ZS 180 Clutch

[Squeaks]

Morning.

What sort of job is it to do the clutch on a 2004 180? is it something that can be done at home or is it strictly a garage job?

thanks

Dan

[stamford]

Depends on your skills, patience, room to do it and tools.

[Phate]

Having done one and knowing how much of a slag it is I would say if you have the time, patience, and a fully loaded workshop then give it a go. Otherwise...

[Squeaks]

How in excessable is it? could it be done in say a day?

[Phate]

How in excessable is it? could it be done in say a day?

Depends how good you are with a spanner. Book time is 5hours for one. Obviously gearbox has to come off, and that means jacking the car up as it comes off from underneith the car. Like I said if you have the tools, time and patience then go for it...but heed my warning there is NO 5 minute job on a ZS180 :p


(Take this from someone who has had the engine out of his car)

[Squeaks]

Just need to make sure before i tell my father lol as hes the machanic.
might be easier just to book it in.

just to check before i spend out money.

the bite was quite low till last night n it seemed to "jump" n the bite is now quite high, the peddle seems high aswell. so im guessing thats a new clutch needed?

[Phate]

Just need to make sure before i tell my father lol as hes the machanic.
might be easier just to book it in.

just to check before i spend out money.

the bite was quite low till last night n it seemed to "jump" n the bite is now quite high, the peddle seems high aswell. so im guessing thats a new clutch needed?

Easiest way to tell if you need a clutch. Find a hill, stick it in 5th and floor it, if the revs go up then it's slipping and you need a clutch.


My peddle was REALLY high before I did mine, but in the time leading upto it I just adjusted the peddle so it was a useable height, when you push the clutch peddle down does it go any distance before you feel it start to move the clutch at all? Like freeplay in the peddle? Kinda hard to describe.

To gain access to a clutch (from off the top of my head)


Jack the car up and put it on axle stands, remove the 2 front wheels, disconnect the driveshafts (drivers side is a pig due to it being bolted to the rear of the engine), disconnect the slave cylinder from the box, unbolt the gearbox then a sharp 'tap' with the hammer should loosen it and it should come off.

Replace the clutch then its pretty much just a reversal to get it all back on. It's a pig of a job if the engine is in the car, but nothing on those cars is easy to do anyway.

[Squeaks]

how do i adjust the peddle?

[Phate]

Something else I should add, anything, mechanically, on the ZS, is more than doable, if you have the time, patience, and tools to do it.

It's not like a lot of modern cars which are ridden with sensors, this that and whatever else, it's a very old school kind of car in that sense...like if something goes wrong you can fix it with a spanner and a large hammer :D - So don't be afraid.

Just take your time, keep a cool head, and it'll be fine :) - I saved myself an absolute packet by doing all the work myself on my car.

[Phate]

how do i adjust the peddle?

It's awkward, but if you look in the drivers footwell where the peddles are you'll see where the clutch peddle is bolted in you should be able to loosen it, and the peddle should drop down till it hits the master cylinder arm, tighten it back up and double check it still works ok.

[Steves Cleenz]

are you sure the clutch has gone and its just not the hyrdraulics?

clutch is pretty easy to do on them, i did mine in 2.5 hrs, hired a ramp at where my mate works makes it lot easier to do on a ramp though,

the way i did it was:


remove:

passenger wheel
battery/airfilter
starter motor


undo earth strap
undo driver/passenger bottom ball joint and pull drive shaft out
undo bolts that hold gearbox on (IIRC theres about 7)
remove gearbox
replace clutch
and dont forget to allign the clutch or else it will be constant clutch judder

[Squeaks]

It's awkward, but if you look in the drivers footwell where the peddles are you'll see where the clutch peddle is bolted in you should be able to loosen it, and the peddle should drop down till it hits the master cylinder arm, tighten it back up and double check it still works ok.

Thank you, ill try that first :D:thankyou:

[will-w]

As said above, it can easily be done in a day.. My father-in-law and I spent a day teaching outselves how to change the clutch & gearbox on the other half Spaxo, granted it wasn't a v6 beast but the process is the same!

Will be doing the clutch on my derv soon, I think it's on its way out :( Has done 94.5k miles in 4 years, so isn't doing bad! :D

[Steves Cleenz]

also forgot to say, whilst the box is off take the clutch arm shaft out and clean it up with some sand paper and grease the shaft, as these are known for corroding and causing the shaft to seize

[SticklesMickles]

5 hours book time seams a bit extreme.

We were doing scooby ones in under 5 hours and that is with AWD drivetrain!?
Nothing will ever beat the old vauxhall ones though (f13 gear box?) you could do them in about half an hour LOL

Remove inspection plate, fit clamps, remove bolt on end of gearbox, unscrew other bolt, push clutch pedal down and the clutch just drops out if i remember rightly :D

[Dan1971]

The book time is 3.1 hours labour. I got mine done last month.

[arwilson80]

5 hours book time seams a bit extreme.

We were doing scooby ones in under 5 hours and that is with AWD drivetrain!?

What kept you? ;) Seen them done in sub 30 mins. :D

[SticklesMickles]

What kept you? ;) Seen them done in sub 30 mins. :D


The first time we did mine, it took around 8 hours as the dowels on the box were seized :(