Rear Oil Seal and Clutch Replacement - How to!

[leeroy_25]

Hi There guy\'s Hopefully this is a two in one whammy for you! I have been putting this job off for some time but there came a point when the clutch was not having it anymore and it had to be changed! The root of the problem was actually the failed rear oil sela which was leaking oil into the clutch making it slip and in the end wear out. nightmare!
You will be happy to know the job wasn\'t half as bad as I thought it would be and if I can manage with the car propped on some ramps on a cold garage floor so can anyone else who knows one end of a spanner from another!

Hopefully you can use this post as a guide to help you on the way.

Firstly I used another sticky to remove the gearbox and clutch:
http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34464
I made a few notes about the order a few things were done an some things to check along the way I\'ll try to point out later.. All in all a very good sticky though.

Tools you will need
Hopefully I won\'t forget anything!
19mm ring spaner x2
14mm ring spanner x2
12mm ring spanner
10mm ring spanner
(rachet spanners with a flexi head are even better. Halfords do a reasonable set!)
10mm socket 3/8 drive
12mm socket 3/8 drive
14mm socket 3/8 drive
21mm long series socket (impact ideally) 1/2 drive.
Medium socket extensions in 3/8" and 1/2" drive
54mm socket for flywheel bolt. 3/4" drive
1/2"-3/4" drive adaptor.
Pulley/flywheel removal tool (I made one!)
Clutch alignment tool.
Air impact gun ideally.. or large extension bar and a flywheel lock.
lever bar or large flat blade screw driver x2
Pliers.
Hammer.

And of course 4 ramps or heavy duty axle stands and a decent jack and some blocks of wood!

Parts you will need.

Main Rear engine oil seal
Stationary gear o-ring. I purchased mine from Atkins Rotary in the states. great guy\'s.

Replacement clutch - depending on you plans stock replacement or upgrade. I chose a XTD Stage 3 6 puck uprgade also form the states.. I am happy to say it\'s very driveable!


Okay so first off set the car up suitable on ramps or axles stands. Try and get it fairly even although not essential. You do not need too much space under the rear. just as long as you can get under to get at the propshaft bolts.
Here is what mine looked like gradually going up bit at a time!
1) reverse the back up onto some home made ramps

2)Jack up onto some ramps under the front


3)Those ramps aren\'t high enough so get some taller ones!


I also sat the rear on some axles stands so it took the weight of the suspension and gained some extra height.

Now we are ready to go.. So first off follow the clutch change thread I linked above.. however some extra notes that were missed out or just done differently due to facilities.
1) When you come to remove the propshaft bolts you will need at least one wheel off the ground so you can spin the propshaft and get at all the bolts.
2) When you get to remove the gearknob.. take the shifter right out as this gives you more freedom to move the box when you drop it down. So it will look like this.

Just remove the ring of 10m bolts and it lifts out.
 
Under my car you could see the tell tail signs of the oil leaking form the bellhousing


Removing the box from the clutch is a doddle.. just follow the video link in the other thread! Basically lever the clutch arm into the pressure plate wth one lever then hold the collar onto the plate with the other lever and release the clutch arm. Clutch release should pop straight out!
Getting the top two bolts on the driverside is a bit of a mare but possible! I found it easier to crack them loose from above then go underneath and undo them with my fingers. Once they are cracked off they should turn easily.
Dropping the box off will take two people.. don\'t drop it on your head!

Then once you dropped the box you will have this.



Now it\'s on to my bit!
First you need to remove the clutch.. taking off the pressure plate by undoing the 6x14mm bolts. you may need to use a screw dirver to help prise it away from the flywheel.. I didn\'t take a picture at this point for some reason but you wil be left facing a flywheel with a rather large nut in the middle!
You will need a good air gun to get this as it is torqued up very high! Mine is only rated to about 300ftlbs torque but it got it off no problem. If you don\'t have this you will need to get a long lever bar and lock the flywheel to prevent the engine turning over while you try to undo it.
Once the nut is off. You then need to jack the flywheel of with a removal tool.. Good idea to put the nut back on a few threads so the flywheel does not drop off onto your head when it pops free! You may get away with carefully levering between the flywheel and case and spinning the engine bit at a time.. however you don\'t want to damage the case. I found it worked well to get some tension on the puller and then do a bit of levering as well and it came off easy..one or other on there own and the flywheel just stuck solid!

So once that\'s off you get this:

Once grimmy looking flywheel with oil grained into it! (cleaned up after a good rub down and degrease)
at the back of the engine you will be looking at this:

Clearly can see the trail of the oil leak from the stationary gear housing.
First remove the key way from the shaft by tapping it out with a small screwdriver or punch. Put it safe to one side and don\'t forget it!
Now crack loose the ring of bolts holding on the stationary gear.

