How to: Change Clutch 96-2003 2.2 and 4.3 5speed

[wtbman]

Replacing my clutch in a 1998 Chevy S-10 was a nightmare. I would definetely raise the body if I did it again because the tranny hits the bottom of the body. Probably why so many people have trouble getting it back on because the motor tilts back up. We got it up by prying the engine down and shoving the tranny back on. Now to make things worse I didn't know you should replace the slave cylinder and now the shop is telling me that is why I can't shift well. 2 days of work with my Uncle completely wasted since it would have cost the same to have them replace it all. Now I don't have time to pull it apart again. To top off my day of bad news I got a giant rock chip in my windshield...

[sir dragsalot]

is it any harder to do change a clutch on a 94 dyme that has been bodydropped traditional

[sir dragsalot]

is it any harder to do change a clutch on a 94 dyme that has been bodydropped traditional

[Psychropod]

Quote: Originally Posted by BadS15v8

Mine slid right in with me and my brother (240lbs together) on our back with the crossmember still in and the truck still on the ground (No lift only sitting on stock suspension and 31's). Tranny went right in all the way, flush, with no tightning bolts side to side. No problems at all.

I'm assuming that your truck is a 4x4, because it's sitting on 31's. Am I correct? It's possible that it's easier on a 4x4 truck.

[colgate10]

I just did the clutch on my 98 2.2 manual


1. You do not have the remove the shifter from the cab. There are four bolts holding the shifter down, you can reach them from underneath the truck after the crossmember is out of the way. Taking that shifter boot off from the cab was NOT NECESSARY!!

2. Make sure your new slave is the right height and dimension. (I found out the hard way!)
3. Tie up that clutch pedal, DO NOT let anything depress it and let air into the system!
4. Bleed, bleed, bleed. Its better to take your time and bleed it good once than be stranded on the road because your hurried!

This is coming from someone who assisted and took the time to observe!

[tsayyote]

Thanks for the write up. It worked for me up until I had to get the 2 top tranny bolts. It took me about 30 min to break the driver side loose but with all the fuel lines and crap in the way on the passenger side, I couldn't get the damn thing loose. Had to have it towed to a mechanic.

Of course the bolt size of the tranny to engine bolts is 18mm, which didn't come in my set of sockets. Go figure.

[tntmafias10]

thanks guys this has been tons of help. Right now im preparing my truck to take out the 2.2 and finding a donar to swap it in. And I was also going to just pull the engine with the tranny out, but after reading all your guy's posts i think ill reconsider.

[Reed]

Hi guys, I"m a first time poster here and just wanted to to say thanks for all the info. Very informative.

I recently bought a '97 2.2l w/ 170k mi with a bad clutch. I did not have to buy a manual thanks to S10 Forums.

Anyway, I just got the trans on the ground in about 3 hours by myself. Boy, This was a little tougher than i anticipated even after reading this whole thread. The worst was disconnecting the wiring harness and getting to the upper bell housing bolts. But with a little effort I got them off in no time.

A few things that really helped were:

Someone mentioned not taking off the shifter boot to take off the shifter. I have to totally agree. It was really easy to take off the shifter from under the car.

Someone else said to use a pair of vise grips and a 17mm hex head bolt if you don't have a 17mm Allen socket. Well, I could not find my 17mm oil plug socket but i had plenty of 17mm hex bolts. I did use a small pipe wrench on the hex bolt instead of Vise Grips.

For the bell housing bolts I used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with about a 1.5 foot worth of extensions and a 18mm wobble socket

Did i mention I hate 18mm tools and how there is no American equivalent
I almost forgot to ask, /what is the average life of a Slave Cylinder? Mine is not leaking, but i am on a budget and I really don't have the extra cash to get the slave cyl. Do you guys think i could get away with not changing it or will it just bite me in the ass later?

Anyway, Just want to say thanks and to share my story.

