Clutch job/dropping transaxle on ramps?
 

Hey all--

I'm planning to drop the transaxle on my 987 and a couple of gentlemen kindly warned me in another thread that I may not want to do that with the suspension loaded.

I wanted to see if there were any other insights before I shop for a lift.

Has anyone ever done this job on ramps (or a 4-post lift)?
Is it a problem if you remove, e.g., the transmission pan cover and aluminum support bars with the wheels on and bearing the car's weight?

Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated.

Trans removal doesn't require much height. Just keep the front wheels on the ground and jack the rear up. I do it with 1.5 ton jack stands on the car's rear lift points set at max height.

You don't really wanna take the trans out with the suspension loaded just cause the CV axles can be a bear to get out and in with the control arms in their place. That extra mm you get from removing the control arms can make a difference. At least thats my experience.


EDIT: keeping the front wheels on the ground also helps because you don't loose much clutch fluid. As the reservoir is lower than the slave cylinder.

Thanks, that's a good point about the axles.

Unfortunately jack stands are just a non-starter for me. I'll use em for brake jobs etc but I do not like being under the car using them.

So it's either my kwik lift (basically a giant set of steel ramps) or going to get something new. The kwik lift is great but it's not the easiest as far as getting the wheels off work. Though I can probably make it happen if I can find a rear center jacking point I feel comfortable with.

If you don't want to be under the car when its on jack stands (understandable) then add a second safety system. make yourself some cribbing from 2X4s or 4X4 fence posts or something. It would not be difficult to add that and then you know you are very safe down there.

Partially loading the suspension would lessen the safety under the car. You are basically removing some of the force on the jackstands and making the car less stable.


Those lift points are in that place for a reason. There is a reason why professional mechanics don't lift cars by both the tires and the lift points.... just the lift points alone.


OP if the thought of jack stands toppling scares you then you can always take your jack stands and weld or bolt a big ole plate of steel to their base to increase its size and decrease the risk of it toppling over.

when I did my CV's I had my car on ramps,removed mid-pipes and the triangle with weight on the wheels loosened the CV bolts on the trans side then lifted the car then put jack stands under it at the lift points,.I would be comfortable with working under the car with wheels on, and the ramps in place, but I always keep a third safty block or two around the jack stands JIC..!! Frank

I did not say anything about partially loading the jack stands. Load them as usual in the usual place with 100% of the weight of the car. Then slide cribbing in a suitable place without even touching the car, come within maybe 1/2 an inch of it. It is a backup system only. If anything happens to the jack stand you are safe and alive.

Yeah I see what you’re saying — I usually use my wheels in that fashion whenever I’m using jack stands. Slide em under the frame rails.

Was there a reason why you went to jack stands after already having the car elevated on ramps? Too difficult to move the CV axles around in that arrangement as @Qingdao indicated?




I’m probably going to swell the kwik lift and buy a new scissor lift for work/maintenance on all three cars.

Yes.. A.to be able to maneuver the axle's around,and B. I had to bang them out of the Hub,..and C. just more room to work with the added height plus the safety feature of the ramps.I generally have 3 safety feature's anytime I do any extended under carriage work.

:cheers: Sorry, I miss read you.

Sounds good. Like shoving the flat tire under the car when you go to put the spare tire on.