Mk4 Astra clutch change

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Alright gang,

 

circumstances suggest that it might be in my interest to help a mate who's got a 51-plate Astra diesel van, on which the clutch is getting tired. Has anyone done this job? It appears from what I can gather that you pretty much have to dismantle the entire front end of the car and get the subframe out with steering rack, brake pipes and christ knows what still attached, or hoik the eengine and box out from above.

 

Is it really that bad?

 

Cheers, BALLS

[scaryoldcortina]

yes, it is. Don't even attempt it without a 2 post lift and a strong assistant if you value your sanity.

[Albert Ross]

I work for a Vauxhall main dealer. Yes, I've done this job MANY times. You need to disconnect all the wiring for the steering pump at the scuttle panel fuse cluster, and the lower column bolt inside the vehicle before raising the vehicle. If it's a 1700, you MAY (but it's better to drop the lot onto a pair of old tyres and slide it out)) be able to half drop the subframe to the nearside, but be certain you have the radiator supported (bumper off is better for accesss this way) there are holes in the upper guide clips to enable you to do this. Watch for the water pipe which is held by the upper bellhousing bolts, it's a TWAT to get the box past it..... Enjoy.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Shitting Nora, that sounds fairly horrific... I haven’t got a 2-post lift or an engine support beam thing so I imagine i’d end up taking the engine out, or I might just forget all about it and lend our man my Rover for a few weeks instead.

[Guest]

Rule of thumb with any job on a MK4 Astra seems to be that if it's a petrol one it'll be trivial and cost buttons, but if it's a diesel one it requires taking apart a billion things and using parts which are laughably expensive and/or difficult to obtain. Never understood why.

[cobblers]

Rule of thumb with any job on a MK4 Astra seems to be that if it's a petrol one it'll be trivial and cost buttons, but if it's a diesel one it requires taking apart a billion things and using parts which are laughably expensive and/or difficult to obtain. Never understood why.

 

 

That sounds about right, my mates next door neighbour was an absolute 100% cleft but he still managed to remove a knocking engine, fit another which smoked it's bollocks off, then remove that and put the crank and bearings out of the smokey one in the knocky one, on his lawn in a weekend.

 

It still knocked though and for some reason he then tried to fix it by inexplicably holding it at 3000rpm on his drive for most of the afternoon

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Well i'm doing this clutch this weekend by the looks of it, I have treated myself to one of these 'engine support beams' to hold the lump up while I get the subframe off beneath. I know I should have made one out of a bit of timber and a wire coat hanger but hopefully the lad whose clutch it is will find himself paying for it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Well i'm doing this clutch this weekend by the looks of it, I have treated myself to one of these 'engine support beams' to hold the lump up while I get the subframe off beneath. I know I should have made one out of a bit of timber and a wire coat hanger but hopefully the lad whose clutch it is will find himself paying for it.

[scaryoldcortina]

I use a sawn off length of scaffold and a ratchet strap.

[scaryoldcortina]

I use a sawn off length of scaffold and a ratchet strap.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I used a ratchet strap to hoist an alfa engine out the back of my pickup a while back, before realising I had no means of lowering the bastard down again

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I used a ratchet strap to hoist an alfa engine out the back of my pickup a while back, before realising I had no means of lowering the bastard down again

[garbaldy]

I used a ratchet strap to hoist an alfa engine out the back of my pickup a while back, before realising I had no means of lowering the bastard down again

 

Haha that made me laugh my tits of i can just imagine you walking around tuting and cursing the b4astard stupidness of what you thought was a good idea,

how do i know this i hear you say, well i did the very same thing with two ratchet straps lifting a sierra 2.3 diesel

[garbaldy]

I used a ratchet strap to hoist an alfa engine out the back of my pickup a while back, before realising I had no means of lowering the bastard down again

 

Haha that made me laugh my tits of i can just imagine you walking around tuting and cursing the b4astard stupidness of what you thought was a good idea,

how do i know this i hear you say, well i did the very same thing with two ratchet straps lifting a sierra 2.3 diesel

[HBR]

Would I be a complete twat for telling you that you can gently release a ratchet strap by taking the load with the lever part & then manually pulling the slide that clicks down behind the ratchet teeth & then letting the lever part back the other way in a controlled manner, releasing the slide when you want to stop/go for another bite because you've run out of travel on the lever?