Reed

[MPETESS10]

IT WILL BITE YOU. on my 4.3 I did the clutch at 107k and the slave went 15k later. I just did a clutch on my truck again (long story) 2 years ago at 169k and now with only 11k on the new clutch the slave is starting to act up again.

do it now and save the headache

[Reed]

Quote: Originally Posted by MPETESS10

IT WILL BITE YOU. on my 4.3 I did the clutch at 107k and the slave went 15k later. I just did a clutch on my truck again (long story) 2 years ago at 169k and now with only 11k on the new clutch the slave is starting to act up again.

do it now and save the headache

Ya, I went to the parts store and got one, Will be stabbing it tomorrow. Thanks for the input.

Reed

[redtruckagogogo]

3 quarts of syncromesh, NV1500 transmission,96 and up.

[cb_s10]

just did my slave cylinder on my 99 s10 2.2..they guy i got it from did a clutch recently but no slave...so i had to replace it...was actually pretty easy

[AdamRice]

I have to replace the clutch on my 1995 S10 with a 4.3L.

Is the procedure that much different, because I think the 95 has the Borg Warner T5, but all of you are referring to a NVxxxx transmission.

[ablues10]

I think in 96 they started to put the NVG n the v-6s. It shouldnt be all that different though. Not sure on the torque specs.

[diablizzard]

I have the nv3500 with the 4.3. I obvoiusly need to lift the body off. the body mounting bolts are really seized. can I access the bolt ends from inside the cab or am I SOL. there isn't enought room to get one of the bolts out at this time, so I'm stuck.

[clhughart]

OK you guys, this sound easy, but.........I have worked all day trying to get my transmission out to change a clutch. Mine is a 97 S-10 4wd 5 speed. I finally got exhaust out after breaking 1 bolt in each manifold, so here's the first question;

1) What is the best way to get the stud out (don't have oxy/acet or I probably wouldn't have broke it in the first place.

I raised cab about 1.5 inches. Proceeded to take out cross member.
I have unbolted 4 bolts and two brackets on the transfer case. Took off fuel lines on top of transfer case. Here's second question.

2) Transfer case won't come apart. Why not?

I have worked all day and haven't even started taking bolts out of bellhousing yet. This is going to be a long job. Here's question three.

3) Can't figure out how to get hydraulic line out of slave cylinder/clutch release bearing assembly. The book says use two screwdrivers to push in plastic and then pull out the line. I see some white plastic but it doesn't stick out far enough to get anything on it to push in. The new clutch came with a little tool but it won't go in. Maybe have to bend it does anyone know?

I hate to say it guys, but I'm beginning to hate this thing.

[clhughart]

To diablizzard, I used an impact wrench to get all of my body mounts loose and while they came out slow at first, they all came out from underneath. Not sure what you can do. My "guess" is that you can't access it from on top.

[diablizzard]

Either the compressor I'm using doesn't put enough pressure or the bolts are that rusted in. I'll figure out a way though, thank you

[diablizzard]

I got it out, I ended up disfiguring the heat shield on the driver's side

[5at38off]

here is my 2 cents.
I have a 97 2wd 2.2 5sp. you can take the 4 bolts off from the shifter very easy under the truck, just remove the sponge rubber surrounding to get to them.
for 17mm allen , you can take a 17mm bolt and weld a nut on the other end, then you can use your socket or wrench to remove the plug.
I looked at a precission clutch at the autopart store. all made in China and the flywheel made in china. I opted to order a Valeo clutch, got it and its stamped made in Korea. go figure..

[clhughart]

Here's an update on my 97 4wd. Finally got the transfer case off (found another bolt under the transmission mount (duh). Had trouble getting bell housing separated from engine; there were two guide pins and I guess they had rusted, or at least seized between the aluminum housing and the metal pins; had to use screwdriver and hammer to wedge it apart. Finally got out two broken exhaust manifold bolts by using craftsman extractors (not easy outs, but the things that go on bolt heads that are rounded off). I drove them on with hammer and twisted bolts out. Hey, I'm only about 12 hours into job and finally got it all apart!

As far as the hydraulic line, never did get it out of the integrated throw out bearing/slave cylinder. Book says to use two screw drivers and push in on the plastic. How about my method of prying on side of the thing in the bell housing until it breaks off. Even after getting out and taking loose from master cylinder where I can put in a vise, can get it apart. The plastic must be seized inside. New line coming I guess.

This is just not an easy job. If I had more money, it'd be somebody elses Job!!!!

