Clutch Replacement - Rear Main Seal also?

I’m going to be replacing my clutch in the next few days and came across various threads and videos recommending replacement of the rear main seal on the motor. Seems reasonable to me to go ahead and do it while the transmission is off the truck.

Are there any other preventative maintenance items I should replace while the transmission is off?

Im also having a hard time figuring out the part number for the seal. The closest I’m getting is 90311-A0027, but one thread labeled that as an old part number that is now superseded by another, so I’m not confident that is the correct one.

Thanks for the help and advice!

 

I have not done my clutch yet, but these are my notes from it for when it comes time to do the clutch myself: I am curious as to the part number on the rear main seal too.

Tacoma 3rd Gen Clutch

Replace the Following

Release Fork $127 - Part# 31204-35100

Pivot Ball 31236B

Rear Main Seal

Spline grease Part# 08887-01706


(Not needed because it comes with the kit)

Throw out (Release) Bearing $115 – Part# 31230-35151 (Comes with Centerforce)

Flywheel $574 - Part# 13405-31140 (Comes with Centerforce)

Clutch & Pressure Plate $239 + $141 - Part# 31210-35310 & 31250-35481

(Comes with Centerforce)

Alignment Tool

************************************************************

Notes:

OEM is Aisin

Lots of grease on the pivot points

Transmission Jack

Rear Main Seal installs dry per manufacturer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiSnW_JWBhA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwBFcvMe4OE

 

@JFriday1 thanks for that list, it’s super helpful! I too am picking up a Centerforce instead of OEM, and I’m hoping it will last a long time and be a real improvement. I’ll let you know if I can confirm the proper rear main seal part number.

@STEELeR43 would you strongly recommend the master and slave cylinders replacement? It doesn’t seem like it would require dropping the trans to replace if I have an issue down the road and I’ve had no signs of issues with hydraulics. I’ll be swapping the clutch myself because of the high labor cost and I have the ability to do it myself. I’ve been happy with the accumulator as-is so I don’t plan to delete.

 

Sorry. I deleted my post because previous post had answers. But if your going to do clutch job, I recommend replace clutch master, and slave all one time. Since you are underneath your Tacoma. No worries about clutch accumulator, if it ever goes out, can only get it from dealer, if I not mistaken. It cost around $140.

 

Check coolant crossover at the rear of engine for signs of leakage. It is a known failure point and having the trans out is he easiest way to get at it. Part is pretty cheap but the labor is significant if i remember.

 

Here’s a picture of the back of the engine, the wonky plastic coolant crossover is well worth replacing while you have the tranny out.

 

MOST defiantly, a must check. If it is the seeping the pink corrosion will be in you face with the tranny off.

 

FYI @JFriday1 and anyone else planning to swap their own clutch:

This job is a PITA!! I luckily had help for most of the job and I don't know if I could have done it solo. I have a few pointers that will hopefully be helpful:

1. KFlo's video is super helpful for most of the job, but please beware that the torque specs he gives seem to be for 2nd gen, and do not match what I found in the factory service manual for the 2016 model. I'll provide what I wrote down, but please do your own check to make sure I didn't make a mistake.

2. The bellhousing bolts are a mixture of 14mm and 17mm heads. The 17mms are all the same length and go in the uppermost holes (4 bolts if I remember correctly.) The 14mm are in two different lengths; the shorter bolts are for two lower holes toward the passenger side of the housing. Lastly, KFlo indicated that 4 top bolts were reachable with 3' or so of extensions. I found that the leftmost of the upper four bolts was not accessible this way and it was terrible to try and get it undone due to the body & exhaust manifold blocking most of the space. I had to muscle it out with a short ratchet and a universal (not fun!) I hope someone else finds a better way to do that.

3. The flywheel bolts are 12 point and not 6 point, so make sure you have those sockets in your arsenal.

4. The flywheel bolts are marked in the manual as single-use, so these are likely stretch bolts and I would make sure to always use new bolts along with the typical recommendation of resurfacing or replacing the flywheel itself.

5. For anyone swapping to a Centerforce clutch, make sure you read the docs they provide. The torque values for the bolts that they provide differ from OEM, and they recommend a couple of drops of loctite on the flywheel, but claim that it's unnecessary on the pressure plate (sidenote: the flywheel and pressure plate bolts in their kit are also 12 point.)

Here's the torque values I wrote down. Please double check me.

Rear seal cover - 10ftlb
Centerforce II Flywheel - loctite - (sequence) hand to flush, 25ftlb, 45ftlb, 70ftlb
Centerforce II Pressure plate - hand to flush, 24ftlb

Bell 17mm - 53ftlb
Bell 14mm - 28ftlb

Crossmember - 30ftlb

Clutch hydraulics - 10mm - 9ftlb
Hydraulic bleeder - 8ftlb

Rear driveshaft - 65ftlb
Rear driveshaft center bearing support - 27ftlb

Front driveshaft - 65ftlb

Center exhaust Y-pipe:
Driver side to manifold - 35 ftlb
Passenger side to manifold - 32 ftlb
To tailpipe - 35ftlb

 

That was amazing! Thanks for all of that info. Saves me a trip to the TIS website for the torque values and I might pick up a few tools for it too now.

