Quick and Easy Way to Change Your Clutch In a Jeep Wrangler YJ

Expand for Full Description and Links: In this video, watch as I replace my clutch in my 1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ. I was having a rattle coming from underneath that sounded a lot like a bad throwout bearing. The rattle was only present when the clutch was released. As soon as I put a slight pressure on the clutch pedal, the sound would go away. I decided, since I was removing the transmission to gain access to the throwout bearing, that I would replace the clutch and all the other components in the area. After gaining access, my clutch ended up looking pretty good, so Im keeping it as a spare. The throwout bearing was trashed, as well as the pilot bearing was in pieces.
I used the following parts:
1. Luk Clutch Kit (included pressure plate, clutch plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, and clutch plate alignment tool. amzn.to/3E8SvR3
2. I also purchased an all metal throwout bearing because the one included with the Luk kit is 50% plastic and will fail. amzn.to/47jZsfn
3. Pivot Ball - for the clutch fork amzn.to/47tEta3
4. Luk Flywheel amzn.to/445v19P
5. I ordered a new clutch fork, but they were backordered, so I inspected and reused the one I had. amzn.to/3OPnhEo
I did not replace the master/slave, because it was recently done.

[@kdsgarage8475]

I thought this video may help some folks trying to change out their clutch at home. Please let me know your thoughts, and perhaps if you have found a better method. Thanks for watching!

[@solarflare4259]

Thank you for posting this detailed video! Very well done, you also mentioned the torque specs that save time when working .Among other upgrades I plan to do the same job on my '93 YJ...

[@kdsgarage8475]

@@solarflare4259 thank you for the comment! I’m glad the video helped with your project.

[@xLopez210x]

This was fantastic! I've watched about a dozen of these and had forums walk people through it and this by far is pretty detailed and more simplified than all the others. Very nice! earned my sub

[@kdsgarage8475]

Awesome. I’m glad you found it useful. It’s a fairly straight forward process, just time consuming. Good luck with your project!

[@dougharlow6037]

Really good instructions. Tip: Always test fit the new piolt bearing on the transmission shaft for fit before installing it in the crankshaft. There's different size for the same applacation. Great job. I can't believe you did this on a brick drive way. Thanks

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thanks for watching. Yes, definitely.

[@lester219]

About to tackle my 2006 TJ.’s clutch. All sounds point to the throw-out bearing. Watching all videos about Jeep transmission removal and clutch repair. Will definitely have yours up on my iPad along with copious notes. Now I’m making a list of ancillary things to clean, inspect, anti-seize, or replace while under there and taking a lot of things apart. Great video. All I can say is thanks because we all know making and editing this video adds twice the time to the repair.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for the comment. I appreciate the recognition. Getting the right camera angles is challenging sometimes. The editing takes forever on these longer projects. Good luck with your project. It’s not hard. Just take it one step at a time.

[@picflight]

Very well documented and kudos for mostly hand tools use.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you, and thanks for watching. I hope the info was useful!

[@billscaggsify]

Very helpful! I have used a few of your videos now to remodel my 94 YJ.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Awesome! Thank you for watching!

[@johnhammond4397]

So complete and detailed.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@johnpotis]

Great walkthrough.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thanks for watching!

[@LBS4]

Great video, thank you! Need to do my brother and I's '95 YJ this summer.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you. Good luck with your project!

[@dkhallal]

Fan-damn-tastic! The camera angles and step by step with socket sizes is awesome. I think I have a leak in my transmission seal and will have to do this to get to it and of course take care of what you did while in there as well. Got an 89 YJ a few weeks ago and am taking care of as much as I can myself. I’m 61 and have not done any major wrenching in quite a while and this is exactly what I need. Subbed and will be looking at more of your stuff. Thanks for your work.

