How to Repair a 1997 Honda Civic DX Clutch
The clutch in your 1997 Honda Civic DX is comprised of two plates that will wear out and fail over time. The clutch consists of a pressure plate and a driven disc. These components are aligned with the flywheel and situated between the engine block and the transaxle. The plate and disc work to briefly suspend the power linkage between the engine and the wheels so the driver can manually shift gears. To repair the clutch on a 1997 Honda Civic DX, the pressure plate and driven disc need to be replaced.
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Things You'll Need
- Garage lift
- Engine jack
- Socket wrench set
- All-purpose automotive grease
- Breathing mask
- Protective eye wear
- Torque wrench
- New driven disc
- New pressure plate
Instructions
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1
Park the Honda Civic DX on a hard, level surface. Open the hood and disconnect the negative battery cable with a wrench. Raise the entire vehicle using a garage lift.
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2
Locate the transaxle and raise an engine jack to meet it. The transaxle is to the rear of the engine block's flywheel, behind the oil pan. Lift the transaxle housing approximately 1/2 inch so the weight of the transaxle rests on the engine jack.
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3
Use the appropriate socket wrench to remove the transaxle mounting bolts. Start on the side of the transaxle and work toward the center. Safely lower and slide the transaxle away from the vehicle on the engine jack.
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4
Locate the drive disc and pressure plate on the engine block. They sit on top of (and are aligned with) the flywheel by a large dowel pin. The pressure plate is the plate covering all three discs.
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5
Use a 1.25 mm socket wrench to remove the pressure plate mounting bolts two turns at a time, working in a crisscross fashion to avoid warping the flywheel. Lift the pressure plate off the dowel pin and remove it.
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6
Use your hand to remove the clutch disc alignment dowel and the clutch disc from the flywheel.
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7
Grease the center of the new clutch disc with all-purpose automotive grease and align the disc on top of the flywheel. Drive a new clutch disc alignment dowel into the splined hole. Make sure the alignment tool sits in between the ball bearings of the flywheel.
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8
Slide the new pressure plate onto the alignment dowel. Use a 1.25 mm torque wrench to tighten the mounting bolts in a crisscross fashion, starting at 12 o'clock on the plate face. Tighten the bolts to 19 foot-pounds.
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9
Install the transaxle by sliding the jack stand back to the engine. Finger-tighten the transaxle mounting bolts before using a socket wrench to avoid rattles during operation. Lower the vehicle to the ground. Reconnect the negative battery terminal and close the hood.
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Tips & Warnings
Some driven discs contain asbestos. Always wear a protective breathing mask when working with clutch discs.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