[bishoj2]

You actually don't need to cut carpet and all of that about removing the shift boot. I just pulled my manual trans out of my 1998 2.2L and just removed the shift arm/knob by loosening the jam nut at its base and screwing it off. After that I waited until the cross member was removed and I could let the transmission drop down. Four bolts holding a square top of the shifter will accessible from underneath the truck. This will disconnect it all, no need to cut carpet, remove plastic cup holder/junk tray or any of that cutting of the rubber seal and noise guard. Also, no need to remove the starter!! just take the 4 bolts that remove the inspection cover to the starter and the rest of the inspection/dust guard on the front side. Other than that great advice.

[Shnormo]

This wasn't so bad! Thanks for all the help! I was able to sneak the transmission past the exhaust with out disconnecting it.

[WTRacing]

Pain in the ****ing ass!!


Driveshaft wouldnt come out, (my pinon angle it way off apparently)

Had to drop the rear end and pull my drop blocks to get it out..

Couldnt get the top 2 bolts out of the manifold near the flex pipe.. FINALLY got one. broke the other..

Got most of the bolts out of the bellhousing stuck with 10 extensions trying to get the top 2 out, finally gave up and called it a night..

AND WTF ON THE CLUTCH PLUG thing on the side of it!??! Still not sure how to see inside of there to unclip it.. FUDGE!!

wish I had a damn lift.. still not done..

Damn truck

[WTRacing]

finally

[Mike M]

Thanks, that was alot of help better than the book.

[Primo123]

Hey guys, i am about to replace my clutch in my 2.2 and have some question.

1.) I have roughly 86,000 miles on my truck and i believe it still has the factory clutch. I know that when you change a clutch, you need to resurface the flywheel. Somone mentioned that if you resurface the flywheel, you might need a shim? Do you think that it will be resurfaced enough to get a shim?

2.) How can you tell if you need a new slave cylinder?

Thanks in advance. I need to get this done

[chevyboy187]

GREAT!! u don't know how long i've been lookng for a step-by-step on this. i'm gonna follow it. thanks for the guidance. i'll let everybody know how it goes. wish me luck haha...

P.S. later down the road...

would it be better to have a custom exhaust bolted up via brackets?
or is that possible? i just thought it would make more sense in case the tranny needs to be serviced in the future.

thanx guyz..

-Me a.k.a. K1NG

[Billy]

Great info. Really appreciate it..

So can I assume with certainty that since I have a 98 S-10 2.2 w/5 speed...

I have the NV1500 tranny ??

TIA

[TubbD]

Hey, just posting and saying thanks for an awesome how to. I used this during my clutch install. Thanks alot!!!!

[flats859]

god it was a pain in the azz i am used to clutchs in honda civics etc and pulling trannys out of old 70s 80s camaros and trucks but damn to many wires and lines running around thank god for this thread i know its old but it helps out alott

[ablues10]

Ur welcome guys. If anyone needs help. send me a p.m cause I dont always check the thread buy I get on the forum once a day.

[Bobthebiker]

Ok here we go on this one. I'm a bit unclear putting my transmission back in and have NO IDEA how it should be because I got my truck pretty disassembled.

Where do the fuel lines go? above or under the transmission?

[DragginBumper09]

I am trying to find a slave cylinder part number in my 96 with the nv3500 they dont have it at any auto stores is this a dealer item

[Bobthebiker]

I'm not sure. check autozone.com. they SHOULD be able to get one for you.

I found the answer to my earlier question regarding fuel lines by the way.they go OVER the transmission. now to hook the wicked bastards up.

[davelallen]

Quote: Originally Posted by greenstizzle

in the 97 new venture transmition is there a gasket between the transmition and the bell housing took it apart by mistake thinking it was like the older trannys whoops if anybody knows just reply

no dude there's not a gasket I'm doing mine and there wasn't one

[c1971ace]

Im about to tackle this in my 96 4.3 4wd.Luckily i have access to a lift and a tranny jack so i hope this will go easy.Plus i know someone has been in here before because somebody changed the tranny to a 98+ NV3500 and had to retro my stock console for the shifter....any one out there have any experiance with this.Am i looking for trouble doing this?Will update as it goes along.

