Acura CL (2.2/2.3) Clutch and Flywheel Replacement

Park on a flat, solid surface and raise the front of the car onto jack stands, then remove both front wheels. Under the hood, disconnect and remove the battery; pulling the battery tray as well opens up more room, though it can be left in place. Take off the intake assembly to expose the top of the transaxle. Finally, drain the manual transmission fluid using a 3/8-inch drive ratchet on the drain plug, and let it empty completely into a catch pan.

Detach the two electrical cables at the starter motor, then unbolt the starter itself, which is held by two bolts. Next, unbolt the hydraulic slave cylinder from the transmission (two more bolts) and set it aside with its line still attached. Once the slave is loose, never press the clutch pedal, as that can push the piston out. Keep all of the clutch lines from getting kinked while you work.

Unplug the back-up light switch connector. Remove the transmission ground strap and the starter cable clamp. Locate and unplug the vehicle speed sensor (VSS), then release the wiring harness clamp that runs along the nearby black tube so the harness can be swung clear of the bellhousing.

Unbolt the shifter cable bracket, held by three bolts, and move it out of the way. Detach both shift cables from the transmission: pull the cotter pin, then slide off the metal washer followed by the plastic washer, and note that exact order so it reassembles the same way. Pull each cable end off its stud.

Unbolt the clutch damper bracket, which carries two hard lines, by removing its two bolts. Then trace the line from the slave cylinder back to the transmission and remove the two bolts securing the hard line there. Handle these lines carefully; bending them can damage the hydraulic circuit.

Remove the two upper transmission-to-engine mounting bolts; both are 17mm, and the rear one, toward the firewall, needs a long extension to reach. Then take off the lower engine splash shield, which is held by seven bolts and three fastener clips, and set it aside.

Loosen and remove both 36mm axle nuts; without air tools you will need a breaker bar and cheater pipe for the required torque. Pull the cotter pins and castle nuts from the lower ball joints on each side and separate the ball joints from the lower control arms. Loosen the lower damper fork bolt so the strut can be pushed aside (the fork does not have to come off completely). On the passenger side, remove the radius arm: two bolts at the control arm plus the single bolt at the crossmember.

Pull both driveshafts out of the hubs and transmission. Remove the intermediate shaft next by taking out its three bolts and sliding it from the transaxle. If you are reusing the driver-side axle, it can be easier to draw it out together with the intermediate shaft rather than separating the two on the car.

Remove the center beam, which is held by three bolts at the front and two at the rear; depending on clearance this beam can sometimes stay in place. Take off the clutch inspection cover (three bolts), which then wiggles free. Finally remove the small black intake manifold bracket near the oil filter on the passenger side, held on by two bolts.

Slide a floor jack under the transmission to carry its weight. Remove the three bolts of the rear mount bracket. From up top, remove the upper transmission mount: three bolts into the case plus the main through-bolt in the rubber mount. Then take out the last two bolts near the rear mount and the single bolt beside the slave cylinder.

With every fastener and mount removed, work the transaxle away from the engine. It usually binds on the firewall side even after the front breaks loose from the locating dowels; rock and pry it patiently rather than forcing it, and use only light hammer taps if it truly refuses to move. Once the input shaft clears the pressure plate, lower the unit down on the jack, taking care not to snag the hydraulic lines on the way out.

Unbolt the pressure plate, which is retained by six bolts of roughly 10 to 12mm. These require a 12-point socket. With the bolts out, pull the pressure plate off and the clutch disc will come away behind it. Inspect the flywheel friction surface and the release bearing while everything is exposed.

If you are replacing the flywheel, remove its eight retaining bolts (17mm), again using a 12-point socket; they are torqued tight, so lock the flywheel from turning with a holding tool or a helper. If you intend to reuse the original flywheel, have it resurfaced at a machine shop to clear the glazing, since a glazed face will make the fresh clutch slip. A new lightweight flywheel is often cheap enough to simply fit instead; for a daily driver, avoid dropping below about 10 lb so the car stays easy to launch.

Torque a new flywheel to 75 ft-lb. Fit the clutch disc and pressure plate, running the alignment tool through the disc hub to center the disc. Snug the six pressure plate bolts partway, then withdraw the alignment tool and sight straight through the center: an even ring of flywheel should show all the way around the hub. If it sits off-center the transmission will not slide back on, so nudge the disc by hand until it is truly centered. Finish by torquing the pressure plate bolts to 19 ft-lb.

With the transmission still out, replace the rear main seal now while access is easy. Then reinstall the transaxle and reassemble everything in reverse order, torquing the mounts and reconnecting the axles, shift linkage, hydraulics, and electrical connectors. Refill the gearbox with about two quarts of genuine Honda manual transmission fluid; the fill plug takes a 17mm and sits just to the left of the passenger-side axle. Reconnect the battery, then bed in the new clutch with gentle driving before any hard use.