pendleman

Hello, could someone out there please advise me. I have never taken the engine and box out of an Impreza before, until yesterday... I couldn't separate the engine from the box whilst in the car, so, no bother, i took them out together thinking i would pull them apart outside the car. I struggled for 2 hours and still the buggers won't separate! Am i being completely stupid or is there something i've missed, all the studs and bolts are out of the bell housing and it's a UK type '96 model saloon.
Please could someone shine some light?

Thanks

kirby 32

did you see a large allen key type cap underneath were the starter motor is mate , you have to take that off and inside you will see a bar with a ten mill thread cut into it , put a ten mill bolt into that , needs to be a pretty long one , then you have to pull that shaft out which should release the clutch then they will seperate mate kirby32

pendleman

Many thanks Kirby32, much appreciated, i'll be on with it tomorrow.

Pendleman

911

Kirby is right that this MUST be done before you carry on.
BUT, there are 2 x 10mm dowls one on the left and other on the right of the engine/box faces.
These corrode to a 'welded together' degree. Tap them having drowned the joints in WD40 to break the bond. The rest is to progressivly prise the faces in a very brutal way. Everyone has the same problem and we all know how frustrating it all is!
It will split eventually, mine took 2 hours first time in the car.You will have found out buy now the unit is very heavy, when free support the box as it is a lot heavier than you may think!
Get those dowls free first. Copper slip the lot on re-assy and ensure the dowls are in place when all is finally back in place or the clutch will give you 10 x the grief you have suffered so far! (I have that T shirt....)
911

tweenierob

Some good advice from both people so far, just to add... once you have removed the rod behind the hex plug pull the clutch arm up as if you were trying to pull it out of the hole in the top of the box, this will unlocate it in the release bearing.
Also just to back up what 911 said, sometimes you have to be brutal to seperate them, the dowels are bitches! it may mean starting with a small flat head screw driver and working up sizes in between teh engine and gearbox to seperate them.

There are slightly (read highly) more brutal ways if this does not work, like lifting the engine and box up again and putting a block of wood under the rear of the box, then drop the engine hoist suddenly (without engine touching floor) so that the box and engine seperate when teh box touches the wood. This is by far the last resort!!!!!

Rob

KLR16V

iTrader: (2)

As above but it is 6mm

Mark

Andy.F

Tip for reassembly, so you don't have to fish around with the release arm trying to locate the release bearing, assuming you have the clutch off, release the round clip retaining the bearing to the cover, fit the release bearing on to the gearbox shaft and fit the release arm, pivot pin and cap.
Once you bolt the eng/box together give the release arm one rearward push and the release bearing will click into place, locking into the clutch cover.

Andy

Thats a 6mm bolt with a 10mm head in case anyones confused

pendleman

Thank's very much for all that, if i can't shift them apart now...there's no hope!

Thanks all

Pendleman

911

Yes there is, a bigger cold chisle....
When it's all apart it is hard to see just what gave all the grief, but I'm sure its the bloody dowls.
Last time I hade some machined at work just 2 thou (our lathes are imperial) down to ease the fit slightly.
Even thought of drilling and tapping 2 'ejector' holes close to the dowls in the gearbox bell housing.
Next time (heaven forbid unless it's for a 6 speeder) I will.

911.