Need mucho advice on replacing clutch in 53 m38a1

I am not a mechanic. Only experience with clutches was 30 years ago helping my father change out clutches in a couple of Chevy PU’s. We dropped the transmission and replaced the disk. My military manual mentions pulling the power plant. I don’t have the equipment to do that, nor do I care to. Can someone point me to or provide step by step instructions for clutch replacement by removing the transmission? I looked through the posts and see that some people remove the crossmember (or perhaps just unbolt it from the frame ) and drop the transmission and transfer case together. Others recommend lifting the transmission through the floor. What is the best method?

I’ve known the clutch was going out for a few years now. It was starting to slip a little so I adjusted the clutch to get a better bite. (Slipping started when one son and friend played Rambo Jeep all weekend.) After adjustments, it occasionally slipped but with kindness and not placing the jeep in a bind, it has lasted a few years. Last time up, my 14 yr old son and 13 yr old cousin drove the heck out of the jeep. This time it drove about 600 yards and then stopped moving. All connections are still there. I adjusted the yoke all the way out and the clutch still did not grab.

Parts: I understand that the easiest solution is to replace everything, pressure plate, disk, throw out bearing , pilot bushing (if there is one???, hell I don’t know). In the 2 experiences I had, all we replaced was the disk. Never had any problems. What do you all think? Do I really need to replace the pressure plate? Bearing is not making noise. The old bearing might last longer than the new ones you get now. (don’t know, just guessing). Would like to keep the cost down. It is a brush jeep.
Knowing the clutch was on its way out, a few years ago, I bought a clutch disk for $25from a guy on ebay who evidently has a large lot of them. I later bought some wheel bearings on ebay which turned out to be Chinese made and did not fit the way I expected them to. Now, I am hesitant to use the cheap clutch disk. Has anyone had experience with these ebay clutches?

 

Do you have the mechanic's manual? I don't have a copy for the M38A1, nor do I know where to find one, but the Jeep CJ-5 manual will give you the same procedure.

Re what parts to replace, how much is your time worth? You can replace just those parts that look worn, but if you guess wrong, you have to invest a lot of additional labor to correct your mistake. Usually you replace everything inside the bellhousing when you replace the clutch: friction disk, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bushing. Plus any other parts that look worn, such as the throw-out arm and pivot. If you're short on cash, you can replace just the friction disk and throwout bearing, but I'd think that's the minimum investment you could make.

Whether the modern parts are as good as the vintage parts, I'd rather have a new Chinese TO bearing than reuse the original. Look for USA-made parts from well-known manufacturers, or ask for specific recommendations. Some of the import stuff is good, but Omix-Ada stuff in particular seems highly variable.

M38A1 manuals: http://www.m38a1.com/Resources/manuals_reading.htm

CJ-5 manual (one source of many): http://thejeep.com/shop/TECH+MANUAL...%252F6+L%2526F+HEAD++JEEP+SERVICE+MANUAL.html

 

A complete clutch is the way to go. If you skimp you will likely be back there. The reason they say pull the motor is because it is the easiest way. To remove the transmission, you need to remove the transfer case and the drive shaft. In some cases the exhaust needs to be loosened or removed. Make sure you clutch kit has an alignment tool in it. You can use a spare pilot shaft to align the clutch. The main thing is proper alignment.

 

Plus you get the chance to replace the motor mounts.
And everything will probably line up easier putting it all back together.

 

Thanks for the replies.

How much harder than a 70’s Chevy Pick Up is it to swap out a clutch on an old jeep?

I agree, I would not think about changing the clutch without a jack or hoist of some sort. I’ve been keeping an eye out for a transmission jack I can sort of rent. You know, buy it, use it and then sell for small loss.

I want the operation to be as least drastic as possible. I thought that dropping the transmission would be less of an operation than pulling the engine. Am I wrong? Motor mounts are ok. I don’t want to invite an opportunity to replace them, or the exhaust, or radiator hoses.

For those reasons, I quit reading the military manual when it said remove the power plant.

I’ve read that the easiest way to get to the clutch is to use suspend the transmission and Tcase with a hoist going through the interior of the jeep. Has anyone done this?

Am I just wrong in not wanting to pull the engine? I greatly appreciate all opnions. Even those that tell me that my ideas are … well lets just say: off the mark. I am just trying to learn something here and this site has been great in the past.

 

If the truck was 2wd then it was a fairly simple job. On a 4wd you have another drive shaft and the transfer case plus the transmission. The old 4 banger has very little holding it in and not much electrical. Even with modern vehicles some like to pull the engine. I do clutches when I have too. I have a trans jack and still the transfer case doesn't like sitting on it. I have pulled the transmission and transfer case together. Quite unwieldy. Your local rental center might have a trans jack to rent. I have used mine enough to have paid for it several times in rental fees. The same with the engine hoist.

 

leave the engine alone...pull the trans and transfercase
use a trans jack or something similar
support the engine from underneath

 

Ive been through both scenarios quite a few times with my jeep. Id try lowering your trans/transfer case as one unit. You can do it alone if your careful. It would be safer to have a helper hold the two on the jack as you slide it back and down. Hey once you do it a couple times it should only take a half day from start to finish. Just have fun with it!

 

:iagree: One more drive shaft isn't that big of a deal.

 

x2

I used a transmission jack from Harbor freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-capacity-transmission-jack-39178.html

Get a 20% coupon out of jp magazine, or one of the other jeep magazines.

 

One thing that is not mentioned is the fact that from the sound of it. You will be needing to have the flywheel surfaced. When you get to the point of using the unit until it quits functioning there is damaged to the flywheel. Also it might be as good a time to change out the rear crankshaft seal. Back in good ol' days it was nothing to replace the clutch disc, nowadays I replace all the parts so I don't have to do it over again.

Ed :tea:

 

+1

Once you support the back of the engine with a jack, remove the crossmember bolts and lower until the crossmember is just free of the frame. Then remove the crossmember, transfer case, transmission, and bell housing. Replace clutch. Reverse steps to assemble.

I would do all this with the Jeep up on jack stands under the axles, just for better access. But there is enough room to do it with the Jeep sitting on its wheels.

All these pieces are light enough that you can muscle them down by hand. If you have a floor jack, you can remove everything as an assembly.

 

Thanks for the advice. I am looking for a transmission jack now.

Would I be crazy to use the jeep's winch, together with a couple of pulleys and a decent beam in the barn, to hold up and then lower the transfer case and transmission? Alignment might be difficult on the re-install? Has anyone done this? Probably best to stick with the transmission jack.

Are those cheap Harbor Freight $75 transmission jacks with the scissors worth messing with?

 

Eric, I see that you used the jack I was talking about. I take it that the jack did not give you any trouble?

 

It worked fine for me. I've used it to pull a T-90, T-14 and sm420. It's got a nice nylon strap and ratchet to secure the transmission to the jack.

 

I just got done doing the clutch/Pressureplate/TO in my Wagon - same procedure. I do not have a tranny jack - supported the engine from underneath, dropped the driveshafts from the transfer case, split the T-Case from the T90 (Make sure you do the wire trick on the the transmission - or you might loose all your gearing out the back of the tranny). then pulled the T90. I did not use a jack, i just muscled the parts individually, and i left the cross member in place. Its not tough, i did it in about 6 hours with hand tools and muscle.