Two weeks ago on Saturday was a long awaited day. It would be the day that the Landcruiser would finally get a new clutch. I had first inquired into getting parts back in February and after much wait and persistence seven months later they arrived via a ferry flight from Mareeba. Parts which in Australia you could get same day, if not order and wait a few days.
1. La Bestia getting some attention
So for that Saturday Exodus and I planned on replacing the clutch in the Landcruiser. I was really looking forward to it as I had never done one before. But also the clutch was really worn, and I mean really worn, that it was constantly slipping. So I knew that it would improve driving quite a lot not just in gear changing but also acceleration and drive. But at the same time I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Being a 4WD gearbox and not having sufficient equipment.
I borrowed someone else’s car for the day to drive out to work as I had left the Landcruiser out there on Friday. I picked Exodus up on the way and we got out there around 0800. With the Landcruiser up on the ramps, we started removing the gearbox to get to the clutch. I really don’t enjoy working under low work areas. Put me to work in a fuel tank in a wing any day, but underneath that ramp it’s just too low for me. Just like working underneath the wing of a C206. After hitting my head against the gearbox after cracking some bolts, Exodus didn’t want me to work underneath the car and keep hitting my head. So I started working on the gearbox from up top.
2. Exodus at work
After a while the gearbox was all disconnected, the one thing now was how to separate it from back of the engine. We had no stand or crane that would fit underneath the car. I was really glad to have an ex Toyota mechanic with me, as he knew exactly what he was doing each step of the way with what we had. We used planks of wood with old Twin Otter shock absorbers with bottle jacks to lower the gearbox onto its own support. It took quite a bit of effort to get it separated from the engine and was out after lunch.
3. Gearbox separated and out
In the afternoon, the new clutch went in. At first it had a different pivot bearing, but was only due to fit the new flywheel. At first my heart sank thinking it was the wrong clutch kit. It all went back nicely and smoothly. Then the gearbox had to go back in. I thought the hard part was over, but I was wrong. Fortunately there were a few other guys at work at the time, including Anton the other MAF mechanic. He was able to help us get the gearbox back in and lined up. It took over three hours to get it lined up and back in. Using different blocks of wood and multiple car jacks to get it slowly back into position. The gearbox was very very heavy, it was a struggle for the three of us, but we got it back in.
As the day was coming to an end and the sun starting to set. Everything was being finished being put back together. It had taken more time than I had expected, but knowing it was a big job and things normally breaking making more work I wasn’t surprised and thought we were doing really well. Exodus and myself were still there working in the dark and I had enough. I was still getting over being sick during the week. But he kept going, we got to the point just before 2000 to reverse it off the ramp. The car had no battery power, even though we had started the car to check everything 15 mins prior. The negative battery terminal had cracked itself and come apart when being put back on, (cheap chinese car part, only three months old). So there was a search through the automotive workshop for an old one. With not much success, I called it quits. After twelve hours we returned home and Exodus was able some how to get from Mt Hagen out to his village that night some distance out of town to spend the rest of the weekend wit his family.
4. The old clutch and new clutch kit
During the week at work, I was able to install a new terminal for the battery. Reversing it off the ramp, the car no longer shatter with the clutch slipping. During a break I took some guys for a test drive around the airport road. The difference was amazing, there was more power and much smoother operation. But the one thing that I had never experience in the car, being able to brake with changing down gear. The car is running the best it has yet. The next project will most likely be the suspension, along with a lot of little things. It was definitely worth all the effort and wait.
September 27th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
glad you got it working
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September 27th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Nice to see you got it fixed. Funny how Exodus needs a wheel to stand on, but you kept bumping your head.
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