How hard is clutch replacement?

Put the car up on jack stands as high as you can get it. The big trick to doing a T5 and making it easy on yourself is to take the trans out of the bell housing and remove it by itself (as opposed to trying to take the whole trans/bell out together). Then take off the bell and clutch/flywheel and replace the clutch. Then put the clutch/flywheel/bell back on and then slip the trans into the bell.

I have a friend...this is no exageration...i saw him do a T5 clutch in just over a half hour. He's got it down so good that as long as no bolts are stripped or anything like that, and the car is up off the ground good, it's easy like rotating tires. The trick he uses for getting the trans in (by himself by the way) is to lay under the car on your side with the trans next to you, and sort of hug the trans and roll over on your back so that it's laying on your chest. Of course, if you're 130lbs you might not wanna try this....just make sure that the weight of the trans isn't going to kill you..lol. With it on your chest you should be almost high enough to slip it into the bell and you should only have to lift it a few inches so it doesn't take a lot of strength...it's more about getting in the right position.

Another cool trick he tought me is one that totally surprised the hell out of me. Most people have heard of packing grease in to remove the pilot bearing....that works, but he uses 2 slices of white bread (seriously..lol). Take the bread and smash it into the hole piece by piece and then do the same trick to pop it out as you would use with the grease....the advantage is that at the end you don't have a greasy mess to clean up...just pull the bread out and you're done.

If you're working alone it's always nice to have a spare jack to help support anything that you can't hold up yourself....like raising the back of the trans so you can put the cross member back in. Also go ahead and replace your rear main seal while you have the trans out...it's only like $12 and it's good to know you have a fresh seal back there since they usually leak.

Do not try it with the h or x pipe on the car.
I know it's tempting, so tempting that i did it. too bad my finger took like 3 weeks to heal from smashing the trans on it between the pipe (catless x, don't know if it will come out with an h). I was a dumb kid, what can i say.

The first time I did it I tried not to empty the trans, big mistake, take the fluid out and follow the steps, take your time with the speedo gear and harnesses. It took me a couple days b/c i just took my sweet old time and didnt work on it like a mission.

if you cant change your tire, or dont know how to use a torque wrench you should probably pay to play

All the above tips are good, and another good method of getting the trans in and out, especially if you're a skinny little fella, is to have someone inside the car loop a length of rope through the shifter hole and under the tail of the trans. This way they can support most of the weight of the trans while you navigate it in or out, and you don't risk putting a bending load on the input shaft. Make sure you trust the person with the rope if you seriously can't support the weight of the trans yourself. Actually, on second thought, if you can't support the weight of a T-5, you NEED a jack for this job, and probably a few bench press sessions.

FYI, a dry T-5 (sans bell housing) weighs somewhere between 77-80 lbs IIRC.

Before you get started, buy a Chilton or Haynes shop manual. You will need it for the bolt torques and patterns.

