arg. i need some help. against my better judgment, i am replacing my own clutch. (i'm pretty broke right now, so i cant exactly afford to take it to a pro.)
anyway, i have taken all the necessary parts off the tranny/engine. now it's time to take off the wheels and remove the half shafts. i am using a chiltons and a haynes manual. (i have been unable to find a helms.) up to this point, the chiltons has been rather clear, but i am looking at the next section with much fear and trepidation. ball joint? strut fork? the manuals are very vague as to what exactly needs to be removed. i was hoping maybe some one who has done their clutch could give me a few tips. also, where the heck can i buy a helms manual? thanks in advance.

 

I will try and guide you through this , i will be very specific since im not to shure how experinced you are please take no offence. Note if you get the car up high enough you do not have to remove the engine.. Remove the axle nut ( big nut in the middle of the brake rotor )on the passenger side, remove the cotter pin and the nut on the front of the lower controllarm (this is the nut for the lower ball joint it's right behind the bottom of you brake rotor dust sheild) next remove the bolt that goes throught the back of the strut fork ( The strut fork is the bracket at the bottom of your strut that looks like a wishbone, the bolt should be a 14 mm. Then remove the bolt that goes through the bottom of the strut fork ( should be 18mm ) onec you remove tyhe bolts remove the strut fork by taping it downward with a small hammer and take it out of the car. once it is out, you have to separate the ball joint from the spindle, hit the front of the lower controll armwith a large hammer be careful not to damage the dust shiel or the brake rotor, hit it a few times hard then try and lift the brake rotor and spindle assembly upward ( when it separates it should lift right out of the control arm. Once it is out of the arm, tap the axle shaft sticking out of the brke rotor while pulling foward on the brake rotor and you can sneak the axle out from behind the spindle. push the braker rotor and spindel assembly out of the way and pull on the axle it should come right out of the car, unbolt place a jack under the trany un bolt the trany bolts from the block, unbolt the tranny mounts, lower tranny and slide it out from under the car.. it's a little tricky but it does come out, the engine will come down a little you may want to put a jack under there to for support, if you can not get the car high enough, then just repeat the axle removal proce for the othe side of the car and take out the engine and trany together,if you need more help e mail me , or just repost..
hope i helped, ....peace

 

wow. perfect. thanks so much trance303. i will carve your name into my engine block.