AX-15 Clutch

Kevin E

Kevin E

TJ Enthusiast
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
862
Location
Wharton, TX
1998 Sport 5 speed 4.0. I am starting to smell the clutch and no I'm not riding it. Is this difficult to replace and if a tranny shop does it what do you think the average cost might be? Or is this a totally different issue? Still shifts good and not always do I smell it.
Thanks
I didn't see a how-to on clutch replacement yet.
 
My guess of a typical clutch install is $600 or so. Replacing a clutch isn't technically challenging but it's definitely a most-of-the-day job for anyone inexperienced and not in a race. No special tools are required, other than an E-10 and E-12 reverse torx adapter to unbolt the transfer case from the transmission and transmission from the engine. A transmission jack makes the job a lot easier. There's not much to go wrong other than it can be tricky to get the transmission perfectly lined up so it pulls free or can be reinstalled.

If you have a good set of basic 1/2" drive size hand tools and a jack, it's not a bad job for anyone willing to get their hands dirty. There's no adjustments, you just unbolt things and bolt new replacement parts back into place. We can walk you through it if you decide to tackle it. Heck I was nearly 60 and already tired & achy when I started my previous TJ's clutch job. Luk makes the best clutch kit so far as I am concerned and the good news is they are inexpensive on Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICZ1M/?tag=wranglerorg-20.

One last comment, no need to pay extra for Luk's 'Pro Gold" clutch. The Pro Gold is made for trucks and is noisier without any benefit like longer wear when installed into a TJ. :)
 
Last edited:
Jerry Bransford said:
My guess of a typical clutch install is $600 or so. Replacing a clutch isn't technically challenging but it's definitely a most-of-the-day job for anyone inexperienced and not in a race. No special tools are required, other than an E-10 and E-12 reverse torx adapter to unbolt the transfer case from the transmission and transmission from the engine. A transmission jack makes the job a lot easier. There's not much to go wrong other than it can be tricky to get the transmission perfectly lined up so it pulls free or can be reinstalled.

If you have a good set of basic 1/2" drive size hand tools and a jack, it's not a bad job for anyone willing to get their hands dirty. There's no adjustments, you just unbolt things and bolt new replacement parts back into place. We can walk you through it if you decide to tackle it. Heck I was nearly 60 and already tired & achy when I started my previous TJ's clutch job. Luk makes the best clutch kit so far as I am concerned and the good news is they are inexpensive on Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICZ1M/?tag=wranglerorg-20.

One last comment, no need to pay extra for Luk's 'Pro Gold" clutch. The Pro Gold is made for trucks and is noisier without any benefit like longer wear when installed into a TJ. :)
Click to expand...
Awesome thanks a bunch Jerry.
 
UPJOHN said:
I would have the flywheel resurfaced while clutch is out.
Click to expand...
While that is common for most clutch jobs, the Wrangler's official FSM (factory service manual) officially recommends against machining or resurfacing the flywheel. It advises that at the most, the flywheel's surface should only be lightly sanded with sandpaper or emery cloth if glazing is present. The reason why is that the flywheel's surface has a slight dome shape (it is convex) and few shops can machine the surface so the dome shape remains.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
While that is common for most clutch jobs, the Wrangler's official FSM (factory service manual) officially recommends against machining or resurfacing the flywheel. It advises that at the most, the flywheel's surface should only be lightly sanded with sandpaper or emery cloth if glazing is present. The reason why is that the flywheel's surface has a slight dome shape (it is convex) and few shops can machine the surface so the dome shape remains.
Click to expand...

If it's hot spotted, and they usually are when you can smell clutch burning. A new flywheel may be needed.

If the clutch isn't slipping, it could be a brake hanging up.
 
I learn something new every day on this site. I never heard of not surfacing a flywheel when replacing a clutch until yesterday.
Every time I think about clutch replacement I think of when I did a clutch job for my uncle and he didn't want the flywheel resurfaced so I scuffed it up with sand paper. A week later it was chattering and slipping, His flywheel was really burnt.
 
It surprised me too when I learned that years ago. This is from the Mopar FSM...

"Flywheel machining is not recommended. The flywheel
clutch surface is machined to a unique contour
and machining will negate this feature. Minor flywheel
scoring can be cleaned up by hand with 180
grit emery or with surface grinding equipment.
Remove only enough material to reduce scoring
(approximately 0.001 - 0.003 in.). Heavy stock
removal is not recommended. Replace the flywheel
if scoring is severe and deeper than 0.076 mm (0.003
in.). Excessive stock removal can result in flywheel
cracking or warpage after installation; it can also
weaken the flywheel and interfere with proper clutch
release."
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
It surprised me too when I learned that years ago. This is from the Mopar FSM...

"Flywheel machining is not recommended. The flywheel
clutch surface is machined to a unique contour
and machining will negate this feature. Minor flywheel
scoring can be cleaned up by hand with 180
grit emery or with surface grinding equipment.
Remove only enough material to reduce scoring
(approximately 0.001 - 0.003 in.). Heavy stock
removal is not recommended. Replace the flywheel
if scoring is severe and deeper than 0.076 mm (0.003
in.). Excessive stock removal can result in flywheel
cracking or warpage after installation; it can also
weaken the flywheel and interfere with proper clutch
release."
Click to expand...


I wonder what mechanical advantage there was to manufacturing the flywheel that way????
Seems counter intuitive:oops:
 
Our local good dude wanted $750 (and a month and a half, cause he's good, and busy) to do it, my kid got his (Luk) from Rockauto and learned to do it himself. Win, win.
 
Be sure the pilot bearing is changed out as well. It most likely won't come with the clutch kit (mine didn't).also be sure to at least inspect the clutch fork and fork pivot. The pivot is basically a bolt with a plastic round head on it. They are cheap ($) and easy to replace. Plastics is not ideal for this type of hard use and after a couple decades could use a replacement.
 
A good quality transmission floor jack makes the job much easier. I admire anyone that could get it done in one day from start to finish. It's not something you want to do that often so replace parts rather than re-use parts that are aged.

Getting to the e-torx bolts on top of the bellhousing is a task. I had luck going through the floor pan from inside. In any case, the transmission needs to be lowered a little bit to create access.

Getting appropriately lined back up for the install can be difficult. It's supposed to just slide on and it will if it's lined up correctly. Forcing it may lead to shortened pilot bearing life.

If you replace the flywheel then the bolts need to be replaced with special bolts. There's a rather inexpensive tool that can hold the flywheel in place while torquing the bolts.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKACI9S/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FN7JE2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Good luck. I did mine last fall. Hopefully I'm good for another 150K miles.
 
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