Welp, I suppose you could say it's going alright for my first clutch change in a DSM. :P Everything went ok last night, got all the "upper" stuff out, cables, brackets, etc. Used a lot of PB Blaster on the axle nut and lower suspension bolts. Sooooo, today Dave (95tsi) and I starting ripping into the suspension. Although we hoped to only take the axle nut off and disconnect the lower suspension, we weren't so lucky. The nut, well, it was basically welded onto the axle. So my father came home and busted out the trusted grinder and what do you know, skills that pay the bills. He actually managed to cut the top part of the nut off WITHOUT touching the axle threads and from there we got the nut off....of course after that we pounded on the axle trying to free it from the assembly and probably damaged it enough to not salvage it anymore. That and it didn't come free, so we took off the rest of the suspension (with the axle attached) and Monday we will be taking the whole thing to the machinist to press it out and also resurface the flywheel. And THEN we should be able to re-assembly the car on Monday/Tuesday night. (Shops not open on the weekend).
BTW, we manage to break one of the lower control arm bolts under the car, looks like we should be able to get what's left out, and also the bolt on the lower fork although we got that one out.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/f3a7dff5.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/f3a7dffa.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...9/f3a7dff3.jpg
A few new bolts, POSSIBLY a new axle (good thing Auto Value has one in stock for $53), a re-surfaced flywheel, and of course the Exedy clutch and we will be back in business.
All for this...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...0/f3a7dffc.jpg
Gotta love doing a clutch in the AWD DSM... :P
A little beer helped a bit too.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...1/f3a7e001.jpg