I finally got round to doing the clutch so thought i would summarise the job for others out there:
Special tools: number 7 or 8 "Ribe bit" male tool (see below and link), Clutch aligning tool, 36mm socket with slim walls/end ground down a bit (driveshaft to hub nuts), big crowbar/lever with an assistant to reconnect hub to strut, large hex key to remove the gearbox oil plugs.
Optional tools: 2 or 3 jacks, garage with pit/ramp, tracking tool, long series 6mm Alan key on socket or standard allan key with a length of pipe
consumables: 2 LARGE hose clips, clutch kit (pressure plate will probably need replaced too, see below).
The job itself:
- remove the battery and battery box.
- remove clutch slave cylinder (on top of the gearbox)
- remove gear selector cables by removing the retaining clip and popping the ball joints off the G'box.
- remove big hose connecting intercooler to inlet manifold
- drain the gearbox: Requires a LARGE hex tool. check you can remove the fill plug before you remove the drain(!). fill plug located on the front of the box, drain on the bottom corner on the end.
- undoo the central hub nuts:
This requires a 36mm socket with slim walls. the nut is recessed into the tappered hub centre. I had to grind the walls down on the end of a socket for this job. Also, drive a screwdriver or similar into the "dings" on the nuts which lock them. put the wheel studs back into the hub to stop the brake disk turning, get someone to push the brake pedal and unscrew with a LONG bar on the socket.
- remove the front section of exhaust
- remove the passenger drive shaft from the hub then undo the 6mm cap head (alan key) bolts retaining the inboard end of the driveshaft. use a lever against the sub frame to stop the shaft rotating.
- remove the drivers side shaft by undoing the 3 small hex head bolts, aligned axially, on the central steadying bearing and pulling the shaft out of the gearbox and the central bearing at once.
- remove the passenger wheel arch liner
- support the engine and remove the passenger side engine mount and rear engine mount.
- move the engine down enough the clear teh gearbox out the wheel arch and forward as far as you can
- remove the starter (its a real pig to get the top bolt out)
- undo the bolts in the bellhousing and remove the gearbox (i placed it on a flat trolley with two jacks on to ease aligning the spine later.
Using the ribe bit tool (see link above. It looks like a torx key but with square section teeth rather than triangular section teeth), which i think was a number 7 or 8, slacken the clutch from the flywheel. you may be able to use the torx bit as these bolts were not tight at all on my car and ribe bits are not all that common.
replace the clutch (with alignment tool), thrust bearing and friction plate. the levers on the friction plate will probably be quite worn from the thrust bearing as the hydraulic clutch keeps a constant pressure on the mechanism, even when the clutch pedal is not activated wearing a contact groove into the levers. Is your clutch biting very close to the floor? this part is worn!
tie up the pressure sensor that is near the end of the block to keep it out of the way.
refit the gearbox, adjusting the jacks to aid in aligning the spline.
refit the starter before attaching the engine mounts. the extra room down the back of the engine while it is forward is important for this.
refit the rest as removed, replacing damaged hose clips and threadlock and lubricate as appropriate.
This took me the best part of two saturdays as i work pretty slow and carefully and i had to wait for my dad to be available at the points where two people are required (removing the gearbox, refitting the gearbox, connecting the driveshafts and connecting hubs to struts).
barring sheared bolts, oil seal failures etc two people should easily manage this in a day.
