Hi There,
Does anyone have a guide or a section of workshop manual covering the replacement of a M101 Storia/Sirion clutch? Its the 4 cylinder 1298cc engine so access is tight, I’m hoping that by carefully unbolting and lowering the subframe on the right hand side of the engine bay will give me enough room to wiggle the gearbox out?
Or does the entire engine need removing to do this? I really hope not!
TIA
I have not done a sirion one but have done many mira/move ones which have a cradle with them also and the easiest way was engine out. You may have a bit more room in a sirion though but then i just read again and realized it’s the 4cylinder so it may very well be engine out.
Thanks, do you know if the engine needs to come out the top or bottom of the engine bay?
I also need to fix the mangled auxiliary belt tensioner bolt which is virtually impossible in situ, replace the thermostat and ideally replace the tensioner and belt too so there are a few jobs which will be easier when the engine is free.
The car has AC, which amazingly works (!) - I assume this will need to be depressurised before I remove the engine? And then regassed afterwards
Removing the engine can be done via top or bottom. If by the top you need to take it out of the cradle if via the bottom you can keep it in the cradle. It’s really what would be best for you. My preference is always to take out via the top while other’s prefer dropping the cradle with engine gearbox wheels shocks etc all intact.
With the ac if you can possible disconnect the compressor from the engine and unbolt it and wiring etc unplugged as long as you can shoehorn around it all without having to release gas or damage piping then it is possible to not lose your gas. easier but more expensive version is to as you said have it depressurised and then later regassed.
Moving on from the actual procedure to the parts themselves.
Has anyone ever fitted an ‘uprated’ or ‘performance’ clutch to a car and what were the results?
This is going to be a roadcar, I don’t want a racing clutch that will be a pig to deal with in the ubiquitous traffic round here, but is an upgraded stage 1 organic clutch from the likes of Black Diamond worthwhile? Clutch replacement is a big job by the looks of it, so I’m tempted to go for a stock clutch kit from BluePrint on the basis the OEM original clutch has managed 117k miles absolutely fine. Its also helpfully half the price of the uprated unit.
Does anyone have any views or experience on this? Its a third car so can be worked on at my leisure in the garage within reason - I sort of plan to do this over next winter when the car will be off the road anyway.
Engine and box out from the top and separate them once out of the car. What is your concern about an “uprated” clutch? Such a kit should have a higher force pressure plate. A well-designed one will have a lighter pedal feel with more clamping force. This is because the pivot ring is moved and the leverage point on the diaphragm creates more force on the driving plate and the “lever” effect means a lighter pedal. The only caveat is sometimes the need for a change in length of the throw-out bearing collar. Measure the position of the clutch fork and ensure the new setup is exactly the same. As for clutch discs, “uprated” should mean a more solid rivet setup, maybe better metal and the friction material should handle a bit more heat and maybe have better friction (think brake pad material).
Do your best not to remove the AC lines. Just unbolt unit and hang it out of the way.