other jobs to be done while engine is out?

Any advice gratefully received. Cheers

Hi Toddao,

I was going to leave this post to some of the more Diesel experienced members of the forum but since none have come forward I can give you advice that will be reasonably accurate but is primarily based on a Petrol BX. Having a similar block and mountings in the same place I don't see why the advice I give you won't work.

To do the clutch will take you a good day to do or might even be a weekend if you are cautious.

It isn't the easiest jb in the world due to lifting the gearbox but apart from that it's not that bad.

I recommend before you start that you get yourself a genuine or a valeo clutch kit. They seem to be the best ones i've found. Make sure that when you order it you get the right one as there are a few different types, particularly when it comes to the thrust bearing.
To my knowledge there are two thrust bearings commonly used on a BX. There's the type that is hooked onto a clutch fork that enters the gearbox from the front of the car and has a funny "L" shaped mechanism and then there's the type that is hooked onto a vertical rod within the gearbox. The latter is the newer type and the former the older type.

I'd also recommend that you change the clutch cable if it hasn't been done since the last clutch as the last thing you want to be doing is changing the cable a week after the clutch. It also helps to make the clutch feel soft and smooth; as it should be.

If you have the older type clutch mechanism I recommend a new clutch fork too and if you have the newer a set of bushes.

Firstly you'll need to put the front of the car up on stands; reasonably high ones as you need to get the gearbox out the bottom. Don't put the car on ramps as you need to take off the wheels. Once on stands put the car right down.

Take the wheels off and then drain the gearbox by the diff plug. Loosen the two little bolts that hold the right driveshaft into the lower engine mount and the remove them. Those little bolts can be a pain as it's slow going under there, they are long bolts!

Then remove the split pin on each driveshaft nut cover (the cover is that round thing in the middle of the brake disc). Take the cover off and remove the nut. Can't remember what size but I think it's 25.
You'll need to devise something to stop the brake disc from spinning (mostly the hand brake will work) and then a heavy duty extension bar onto the 25 socket. Undo the big nut (it's always VERY tight; I stand on the extension bar and jump normally) on both sides.

You'll then need a puller to take the lower ball joint off. Simply undo the ball joint nut (under the brake hub) and then sandwich the puller in, hook it under the bolt and tighten. You will get a big bang normally when it comes off. Then simply lift the brake hub and strut off the wishbone and pull towards you to pull out the drive shaft. It might be a bit stuck so you might need to get under the car and pull the shaft out of the diff. You might also experience a bit of tension on the shaft that goes though the lower engine mount as it can be tight.

Once you've done that you should now have the drive shafts out!

The gearbox might drop a bit of oil from the diff ports but that can just be mopped up.

From underneath or leaning over the engine disconnect the gear linkages. Make sure that the car is in neutral when you disconnect to make it easier. Get an 8 or 10mm spanner under the ball joint and pull upwards. Should just pop off. All you need to take off are the ones that go onto the gearbox (two of them)

Remove the flywheel cover plate from under the car next to the sump.
If it's the same as on our petrol cars you will need to take the accumulator sphere off to get to the last bolt! Don't worry though because you have to take all that out anyway!

Depressurise the hydraulic system by opening the bolt on the pressure regulator one full turn. Then proceed to take off the accumulator sphere and then remove the pressure regulator and the flow divider. By this time you'll be covered in LHM as it dribbles out of all the pipes.

Next you need to disconnect the clutch cable and take the battery out (and the plastic battery tray if you have one). There's also an earth strap to remove that's attached to the battery clamp. Under the battery there is a rather long bolt. This is the mount bolt for the gearbox.

Prop the engine up with a jack under the sump closest to the gearbox and lift the whole engine ever so slightly to get the weight off the gearbox mount.

You'll then need socket to go down and remove the nut. Once the nut is loose you need to undo the two smaller bolts holding the rubber mount in place and remove the rubber bit completely.

Some people then remove the bolt that's in the gearbox to make it easier to get the gearbox out. Me personally do just that.

Following that you need to prop up the gearbox with a stand or I normally tie a rope around the gearbox and hook that onto the engine crane so I can easily lower the gearbox down later. Make sure that the rope is just taught enough so that the bolts won't bend as you remove them.

Take the bottom gearbox bolts out first and then the top ones. All the time you should be checking that the jack hasn't moved and that the gearbox is held properly and in line with the engine.