[@kdsgarage8475]

I am glad it helped. Thanks for watching. Recording the process makes it take a bit longer, especially trying to get the right camera angles in tight areas. The editing can take just as long. Congrats on your 89! We bought ours in October and have done a lot since then. They are very easy to wrench on. I will be making more videos in the future of both past projects and future repairs / upgrades. I'm planning something big for the Corvette in the next month or so as well. It'll be one of a kind.

[@cuttheloop]

Beer taps in the shop. Love it!

[@kdsgarage8475]

Hell Yeah!

[@Bendit1974]

Thank you for this. It helped me argue with the shop that just did a clutch job for me. They spent 6-7 hours on the clutch job only to not have checked the throwback bearings and the collar. Grr. Thanks again!

[@kdsgarage8475]

No Problem. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. All those ancillary parts are very inexpensive and easy to change, it doesn't make any sense to not change them out while you are there. It only ad's a few minutes to the job. All the parts are readily available so availability shouldn't be an excuse either. Good luck with your Jeep and dealing with the shop!!

[@Bendit1974]

@@schmehlk2 Turns out, the clutch install was fine. Do you know what was making a similar sound? It was the starter! It was not retracting enough and barely hitting the starter gear in the trans. SOLVED!

[@schmehlk2]

@@Bendit1974 Glad to hear it was resolved!

[@EpIc_NaChO]

How much did they charge you? I messed up my clutch in my 91

[@bradjolly2925]

Great video

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thanks for watching!

[@heaterz-n-beaterzkicksandc3588]

Between the 6.25 and 6.26 minute mark they're a vital piece of crucial information I feel needs more attention

[@kdsgarage8475]

Please elaborate.

[@starrvalley12]

Like everyone says GREAT DETAILED VIDEO, I have a 1987 yj (original owner), I have the Peugeot trans with the internal slave cylinder, when the slave cylinder goes I'll be changing it to the ax15 trans with external slave cylinder, looks like that's what you have, thanks for the video.

[@schmehlk2]

Hi Ron. That's awesome. I wish I would have had mine from day 1. It would be in much better shape if that was the case. Yes, this is an ax15 with external slave. Thanks for the comment and good luck with your swap.

[@kdsgarage8475]

👍

[@IniguezFamily]

thna Thanks for posting, im going to replace my AX5 tomorrow.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thanks for watching. Good luck with your project!!

[@TheThirstycoyote]

Regarding the pilot bearing , if you can't get the removal tool , pump that hole full of grease , get a bolt that just fits in the hole and hit the bolt with a heavy hammer which force's the grease to push the bearing out from behind , kinda like using the basics of hydraulics , cheers .

[@BWalker-yg9en]

My 4 banger has the pilot in the flywheel. I was pleasantly surprised.

[@kdsgarage8475]

👍

[@Soothsayer-rs5nb]

Great video...you should've shown the install on the pilot bearing ! if you're planning on doing this job with a new flywheel make sure you clean the machine oil off the flywheel with brake clean

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for the comment. You're right. I must have edited out that clip. Maybe I said something stupid, so took it out. haha. It went in real easy. I greased the hole, then I used a socket that was about the same size of the bearing and tapped it in - about a mm or 2 past flush. Then regreased the bearing rollers.

[@jimbob7072]

I loved the Motley Crue music in the back round

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for watching!

[@jimbob7072]

I just picked up a 1990 jeep yj with the 2.5 5 speed I love it

[@kdsgarage8475]

@@jimbob7072 We love our Jeeps. I sold the 94 in this video, and the family was so mad at me. I picked up another 94 a month later. They forgave me.

[@TheThirstycoyote]

Regarding the center bearing , if you can't get the removal tool , just pump that hole where the bearing is full of grease , get a bolt that just fits in the hole , then hit the bolt hard with a heavy hammer , bolt will force the grease to push the bearing out frim behind , basics of hydraulics 👌

[@kdsgarage8475]

Awesome tip! Thank you. I tried the bread method before, but it just made a smelly mess. I didn't think about grease.

[@billscaggs4482]

How do you know how to do all this!?! 🤯🤯 Extremely helpful!!

