2000 Civic Ex DIY Clutch Replacement Emergency!
 

Hi,

My brother and I undertook a clutch replacement job. We followed:

https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/d...l-58-pics.html

And are to the point of utter desperation trying to mate the tranny back to the engine. The clutch alignment tool still fits after all the struggling, but we just cannot get the sucker to mate up! We are physically destroyed right now, and we have only tomorrow before we have to go to work, so these are desperate times!

We've jacked up the engine, the tranny, engine and tranny, and tried all sorts of wiggles, shimmies, shakes and the like but she just doesn't want to close up! What are we doing wrong? Can anyone provide any assistance, we are unfortunately extremely broke right now and cannot afford any professionals, we are in a bind!

https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/a...id=84803&stc=1https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/a...id=84804&stc=1https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/a...id=84805&stc=1https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/a...id=84806&stc=1

It looks like the transmission is tilted up on the engine side. (the transmission's input shaft won't go into the pilot bearing on the flywheel or easily slide into the clutch's splines without proper alignment, see below.)

Move the block supporting the transmission so it supports the transmission _parallel to the engine's drive shaft_.
(when I did my clutch, I had a jack supporting the engine and a second jack supporting the transmission.)

One other question:
Before you installed the clutch, did you try to put the new clutch plate on your transmission's input shaft to check for an exact fit on the splines?
(I remember someone who got the wrong part in their clutch kit or ordered the wrong kit by mistake a few years back.)

take care,
ChrisS

Turns out it was the wrong freaking part. The amazon seller I got it from sent me a part for a non EX 2000 Civic. There was no way in hell it was going to fit.

I had to find a ride to an autozone and got the right kit, in duralast. The sucker popped right in. An entire day and a heck of a lot of tranny wrestling wasted.

LESSON LEARNED: Triple check compatibility, no matter who says what, and always test fit.

We thought we were going crazy there for a bit! Thanks for the support, it really, actually helped.