Once all of the bolts are out you should be able to pull the gearbox sideways away from the engine, making sure that you don't bend any pipes and/or break something. Lower it down and move away.

The under the car again you should be able to take out the (13mm I think) bolts that hold the pressure plate in place on the flywheel. Remove the old pressure plate and clutch plate.

If you had shuddering of the clutch before you need to make damn sure that the flywheel, new clutch plate and pressure plate do not get any oil on them!

You'll need to clean up the flywheel by gently using some emery paper and gently rubbing the surface of the flywheel right around in an "up, down" motion. This get the excess oil and dirt off. Make sure that the face is smooth and avoid touching the flywheel cluch surface at all. Same applies for the pressure plate surface and the clutch faces themselves.

To put the new clutch on you need to use the locating pin to hold the clutch face in place and then put the pressure plate over the top. Make sure that the locating pin is in straight and bolt the pressure plate in tightly and I recommend using a bit of loctite on all the bolts. You don't want it coming undone! Leave the locating pin in until the last minute to ensure that it's all straight.

Next you need to prepare the thrust bearing. Take the old one out and throw away!

If you have the old setup remove the fork and clean it with petrol or replace with a new one if you have. They have a tendancy to bend

Make sure that the ball joint is well greased when you pop it on.
Slide the thrust bearing on and hook it onto the fork.

Toddao, if you're still reading and interested to do it this will need TO BE CONTINUED ..............by me

I've been writing for an hour on this now.

[docchevron]

OR:
Save yourself the headache, drive the car to Stroud, I'll do the clutch in 2 hours, then we can go get pi$$ed.
Jobbed.

Oh, and you'll need to remove the cross member (only 3 bolts) under the box since it's a Mk1.

[m_2975]

OR:
Save yourself the headache, drive the car to Stroud, I'll do the clutch in 2 hours, then we can go get pi$$ed.
Jobbed.

Oh, and you'll need to remove the cross member (only 3 bolts) under the box since it's a Mk1.

Well you could do that except that he's a bit far away for that mate.

Ah yes, Mk1 with the cross member. Forgot that there was one of those down there!

[docchevron]

I duno, he very kindly drove here just to cook me a veggie burger!

Hows this for a plan!
Todd brings car to Callais. I come over on the ferry.
Then we put car on the ferry to England, and we do the clutch on the way over!

[M]

I come over on the ferry.
Then we put car on the ferry to England, and we do the clutch on the way over!

You will get shot for trying something like that! The Ferry Gestapo will be patroling the car decks, besides you have seen how close they make you park
Not even a rizla betwixt you and the one in front.
Do it on the car park at Callais, then go to the local Hypermarche and load up both boots with duty free and get leathered when back in Blighty.

[Way2go]

You will get shot for trying something like that! The Ferry Gestapo will be patroling the car decks, besides you have seen how close they make you park
Not even a rizla betwixt you and the one in front.

Not only that you are excluded from the car decks while the boat is in motion!

But hang on a mo Doc has a PSV license so along with the coach drivers he probably has special priviledges to gain access and have blind eyes turned where us lesser mortals would fall at the first hurdle.

[docchevron]

I can get away with murder on teh ferries!

I did a clutch at the side of the road once, a busy main road, never had any tools or parts outside the width of the car.
But then I'm good

[mike st gilles]

With a PSV licence you might be able to do an 'Italian Job' type thingy where you could get the BX in the Coach and do it there!

[docchevron]

Thats not a bad idea actually!
I have in stock a knacjered old Leyland Tiger coach that is about to be transformed into a spray booth to do the valver in!

[MULLEY]

Anybody rate VECO clutch kits? I know everyone bangs on about valeo & luk as being the best, but are these one's good 2nd best one's?

[jeremy]

Most of us don't enjoy doing things like clutches and so will use tried and tested parts and trust that we never have to do the job again.

I don't think I've heard of Veco before and was surprised to find they are a British company.

http://www.motortrader.com/25014/VECO-H ... CHES.ehtml

It seems that old stock is to be avoided at all costs and the fact that their website doesn't seem to work is not very impressive. Curious that Google throws up a French one that does seem to work.

[MULLEY]

That'll be a NO then , thought i would ask, anything to save a few pennies....