Now carefully tap a flat blade screwdriver or thin wedge between the stationary gear and rear housing.. try doing this in a few places around the housing- ideally where the bolt hole bosses are.. eventually it will start to move and pop free.. Carefully slide it off.

There you go. that\'s most of the hard part over!


You can see the knackered old seal..

Apparently the failing is more commonly the tiny o-ring seal in the back.. this was very brittle when I removed it.

Remove all the two old seals and give the housing a clean.. then you are ready to pop the new seals in.

To put in the main seal.. give it a wipe over with some engine oil.. then gently start to push it in.. once it nearly home turn over the housing on a flat clean surface and press down to make sure the seal goes in square and flush with the housing.

For the o-ring wipe it with grease or vaseline and slide it over the housing into place. In addition to this seal the manual also recommends some silicone sealant. So I used some to be safe. Can get it at any motor factors.. I used a silicone RTV as this can see engine temperature no problems. Just use a very thin even film.


You are now ready to start putting it all back together!
I got all my torque setting from the manual..
Oil the output shaft and stationary gear seal and bearing and carefully slide the stationary gear back into place, then gently tap it home with a mallet. May need a bit more than a gentle knock but it will go!

The bolts need a torque of about 18ftlbs.. I went around tighten opposing bolts a few times to make sure it all went on uniformly.
Now that\'s back in place it\'s on with the flywheel.. DO NOT FORGET THE KEYWAY FIRST! That would be a disaster! Although I think the nut torque would probably hold it!
Now I wound the air gun up to full pressure and torque and gave it a good long blast on the nut to make sure it was up tight. other than that use the manual torque setting if you have a big enough wrench! I aslo used a drop of thread lock as the manual suggests just in case!
Now the flywheel is ready to go on.. give it all a good clean and degrease. If you are not replacing the pilot bearing give it soe fresh grease. Now using a clutch aligning tool (normally supplied with the clutch kit) fit the clutch plate in position like so:

Then place the pressure plate over this and loosely nip the bolts all around..


I did this following the advise of the other thread and I would say it pays.. basically you just want enough tension on the pressure pate to hold the clutch in place. This allows some movement if the splines are not perfectly lined up and will make the box a lot easier to put on! You can do them right p when the box is fittd through the inspection hole. Now remove the alignment tool. you are ready to re-fit the box. Change the release bearing at this point if you plan to do so.. This is done by removing the 2x14mm bolts and pulling the arm from the bellhousing. You can then remove the bearing and clean and grease the shaft to fit the new one.

For re-fitting of the gearbox please refer back to the other thread. Nothing to really watch out for other than it is important what order some things are done. like the brace should be fitted before the prop. easier to fit the clutch cylinder before the starter motor and so on..

Good luck and hope this is of some use to you DIYers out there!

Lee

[karl_tate]

cool thread, im sure will help people out, should be made a sticky.

[RobbieRX-7]

+1 for the sticky. Good informative thread with pics! Not enough of that on here IMO.

[leeroy_25]

Thanks guys!!

Sticky would be cool!

[DMDRIFTING]

Hey Lee,

i see your busy, the cars coming on well  :Thumbsup!

[leeroy_25]

Hey there

I never seem to stop! I am massively torn to where to go next. I have some boost issues which I think may be down partly to old pipe work and also one sick turbo.. plus a leaking LIM.. I can see another potential sticky thread coming! \'How to replace you LIM Gasket\'! Or is there one already?!
Choices are replacement twins which i have a set in the garage! Or as I wanted originally go single. However with the world economy as it is and my intent to get stuff abroad that has kind of come to a halt for now! We\'ll see.. Might try swapping the turbo\'s and doing the LIM for now.. was thinking I could then take out the rats nest and airpump at the same time and get it mapped?
Shame the car is mostly sorted now and the weather is crap so I barely want to drive it! Still it turns heads whenever I take it out which I have to admit makes me feel proud!
Best get it properly sorted for next summer!

[DMDRIFTING]

You know single is the aim of course, but people are getting power atw from the TT set up to though! We\'ll have too meet up soon chap life been busy!

[leeroy_25]

I\'ll have to look and see how much of a job swapping the twin is and go form there.. if it\'s only going to take a day then I can give that a go to get me 100% sorted for now at least.. can\'t go twin until world economics sort themselves out! Will defo have to meet up. I ma tied up all this weekedn.. maybe the weekend after.. I could do with popping over to Re-worx as well for some info! I do have two engines to strip first though!

Lee

[memski]

Well done mate, good write up!