[@kdsgarage8475]

I'm not a mechanic. Just a hobbyist. This is my second YJ and I've done alot of research, as well as using the Chrysler Tech YJ Service Manual.

[@fallnangel55]

Watched since the internal slave cylinder went… Just replaced and bolting everything together. What a pain, especially lining the bell housing!

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for watching. Once you do it the first time, it gets easier. Good luck with your project!

[@krod2162]

Boy, this looks like a pretty big job to do. I'm gonna have to stop riding my clutch so much. I don't want to have to do this stuff

[@kdsgarage8475]

It wasn’t too bad. As long as you take your time. I’ve done plenty of smaller jobs that sucked a lot worse. The fact that the Jeep has good ground clearance was nice.

[@Saskatchewan_IH_Farmer]

That throw out bearing wear is caused by riding the clutch. You may not think you’re doing it, but even just resting your foot on it between shifts is enough to cause that, or not having your foot all the way down when sitting at a traffic light. When not shifting between gears, it’s best to take your foot completely off the pedal. Also when sitting at a light for more then 10-15 seconds, throw it in neutral and take your foot off the pedal. But I could be wrong too, maybe it’s just a cheap Chinese part. Haha.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thanks for watching! The bearing was completely shot when I bought the jeep. It was a pretty heavy duty bearing, just worn. The clutch kit did come with a shitty Chinese throw out bearing, which is why I replaced it. Before I replaced everything, I developed a habit of resting my foot on the clutch pedal to prevent the bearing from rattling when in neutral. Now that I've replaced the throw out bearing, I needed to retrain myself not to rest my foot on the clutch pedal any more.

[@SouthernGinger]

Great work! I am on course to replace my rear main seal.. I think this is the same steps to get to the seal too right? I have 2.5L and it's not a split seal from what I can tell... like the 4.0s

[@kdsgarage8475]

Good luck on the project. I’m not sure about the 2.5, but I believe the rear main on the 4.0 can be changed by dropping the oil pan and keeping all else in place.

[@Chicken-Emperor]

I just finished up a clutch replacement in my '86 Cherokee with an AX5. I see the part about not forgetting the retainer spring. I'm not familiar with that part and I don't remember seeing any sort of spring in the clutch fork area, so I'm a little concerned that I might have made a big mistake or just not noticed something. I also think I'm losing my mind after working on this thing so much.

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for the comment. The retainer spring is an odd shaped spring that holds the clutch fork to the pivot ball.

[@cuznjoey1976]

dam.. my back and shoulders are hurting from watching this..........

[@kdsgarage8475]

Wasn't too bad. Thanks for watching!

[@justin68434]

Awesome vid! How’s everything working so far? Looking at doing the same on my 90 and saw all that on Amazon and was wondering how it’s held up so far? Also, where did you get that all metal throwout bearing? Thanks!

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for watching and commenting. So far so good. No Issues. The clutch pedal feels way better now. Good luck on your project! Here are the links to the parts I used. Clutch Fork: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FQ7BQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Pivot Ball: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B8X7RY0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Throwout Bearing: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5RS33Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Clutch Kit: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CICYZ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Flywheel: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K0XO64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Throwout Fork / Pivot Ball Retainer Spring: www.amazon.com/Clutch-Throwout-Spring-Wrangler-1997-2006/dp/B01N6ESC4J

[@jackrussellville]

Can the transmission be removed from the bell housing without removing it from the engine? Thanks

[@kdsgarage8475]

Not sure if that’s possible. Never tried. There are ancillary parts inside of the bell housing that might make it difficult. (pivot arm, pilot bearing, etc.)

[@elijahwcj]

Hello, would you mind telling me how you put the service plate back behind the flywheel at 24:00? Maybe my '92 is a little different, but the threads from the engine that accept the bellhousing bolts are raised, and I can't slide the service plate in between the flywheel and the engine.

[@kdsgarage8475]

It was a while ago when I did this, but I believe the plate was slid into place while there was still a decent size gap between the bell housing and the block. I don’t recall any raised portions on the block, but the bell housing has alignment pins that need to go through the plate.