1.) Jack up the car front and rear, use jack stands to be safe.
2.) Put a 2x4 wood block under the engine oil pan to support the engine. Jack it up slightly. This prevents damage to the motor mounts when the transmission mount is removed. The oil pan is plenty strong for this purpose. Disconnect the negative battery cable. You will need a couple of extensions and a ½” swivel socket to remove the top starter mount bolt, which is accessed from the front and under the headers. Leave the starter wiring connected unless you plan to change the starter at this time.
3.) Label all the wiring for the transmission before disconnecting it. Disconnect the O2 sensor cables at their connectors. Disconnect the speedo cable by pulling it straight out of the VSS sensor, or by removing the bolt that holds the VSS sensor in place. If you remove the VSS sensor, zip bag & tag it along with the bolt that secures in place.
4.) Remove the drive shaft, the rear bolts are 12 MM. You will need a high quality 12 point wrench for this: do not skimp or you risk rounding off the bolt heads. A helper to step on the brake to keep the drive shaft from turning will be helpful. Use your foot to apply pressure to the wrench to loosen the bolts. Note the yellow markings in the drive shaft and write down their alignment.
5.) Put a catch pan under the rear of the transmission to catch the fluid when you slide the yoke out of the transmission. I recommend that you drain the transmission at this time. There is a pair of pipe plug filler ports on the side of the transmission. Use the lower plug to drain the fluid.
6.) Inside the car, remove the shifter boot and then remove the shifter handle
7.) Remove the H pipe & rear trans cross member. The chassis to cross member bolts are metric, you need a 15 MM & 17 MM socket or wrench. Note the direction and size of the humps on the cross member and write it down. Inspect the rear transmission mount and replace if damaged.
8.) Remove the transmission. You will need a long extension & a universal joint with a ¾” socket. A transmission jack or a helper is almost a must have unless you can bench press 75-100 pounds with ease.
8.) Remove the clutch cable cover and pry the throwout bearing arm forward enough to slide the cable off.
9.) Remove the bell housing using the long extension & a universal joint socket. Note how the throwout bearing rides it the throwout bearing arm, and which end faces the clutch pressure plate. Write it down or make a drawing if necessary.
10.) Remove the bolts securing the pressure plate to flywheel. Be sure to label & zip bag them separately from the rest of the parts. Work in a star pattern to reduce stress on the pressure plate mounting tabs.
11.) Remove the flywheel mount bolts, as you will need to either replace or re-surface the flywheel. Be sure to label & zip bag them separately from the rest of the parts. Tap the locator dowels out of the flywheel with a 1/4" pin punch. Zip bag them together with the flywheel bolts.
12.) Inspect the transmission input shaft where the throwout bearing rides. Replace it if worn or damaged.
13.) Inspect the throwout bearing, throwout bearing arm and ball pivot stud for wear or damage.
14.) Inspect the rear oil seal for leakage and replace if required.
15.) Remove & replace the pilot bearing. A puller borrowed or rented is helpful here. A wood block will be used to drive it home.
16.) Install the flywheel, noting that the bolts are an odd pattern, and it only lines up one way so that all the bolts go in easily. Torque to specs according to the shop manual. Install the locator dowels at this time.
17.) Install the clutch disk with the hub springs facing the rear of the car. Use a pilot tool available for $3-$4 from the auto parts store to line it up.
18. Install the pressure plate, be sure to use the pilot tool prior to tightening the pressure plate bolts. Torque to specs according to the shop manual. Remove the pilot tool when you are finished torquing the bolts.
19.) Install the throwout bearing on the throwout bearing arm, noting the direction of the bearing and it mounting in the arm.
20.) Install the bell housing. Torque to specs according to the shop manual.
21. Install the transmission, have the transmission jack or helper at hand to lift it into place. Watch out that the stub of the shifter does not tear the shifter boot. Some 7/16 bolts with the heads cut off can be used to help support the transmission as you slide it home. It may be necessary to press the clutch pedal to get the transmission to slide the last ½” or so. Remove the guide studs if you used them & torque to specs according to the shop manual.
22.) Reinstall the clutch cable by prying on the throwout bearing arm. Replacement of the stock cable or quadrant is recommended if you haven’t already done so. With adjustable cables, both nuts go on the back side of the throwout bearing arm.
23.) Reinstall the rear crossmember & transmission mount. Torque to specs according to the shop manual.
24.) Reinstall the wiring and speedo cable or VSS sensor if you removed it.
25.) Reinstall the drive shaft, slide the yoke in place. Align the rear yellow markings and install the bolts. A helper to step on the brake to keep the drive shaft from turning will be helpful. Use your foot to apply pressure to the wrench to tighten the bolts.
26.) Remove the jack from under the engine oil pan.
27.) Refill the transmission with the proper fluid. T5’s use Dextron ATF, Tremec 3550’s use GM Synchromesh. There is a pair of pipe plug filler ports on the side of the transmission. Use the top plug as the filler port.
28.) Adjust the clutch cable according the manufacturer’s instructions if you have an adjustable cable & quadrant. Set the emergency brake and use the drag it provides in order to determine where the clutch starts to engage. You should have 1 -1 ½” free play from the top. The cable will not have any slack and will have some preload on it when properly adjusted.
29.) Re-install the H pipe and remaining items.
30.) When you have visually checked all the bolts, fittings and other parts are present and not interfering with each other, then take the car down off the jack stands.
31.) Be prepared to put the car back up on the jack stands to adjust the clutch and tighten up any loose items found after the test drive…

If you have a T5, you may be able to remove the trans & re-install it if you can bench press the 75 lbs that it weighs. If 75 lbs is too heavy, don't hurt yourself, get a trans jack. If your car has a Tremec 3550 or TKO, you will need a helper or trans jack because it weighs 100 + lbs. I built a trans jack from 2x2 angle iron, some swivel casters, 2x4's, 2x6's and a cheap floor jack. PM me if you are interested & I will send you the photos (8 MB) with the write up.

While you are at it, replace the stock cable & quadrant if it is still present. When you buy the cable & quadrant and maybe a firewall adjuster, make sure they are all the same make. That way you have some assurance that they work together. I have a FMS quadrant & cable, & have had no problems with it. The FMS adjustable cable doesn't stretch and operates smoothly. The only thing is that you have to get under the car to make adjustments.

Also see the thread in the Useful Tech Sticky.

Good luck.

Personally i like to take the exhaust out...but i have full lengths so my bolts are right there under the car so it's much easier for me. It would probably save you some headache in the long run when you're trying to work the trany around the mid pipe.

Good tips here already!

Try clicking the link in my signature for some further help.