[c1971ace]

Well here is my write up on how mine went.Mine is a 96 4x4 pick up 4.3 but im willing to bet other years will be similar.

1.Disconnect battery
2.Support vehicle as high as you can(trust me a lift is a HUGE plus)
3.Remove center console and shifter(much easier later on you'll see)
4.Remove front and rear drive shafts,unbolt the starter and move it out of the way(you got enough room you shouldnt have to remove it from the truck)
5.Support trans/transfer case and remove crossmember and tranny mount
6.Remove 2 braces that go from tranny to transfer case and unplug any electrical connectors from tranny and transfer case.
7.Drain transfer case then undo 6 bolts then remove transfer case
8.Take a floor jack and a long 2x4 and jack up the front of the motor(use the front of the oil pan,the idea is to tilt the motor back so the bellhousing will clear the body of the truck...if you dont do this you will see what i mean!!)
9.Unplug o2 sensors and remove front y-pipe.
10.Disconnect the hydraulic clutch line(will be a bitch just go easy with it and be careful not to break the white plastic...thats what helps disconnect it,and don't worry about fluid it has a check valve so it wont leak).
11.Unbolt the 9 or 10 bellhousing bolts(please have a helper with you while doing this)
12.Once the tranny is unbolted you should be able to slide it back and out(now is when you will appreciate the motor being tilted back and the shifter already removed).
13.Remove pressure plate,disc and pilot bearing...BTW DO THE SLAVE CYLINDER NOW!!!! You'll save a lot of headache later on if something goes wrong by not changing it!!!
14.Resurface flywheel and install new clutch.
15. Installation is reversal of removal.
16.When done have cold beer!!!

Well thats pretty much it in a nut shell....just take your time have a helper if you can and things should go ok.....it took me and a buddy the better part of 4 days but that was because we ran into problems and after it was all back together turns out the clutch master was gone too.Replaced that and now its a dream to drive. Any questions feel free to ask!

[okiedoak20]

Great write-up, thanks to all that contributed, I noticed that 1997 is a popular year, is the 2003 the same or are ther chages to the body or trans
I'm getting ready to do a clutch change in my buddies 2003 s-10, any info would be greatly appriciated
thanks every one

[Century7667]

I just completed my clutch job on my 2001 2.2 5 spd. (NV1500)

I'm posting my observations in hope that they will be useful to someone as this thread did for me.

My truck had 126,000 miles when the slave went out in about...3 days after I noticed shifting problems. I used the a Chiltons, a Haynes, and the Chevy Factory Shop manuals. The process is generally the as described at the beginning of the thread.

I have to say I was pretty intimidated after reading this thread about nightmares and lifting the body. I've done a '76 Chevy and a '77 Nova, but they had separate bell housings and transmissions. Here's how it went...

Disassembly went well, but I balked at the shifter. It would have been good to see pictures in this thread. Suffice it to say, you don't have to do anything to the shifter in the cab. No carpet cutting, no boot pulling, just let the tranny down after the cross member is removed, and unbolt the 4 bolts, (after leaving it in 3rd gear of course). I really wish I had more faith and not torn up my interior.

If you have access to an impact wrench, this makes a BIG difference on disassembly. I didn't use it on re-assembly, but for tear down it's a no brainer. No big compressor? Get a little tank and portable compressor. I did this for years when I was young and lived in an apartment. That way, you can hit it with a blast or two to break stubborn bolts loose.

Get some old cheap bolts (the metric equivalent of grade 5 or less for easy cutting). saw off the heads, and put pins in the place of the middle bolts and the passenger side top bolt (3 pins). This will assist with dissassembly and more importantly reassembly. It's hard to get your hands up there, but if you have a woman and she really loves you.....take advantage of those small hands.

The fluid that came out of my slave cylinder looked like anti-seize lube. Convinced that I wanted this to go right the *first* time, I decided to replace not only the slave, but the master cylinder and the line as well. The slave was by far the most expensive item (dealership charged $200), master cylinder ($65), and the line ($35). I have to say replacing all these components is very easy. I went AC/Delco on all these components.

