Need Help on clutch replacement!

[andyu911]

Need help on this dumb question folks! After I unscrewed those 9 screws that hold the clutch and pressure plate, it should be the starting gear next, right? But how can I separate it from the pressure plate? I've tried to apply some heat, but no luck. There's no description how to take the gear off on neither Wayne's book nor the Bently's handbook.

Andy
'87 Carrera

[yelcab1]

you're done. Just pry off the pressure plate. Then you will see the flywheel and its numerous 12-point bolts. Those will need to come off if you want to remove the flywheel.

The starting gear only comes off if you put the whole thing in an OVEN.

Unless you want to chage the actual gear, you do not have to remove it. At least, I never had to during a clutch job.

[john walker's workshop]

the ring gear comes off with a couple of taps with a plastic hammer. put the p plate on the ground and tap the gear off.

[Superman]

Ah, the plastic hammer strategy again. I never use a steel hammer around a car, but I do not have a press, so I use various other (non-steel) hammers extensively. I believe in them, and I'm proud of my hammer collection.

[JDaniel]

Since you'll have it all apart. Make sure you look carefully at the ring gear on the flywheel. Aparently the first run of '87's were a bit thin and have a tendency to wear out in certain spots. If you ever had funny noises while trying to start the car pay attention. The new starter ring gears are all the updated ones. You can find the part # in the archives. It's be a shame to skimp on this $85 part.
I'll be replacing mine in the spring... along with a buch of other things. I've got 4 months to save $5k...

[KTL]

Good suggestion by Dan, the part # that JDaniel referred to is listed in the famous 74-89 parts reference if you happen to have one. I'd look, but don't have it handy at work.

As John Walker said, put the p-plate flat on the ground and pop the ring gear with your rubber/plastic mallet. If it doesn't want to let go, use a thin flat blade screwdriver and lightly tap the end of the driver underneath the gear (not too far in) with your mallet. It might pop off right away, or you may have to go around the perimeter a bit. Either way it should pop right off. It's not pressed on. Just a semi-tight fit.

Quote from yelcab1:

"The starting gear only comes off if you put the whole thing in an OVEN.

Unless you want to change the actual gear, you do not have to remove it. At least, I never had to during a clutch job."

If you're replacing the pressure plate, the new G50 pressure plate does not come with the starter ring gear on it. Only the ring for the motronic sensors is cast into the pressure plate. Therefore, you do have to remove the gear.

FWIW, if you've got the motor on the Porsche 5-arm engine stand fixture, you may find that the pressure plate does not want to come off the end of the motor. That's because the big rubber damper of the clutch disc (if you have the original rubber-centered disc) interferes with removal. If you replace the rubber disc with a spring one, you can get the pressure plate back on the flywheel with the engine on the stand fixture. Just takes a little bit of work. In hindsight, it would have been much easier for me to remove and reinstall the clutch assembly with the motor hanging on the engine hoist instead of on the motor stand.

Got a 62k mi. rubber disc, pressure plate, and flywheel if anybody's interested? Yeah right!

[andyu911]

Thanks for all the relies!
I gonna give a second try tonight. Acturally, friend of mine just replaced his sucessfully. He's gonna swing by to help me out.
I'd post the process for follow up!
Thanks again!

Andy
'87 Carrera