How to Replace a 97 Elantra Clutch
The clutch is an important safety feature in your 1997 Hyundai Elantra. If the clutch was to fail in traffic you would be stranded on the road without the ability to engage the gears and drive. The lack of drive power could cause traffic jams and worse, strand you in the middle of the highway. The clutch consists of a drive disc and a pressure plate that wear out over time. Replace the clutch drive disc and pressure plate when the shifting becomes choppy.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 2 car jacks
- Engine jack
- Transaxle jack
- Socket wrench set
- Open faced wrench set
- New drive disc
- New pressure plate
- Clutch disc alignment tool
- Ring gear holder
- Shop rags
- Rubber gloves
- Breathing mask
- High temperature grease
Instructions
-
-
1
Using car jacks raise the front end of the vehicle. Remove the lug nuts of the front wheels with a tire iron. Lift the wheels up and off their dowel pins to remove them.
-
2
Slide and engine jack underneath the oil pan and raise it until the engine's weight is on the engine jack. Remove all wires and hoses from the transaxle. Use a socket wrench to remove the drain plug on the transaxle and drain the transmission fluid.
-
-
3
Place a transaxle jack underneath the transaxle and raise it until the weight of the transaxle is on the jack. Remove the retaining bolts of the transaxle with a socket wrench and carefully remove the transaxle from the vehicle. Slowly lower the transaxle jack and slide it away from the engine checking for any wires or hoses connecting the transaxle to the vehicle.
-
4
Insert a clutch disc alignment tool into the splined hole of the clutch disc assembly. The assembly can be found on the back side of the engine block on top of the flywheel.
-
5
Use a socket to unfasten each of the six pressure plate mounting bolts a little at a time and in a criss cross fashion. Move slowly to avoid warping the flywheel. Remove the pressure plate and drive disc off the flywheel with your hand.
Installation
-
6
Clean surface with brake cleaner and a shop rag. Some of the dust inside a clutch assembly can contain asbestos so wear a breathing mask for this operation.
-
7
Place the new drive disc with the 'flywheel side' facing the flywheel. Place the pressure plate over the top of the drive disc and make sure that the alignment marks match and the clutch disc alignment tool is in the splined hole. The alignment marks are white letters written on the edges of the flywheel and pressure plate.
-
8
Tighten the six pressure plate bolts finger tight while the clutch assembly is aligned. Use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts, two turns at a time, in a criss cross fashion. Tighten the bolts between 11 and 16 foot pounds.
-
9
Use a high temperature grease to lubricate the center of the clutch disc assembly and slide the transaxle back into place. Insert the clutch release bearing into the middle of the clutch disc assembly and re-install the transaxle.
-
10
Replace the wheels, remove the engine jack and transaxle jack. Lower the vehicle by removing the car jacks.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Some clutch discs are made of asbestos. Use a breathing mask when removing old clutch components.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
