This is all copy+pasted from my progress posts on another forum, so sorry if it is a little choppy and confusing. Just thought I'd share my fun with you guys, too. I'm changing my clutch out to a sb stage 3 ofe clutch. I'm at 134k miles on the stock power, I've done two nights of drag racing (10ish runs each time) and two auto-x days, keep that in mind when you see the clutch and pressure plate.




Friday:
So friday at about 5:00pm me and two friends started tearing apart my car to get the transmission out. We're using the DIY on audiworld, and I'm expecting it to take all weekend.

Progress as of 1:30am friday night:
airbox/coolant tank out
turbo to cat bolts off
front axles unbolted from tranny
pass. side heatshield (over the axle) out
top 3 engine to tranny bolts out
starter bolts out

I snapped one T40 torx bit trying to get the driveshaft off, so we had to make a 1am walmart run to get a torx set. That was pretty fun.

Here's where we are right now:

I stripped one of the driveshaft bolts . One of the guys has a dremel at his house with a cutting wheel, so after he wakes up (that lazy ***), we're going to run and grab it. I'm hoping we can just cut a slot in the screw and use a screwdriver to turn it out. there's really not enough leverage to hammer a t45 torx bit into it.


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So I tried to throw some vice grips on that bolt, they just slid off the bolt when we tried to turn it. Then we used a grinder to make one of the sides flat (more grip!?), but it just rounded the edge of that side.

We can't heat the bolt, I only have propane and I think it would damage the stuff around the bolt. The grinder is too big to cut a slot in the head of the screw for a screwdriver, so right now we're pretty stuck.

I was thinking about using easy-outs, but I've heard horror stories of using those.



Then we cut a slot in that head and pulled off that screw with a BFF (Big ******* Flathead)

After we finally got the transmission out, we realized that we couldn't get the car high enough to pull the transmission out like we thought. We just moved it out of the way under the car.

Something interesting:





Damage pics after we got it all out:


[these were broken before we pulled it out-- no, I don't know where that missing piece went that's in the second picture]

Think I had a lot of life left in this clutch?



Annnd here's the old vs. new stuff:

 

Jeez, if you hadn't put up the disclaimer about your typical driving, the few runs at the track, and stock power, I'd think you were trying to harness a hard-driven elim setup on a stock clutch. That thing is BEAT lol - you picked a good time to swap it out. And think how much more fun the car will be when it's back on the road being held by southbend force

Are you doing anything else during the job, either mod-wise or repair-wise? Seems like a good time to spend a little time under the car looking at all the stuff you normally can't see/reach, and swap out any vacuum lines or sensors that are buried back there.

Also, and forgive me if I'm a little dense at this point in the weekend, but I'm a little confused - you're using torx bits to take the axle bolts out, but every procedure I read says to use a 12-point 8mm socket. What gives?

 

The DIY we were using told us to use that, we figured out it was wrong after stripping one of the driveshaft bolts. I actually used the 8mm tripple square bit I tried so hard to hunt down on the front axles, but didn't realize that the driveshaft uses the same bit.

This is the bit you're supposed to use (picture from a guy on AZ):


Thinking of the high rpm launches is what kept me going through the install! haha, I can't wait. Stupid break-in period!

The only other thing I'm doing while I'm in there is replacing the tranny mounts (with Aspha-lastic filled stock mounts). No money for other stuff right now .

 

Gotcha - well at least I'd inspect those lines and such down there - easier to fix now than later (as I'm sure you know). Where the fawk do you buy that bit? I need one myself but I've never seen one at the parts store. Haven't looked at Sears yet and they probably have it, but I figure I might as well ask.

As for the break-in period, I doubt you need to go the full 500 miles. I broke in my twin-turbo clutch in the 300Z (using the NA motor and a TT clutch assembly) for about a hundred miles or so, and then lit the tires up. It was probably in part because that clutch was capable of clamping about 150 ft-lbs of torque MORE than my NA motor was making though

 

my god that pilot bearing is FUBAR, along withe rest of the clutch and pressure plate, so how long did it take you in the end.

 

Haha well actually, I have 150hp on a 300hp clutch, I think you're right about the break in. Good idea on the line inspecting, I'll check them out tomorrow.

I bought those bits at.... sears I think. They were a pain in the butt to track down, almost as bad as the 14mm allen socket for the axle bolts! I'm pretty sure you have to buy a set of 4, the 8mm is the smallest of the set.


edit-
so far we have ~24 hours into it.

 

Clutch probably got that way from doing donuts in the mud infront of cops

 

pshhh i didn't have to launch doing that!