How to change the clutch on a Rover 800 / Sterling
Release left driveshaft nut. Jack it up and support on stands ..
have a helper remove the airbox and battery ..
remove LH roadwheel, brake caliper and disc, lower balljoint. Swing hub off
driveshaft and hold out of the way. Remove lower arm to shock/spring pin and remove driveshaft.
Remove the bolt at the front of the left torsion bar, if you do the other end first then it will just spin round ! this nut is
usually very tight too. Remove the two at the other end once this is off (22mm that go into the lower arm).
Remove the starter motor. Remove power steering pipes and speed transducer plug from transducer housing.
Remove gear selector roll pin and steady arm. If the roll-pin is stuck (common) then remove the exhaust heatshield
and remove the selector from the bottom of the gearstick.
Remove the clutch slave cylinder. Remove the rear upper tie-bar. Support the gearbox and start removing bolts. 5 front ones shown here.
Remove the 2 from the lower rear engine mount and the one above the intermediate shaft that runs the other way.
Remove the bolts holding the flywheel cover (4 in total) and snubber bracket to the gearbox. It's all undone now, so
in theory you just have to pull the box off the engine. In practice however it's very tight and I've found I have to use a larger
lever at the back of the gearbox and down the top of the front engine mount.
This shows detail of the front engine mount, and why you don't need to remove it fully or support the engine at all.
Note - on this one I did actually take the longitudinal member off so that I could remove the sump and replace the
oil gallery O rings, you don't normally do this when removing the gearbox only.
Big new clutch kit, the thing is huge and should last almost forever ! take care of it and you won't be doing this job
again in a hurry. Make sure you use the grease provided on the input shaft and splines so that it all keeps
moving nicely. Make sure the plate is centered properly then put it all back together.