Mine has 80k right now, So I am thinking that a new clutch will be in order in the next couple of years since I haul 700-1000 pounds around.

Did you ever track down the rear main seal part number?

 

90311-A0027 is what I bought from the dealership. I'm not sure what that previous thread was talking about or if the dealer sold me the old part. Either way I didn't see any signs of my seal failing and hope the same for the new seal.

 

$58 GEARWRENCH 3/8" Drive Locking Impact Extension, 33" - 84438N

https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-84438N-Locking-Impact-Extension/dp/B01N41Q9QO/

 

I don't know if one exists for the 3rd gens yet, but if you can get an upgraded throwout bearing, do it. This stupid bearing wears out super fast and chirps like mad. I know there are some kits out there that put a sleeve over the bell housing end. The way the fork moves the bearing is ridiculous and puts more pressure on one side of the bearing, making it loosen and chirp.

Would be worth doing some research before you just put a new OEM throwout bearing on there.

 

I bought the centerforce kit, which came with a TOB, but I’m not sure if it’s an upgrade or not. I haven’t had a problem with my OEM part (117k miles) so I didn’t consider checking into a different one.

 

How did the coolant crossover pipe check out?

 

Inspected it and didn’t see any signs of failure or dry rot. But holy crap I hope that doesn’t fail. It would be such a pain to get to without dropping the trans, if even possible.

 

if there was no pink corrosion then you are good.
Dropping the trans is the way the dealer did it on my 2016.

 

Advise I've always heard is to not touch the rear main on cars unless you see signs of leakage.

 

I just did mine a couple weeks ago, replaced with the Centerforce Dual Friction full kit (TOB, flywheel w bolts, plate, clutch w bolts, alignment tool, spline grease). My 20 Pro has about 45k miles, but I tow a 4k lb boat and the OEM clutch had noticeably deteriorated. The new clutch is awesome, drives much better than OEM ever did, including while towing. Old clutch had a fair amount of glazing on both the flywheel and clutch assembly, but there was still material on the disk. The OEM does not do well with towing, so I chose the dual friction for better grab.

Did the work on my own. I also watched KFlos vids, and they were very helpful, thought there are some minor differences, like some of the wiring adapters. Also, V6 and R62F tranny does not have a pilot bearing that I had seen in videos of older gens. I bought a bunch of impact extensions and was able to get the 4 top bolts off with that method. The key is to get the transmission support off and let it droop which exposes the bolts enough to reach them. Having one wobble extension in front is also key to reach these. Long jack stands help getting under the truck, but the trans jack has to have good reach to be able to get full throw.

I didn’t need to break open the clutch line when taking things apart to get the transmission out. I did disconnect the slave cylinder from the trans, but could let it hang out of the way (I had already done the accumulator delete mod). However, the hyd line has a bracket that is bolted to the top front of the trans, bolt head faces the driver’s side. That was the most difficult thing to reach on both removal and installation of the trans, and since it is a hard line has almost no give. You have to reach and unbolt that bracket while the engine and trans are drooped before trying to separate the trans from the engine - the little space it has closes up if you start to pull the trans away from the engine.

I did not have to replace the rear main seal, the clutch fork, master or slave cylinders, or the coolant crossover. Mine were all in good shape. But clean everything out and grease up things that are supposed to be greased. The trans shaft gets a thin film of the grease that comes with the Centerforce clutch. The TOB they sent me has plastic sleeve, so no grease on that.

Wedging the trans out, then back in when putting back together were a challenge, small space, and it’s heavy and cumbersome. You don’t have to remove the brackets that connect from tranny to the exhaust, but you have to completely remove the exhaust on the driver’s side as it crosses under the trans. I also had to disconnect the exhaust by that bracket on the passenger side as I couldn’t get the bellhousing past it, but pushing it aside was good enough, removal not necessary. Getting the trans off the motor and back on is about having the shaft aligned with the flywheel. If they are aligned it goes smoothly. If it’s off they won’t go together. Prealigning a spline on both flywheel and with a shaft spline really worked great. I had to lower the back of the truck to get them lined up, and then it almost slid back onto the motor by itself.

Finally, I had to make pedal adjustments - that’s a challenge too. Really need to remove the plastic panels under the steering wheel and by the left foot, then a circuit box. Those bolts are impossible to reach otherwise.

I’m glad I did it, probably saved a ton of money. But it’s a tough job. But the upgraded clutch made it worth it.