I bought a new Perfection Clutch Kit and a AC/Delco Flywheel. All of it was Chinese except for the clutch disk (Valeo/Korea). The clutch and flywheel were easy to do, as easy as my old heavy Chevys of the past. You just can't get a nice Hays street cluch anymore. Used Permatex Red on the flywheel bolts, and on the clutch cover bolts. The factory manual and the other manuals mentioned washers on the clutch cover, but I didn't have any. This was unsettling, so I used the thread locker on the clutch cover bolts.

Pilot Bearing. A lot has been written on this. Cutting it out, using a puller, using grease and a socket, and an hammer. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR HERE - Spend $11 for Lisle #55600 Clutch Pilot Busing Remover. Screw it into your old busing, attach a grease gun, pump, and you're done in 5 minutes flat. Don't waste time with this other crap. The best $11 I spent on the project. I got my from Amazon.

Use a transmission jack. I hated to spend the money on this specialty tool; if I could have borrowed one, I would have. I initially tried a trans jack adaptor with my floor jack. This was a mistake, it won't get low enough or you'll have to jack your truck extra high. Also, it wasn't very stable. It took a couple of hours for me and my wife to get the tranny into the pilot bushing. The integrated bellhousing was a pain, but if I had to do it again, I think I could get it done much faster this time. You just have to wiggle a bit side to side as you gradually lower the jack. Also, the tranny jack has a nice knob for release and a handle that swivels to whereever you are under your truck.

One you have the tranny back into the engine, things will go fast. However, one little gotcha was the flywheel splash cover. It fell off the starter snout when the flywheel was removed. I had to drop the starter and loosen the engine tranny bracket on the driver side in order to get it back in. Speaking of those engine to tranny brackets (they look like bars coming under the flywheel). You don't have to take these off the engine. Just unbolt them from the tranny. At age 43, I was still strong enough to bend them back into postition long enough to get the bolt in and torque them down.

You don't need to raise the cab with the NV1500. Just use your head, you can do it. I imagine raising the cab would make it easier, but it's definitely not required.

The rest was a piece of cake. The shifter housing took a bit of thought, but next time it will be a snap.

Be patient on the clutch bleed. The GM Factory manual suggested that after a bit, if you don't get the pedal firmed up, just work it real good for about 30 seconds. This really got a lot of air out, and then I went a blead some more, and I was done. You can go about 5 clutch stokes before you need to refill the reservoir. So be careful. Use a flexible poly tube to contain and observer your bleeding.

Final note. GM synchromesh friction modified.. part #12377916 is what is recommended for the NV1500. It's very expensive at the dealer ($14), and you need almost 3 quarts. The tranny fluid cost more than my clutch hydraulic line! You can get it for about $10 online. That's the way to go. Don't cheat on this; not all Syncromesh has the friction modifier in it.

Thanks for everyone that participated in this thread. I hope my post helps someone.

Ken T.

[fox_forma]

What is the easiest way to get to the passenger side exhaust flange? I have been going at it for a while and the nuts on there are either rusted on or I just can't get enough leverage. I'm thinking hit with an impact but I'm not sure if I can squeeze a couple 1/2" extensions in theres and still be on the nut straight without stripping it out.

[Century7667]

Impact is the only way to go. Use some Liquid Wrench and be patient.

Ken T.

[fox_forma]

Went and got the proper extension and they came right off, just needed some longer one to get the impact out in open space. Everything else is good to go except I am having a hell of a time trying to get tot he upper driver side bell housing bolt. Fuel lines are getting in my way and it got to dark to keep trying. Hopefully tomorrow I can figure it out.

[fox_forma]

Just wanted to give my input on getting to the driver side upper bellhousing bolt. I had a hell of a time trying to get a good bite on it with a bunch of extensions and a wobble on the end, just couldn't get the proper leverage. After looking at it for about 20min on my back I decided to try a different technique. I used a 1/2inch 20" extension + a 9" and the 4" socket and came over the top of the trans and was able to slowly work my way onto the bolt and have a good bite. Used a 20" breaker bar and it broke loose with ease. I was able to use my 3/8's extensions with the socket to slide in there and turn it by hand the rest of the way out. No wobble was needed and if I didn't get it this way I prob would of disassembled half the truck and pull everything out at once.

Haven't quite figured out how easy its going to be going back in.