 

I would be a complete twat? Sorry, forget I metioned it....

 

 

 

 

P.S. I read the thread regarding how the mk4 Astra (in base model petrol form at least) is generally an unremarkable but decent all round runabout & found myself thinking how my Aunties mk4 1.6 8v Estate has been excellent, nothing more than servicing, an exhaust & tyres in 6 years & still giving great service. Then today it wouldn't start!!!

[HBR]

Would I be a complete twat for telling you that you can gently release a ratchet strap by taking the load with the lever part & then manually pulling the slide that clicks down behind the ratchet teeth & then letting the lever part back the other way in a controlled manner, releasing the slide when you want to stop/go for another bite because you've run out of travel on the lever?

 

I would be a complete twat? Sorry, forget I metioned it....

 

 

 

 

P.S. I read the thread regarding how the mk4 Astra (in base model petrol form at least) is generally an unremarkable but decent all round runabout & found myself thinking how my Aunties mk4 1.6 8v Estate has been excellent, nothing more than servicing, an exhaust & tyres in 6 years & still giving great service. Then today it wouldn't start!!!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The slide bit is engaged with the teeth of the cog in the ratchet strap, so i'm not sure you can manually move it back when theres a load on.... (I think)?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The slide bit is engaged with the teeth of the cog in the ratchet strap, so i'm not sure you can manually move it back when theres a load on.... (I think)?

[scaryoldcortina]

You can, but it's a good way to lose a lump out of your hand!

[scaryoldcortina]

You can, but it's a good way to lose a lump out of your hand!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Today I ar been mostly on this.

 

 

 

Took me 10 hours and caused a large number of swearfests. I did manage to get it all back together and it seems to work alright, though I have now got a spanner light on the dash which i'm sure wasn't there before. Code 0335 according to the self diagnostic thingy, which is seemingly the crank sensor. Strange as i am sure I have not been involved with the crank sensor at all during this job. Anyone know where it is? Also the coolant light is now on despite a full expansion bottle.

 

Any tips about the crank sensor will we eagerly soaked up. Anyone know if I can 'clear' the fault code without any snazzy electronic gizmos?

[scaryoldcortina]

P0335 is crankshaft sensor circuit malfunction - I think the sensor is behind the flywheel on these and it's fairly easy to nip/trap/strain the wires while doing a job like this so that's what I'd be checking. Might even be unplugged, I think the diesels can run without it.

 

Autodata says you can only erase codes and put the light out with diagnostic equipment. Ebay cheapos have trouble with old vauxhalls too.

[cort16]

Bollox, if you've got an iPhone I can post you my obdii iPhone code reader, clearer thingmy. No gaurentee it'll work though.

[scaryoldcortina]

 

who needs an iPhone? You should easily* be capable of knocking one of these up in an afternoon

[Station]

My last Vauxhall V6 engine had crank sensor problems, and my current Astra has crank sensor problems.

It'll stop fuelling if it's completely kaput. You have to only think about these Bosch items and they'll bring up the flash code.

It's usually located on the front of the block just above the sump and below the exhaust manifold. I had to change mine twice in 0c with 2cm of space to undo the 8mm bolt, and then somehow twist out the 16 year old sensor.

The old early 90's Vauxhall engines had the inspection plate thing and a slidey-out input shaft, and only took an hour. It was done that way purely so the home mechanic could do it without any massive skills.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've spent this morning investigating this, has the sensor out and inspected/cleaned it, put it back, light went off for a short while then came back on again. Also investigated the coolant light which is permanently on, to no avail. Eventually I gave up and rang the lad who owns it, he says both lights have been on for yonks so F**K IT!