99 Pathfinder Clutch Replacement Help

[7river]

Hi
I just bought a 99 Pathfinder and looking for feedback on how hard the clutch job will be to do myself on the ground (have use of garage). Any videos or pointers?
planned on getting the excedy oem clutch kit.
It is 4x4

I am ok with auto mechanic work but this is my first clutch
Thank you for any help

[disallow]

is it 4wd? You have to drop the transmission. If its 4wd that is a little more difficult.

[7river]

Yes 4x4
forgot there was 2x4 option.

Have you done a r50 before?

[disallow]

I have not done an R50. My experience is on an old Cutlass, as well as a 87 Honda Prelude. I would imagine the transmission and transfer case are a little heavier on a truck, so you'd have to be sure you could drop both safely.

SMJ could probably weigh in with some specific experience.

[7river]

Thank you for reply
I didn't actually drop the money for it yet, seems like a good deal and I'm on a budget. Just getting nervous because can't find any threads or videos on a clutch job for R50. Surprising. Maybe they normally don't go bad.

This was owned by a 25ish girl(only owned by her and sister) who said when leaving intersection rpm climbed and exceleration died and she smelled burning rubber. Not sure if it could be slave cylinder. Piston moves when peddle pushed but don't know how much it should. I don't hear any engagement.

[disallow]

If you are getting no engagement at all, that is weird. The clutch pressure plate could be broke, or the friction material could be so worn down it won't engage. If the cylinder isn't making a racket and you have decent pedal action, I wouldn't suspect that.

The burning rubber is the friction material burning up.

t

[7river]

wouldn't pedal action just be the master cylinder. Does the slave make noise or effect pedal action?
Never worked on clutches and had no issues on mine so still getting familiar.

[Hooligan]

It's not all that difficult of a job IF, you have the right tools. The hardest part is agonizing over how difficult it might be. You will absolutely need a transmission jack on wheels. If you can't borrow one they're only about 75.00 at Harbor Freight. You will need to remove both driveshafts first. Remove the tranny and transfer case as a unit. The transmission is perfectly balanced under the crossmember so, that's where you put the jack. Remove the two bolts at each end of the crossmember and drop the transmission with crossmember attached. You will need a clutch alignment tool. Some clutch kits come with one included. Follow the instructions in the service manual provided on this site, especially the part about the removal of the flywheel position sensor. An extra set of hands is helpful though not essential. The kit comes with a new pressure plate and it's a good idea to rough up the friction surface on the flywheel with some emery cloth or sandpaper in a circular (wax on wax off) motion. A couple hundred dollars to a qualified mechanic is a small price to pay to avoid the hassles and having to buy a transmission jack that you'll never use again.

[7river]

Thank you for the input!
I was quoted $550 labor to do this job. Funny I have a tranny jack I used for my E4OD but it's in another state.
How do you know when the flywheel needs to be removed and turned?

[disallow]

On the flywheel, in my experience it's a game time decision. Have a look at the surface and I'd it looks and feels smooth I'd leave it.

[Hooligan]

I wouldn't leave the flywheel friction surface smooth. You want to break the glaze just as you would rough up the glaze in a cylinder when changing rings. If you feel ripples when sanding then you might consider resurfacing the flywheel. If you see any indication of oil behind the flywheel then you should consider removing it and replacing the rear crank oil seal.
I'd certainly do the clutch job myself to save 550.00.

[disallow]

Yeah thats what I meant, more if there are grooves from the friction plate wearing down to the rivets. It should be fairly smooth to the touch, but like Hooligan said, rough it up a bit.

[7river]

Thanks for the advice.
I had the flywheel turned. Still did not put it back together. I ripped the wires out of the CPS. Didn't see it. So now I need to find a plug with wires to splice.

[IRONFIST]

Hey, the exact same thing apparently happened to my Pathfinder. I lent it to my brother and he said that it just suddenly rev'd sky high and he smelt clutch burning so he pulled over and turned off the engine. I had it towed and it's been sitting on my driveway ever since. I've been getting quotes between $1200 and $1800 to replace the clutch, and might just end up doing it myself too. Do you mind if I ask you how long it took you? Did you find out what exactly broke? I've done lots of clutch replacements but I've never seen one go like this before.

[7river]

I still didn't put it back together. It is a big tranny with the transfer case..54" long!
Most likely I will start putting back together Friday. I will be glad to let you know. If you dont hear from me, check in next week to remind me (4 kids, you tend to forget some stuff)