[@elijahwcj]

I appreciate the response on your old video! I managed to get the service plate back in, just had to take the pressure plate, clutch and flywheel off to get it back up there. I'm sure it's just the minor differences between the years. Thanks!

[@dylanhealey1474]

My clutch hasn’t sent an alignment tool will this be a problem when fitting? Also how do you find out the correct torque for the fly and plate, would mine be the same as yours per say? Thanks man :)

[@kdsgarage8475]

Sorry for the late reply. How did it work out for you?

[@gliderarts3573]

mine shaking 2 throwouts destroyed.. new.luk is now shaking ticking...shop installed my luk tb was in kit is all metal nissan hb truck

[@kdsgarage8475]

Yeah, the luk throw outs suck. They feel like a featherweight POS. Gotta order the full metal / cast ones.

[@teng-yingchung7295]

hello why do you need to disassemble the 4 transmission lever device at 9:56 .thanks

[@kdsgarage8475]

So you can move the trans and transfer case back.

[@teng-yingchung7295]

@@kdsgarage8475 What I mean is that if you don’t need to disassemble the transfer case, you don’t need to disassemble the 4-speed gear lever base.

[@IniguezFamily]

the bad throw-out bearing that you replaced, was it the one with the plastic parts?

[@kdsgarage8475]

The clutch kit came with a plastic one. I didn’t use that one. I replaced it with the all metal one. The throughout that was removed from the Jeep was metal, it was just old.

[@lornekrause8953]

You did not show putting the pilot bushing in other wise good show

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you!

[@colbyhann1808]

only half way through video and maybe you answer this in it but is this a 6 cylinder or 4?

[@kdsgarage8475]

Hi Colby, this is the 4.0 inline 6.

[@mascatrails661]

Man I appreciate the detailed instructional but I dunno about calling this job quick or easy.

[@kdsgarage8475]

If I can do it, anyone can!

[@billscaggs4482]

How long did all this take you?

[@kdsgarage8475]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! I did this over a 2 day period. You could probably get in done in one day, but I needed to rent some tools to complete the project. I would say 6-8 hours. Without taking the time to get the correct camera angles for the video and knowing how its done, I can probably get it done in 4 hours (if nothing breaks while removing).

[@politegangsta]

You didn't mention the two m12(torx socket bolts) at the top of the transmission. They're both securing mounting brackets.

[@kdsgarage8475]

👍

[@cuttheloop]

@ 6:25 deez nuts xD

[@kdsgarage8475]

hahaha! yes sir.

[@tristonthompson8090]

Will this clutch kit work on my 92 yj?

[@kdsgarage8475]

Yes, as long as you have the 4.0L engine. Its the same for 91-95 models with the 4.0L engine.

[@tristonthompson8090]

@@kdsgarage8475 🙏

[@tomasheredia2514]

what transmission jack ate you using?

[@kdsgarage8475]

I picked it up at harbor freight. I think it was 80-90 bucks. Comes in handy for lots of projects. Works great when I need to drop my fuel tank too.

[@kdsgarage8475]

I also use it as a dirt bike stand. The castors make pivoting my bike around the garage really easy.

[@tomasheredia2514]

@@kdsgarage8475 nice! The 450lb one?

[@kdsgarage8475]

@@tomasheredia2514 Yes. Sorry for the late reply. I'm not sure how I missed your question. I'm sure you figured it out by now. lol

[@mikeonderchanin3026]

Sandals?

[@kdsgarage8475]

Haha. Yup. I live in south Florida, so flip flops are year round. Those are my garage sandals.

[@adamiacovetta522]

What yr is your jeep, is that a 4liter?

[@kdsgarage8475]

94. Yes, this is the 4.0 inline 6.

[@adamiacovetta522]

Thanks for sharing, very good video.

[@cristobalcazares4448]

Si

[@kdsgarage8475]

👍