Thanks for the comment! Sounds like you had a very similar experience to me. I felt like it was a huge job compared to how I imagine a rear wheel drive tranny drop would be, but you are probably spot on that a more modern fwd car would have even more things to remove first. I was at a new car expo recently and wow, looking under the hood of some of them was a scary sight lol. I’ve never driven a newer manual, only other manual’s I’ve tried were 90’s cars my friends had in HS. But I’d be curious to hear how the newer gen Corolla manuals are. I’m glad toyota has not totally given up on them yet. Although a Camry manual would be sweet.

I have a 91 corolla and was wondering if anyone else tried to so this?

Just finished replacing the clutch on my 2002 corolla after a hefty quote from a mechanic and long waiting period since they were booked out weeks in advance. Was pretty hesitant to do this by myself but in the end got the car back on the road thanks to this video. If you do decide to do it yourself get ready to break a sweat as this job requires a lot of crawling under the car and some bolts won't free up without a battle, given you have simple tools like me. Aligning the transmission wasn't too bad given you have multiple jacks as in the video but it can be a bit of nerve wracking at times.

i did a 2005 matrix in my driveway, and those transmission mounts took some thinking to get it in again. I took it out in one piece and put it in two pieces then tightened it once the bracket was in

I thanks for this. I got to replace rear main seal on my Scion IM.

I’m glad the video helped, getting the shaft splines aligned when putting the transmission back on will be hard, but after that you’ll be in the home stretch. I’m still amazed how hard those darn CV shafts are. It’s great to keep older cars on the road and out of junkyards, especially a Toyota with only that many miles. Thank you for the comment, and good luck getting everything back together!

@@BrenoAutoGarage We got the transmission reconnected to the engine. Whew! It took a lot of effort to get the transmission properly aligned with the engine while supporting it from underneath. Getting the rear, driver's side, and front motor mounts was a task and a half, too. What is the wire that connects to the plastic terminal on the top of the transmission. We seem to have lost it!?

The grey plug right on top is for the backup lights to come on when you shift into reverse, not critical, but nice to have. Maybe it got pushed away and hidden behind something while wiggling the transmission in? Or perhaps it was accidentally plugged into something else? (I am not sure if this is possible, all the plugs might be different)

@@BrenoAutoGarage Thanks. I found the little guy hiding in a dark place. LOL. Hoping to finish up the project this week once my body recovers. I have a new respect for auto mechanics.

You’re welcome, good luck on the replacement! The matrix sounds like an awesome car, more practical with the large trunk and not ugly like the current gen corolla hatchback lol. If only we got wagons like Europe…

Thanks for the comment, glad to hear it helped. While I’m not too keen on another FWD clutch job, I’d like to try a RWD one to see how different it is.

Thank you for the comment and kind words! Fun to hear from people all over the world.

Thanks for the comment, fun to hear from people all over the world.

I recently got a real slide hammer to help remove the transmission in my AWD Matrix (video coming soon), definitely better than the rope! But it is fun to come up with creative solutions, especially when they work. Good luck if you decide to go for it & thanks for the comment.

Having recently fully removed the tranny from my Matrix I think back to this video. You are right, a big job the first time (as I complained at the end), but second time you’ve learned the tricks and it goes smoother. Now if only I could learn a trick to stop all seized rusty bolts… Thanks for the comment.

I've done 2 rear motor mounts, bc I have 2 different year same 9th gen Corolla, and I've never cussed so much. Kinda funny because when I pretty much had given up and was about to pour gasoline over the car and light it on fire, the darn mount fell into place, I'm not much of a believer, but that has to have been god because I was about do no good 😂😂😂 and my car has basically no rust at all compared to the one on the vid but my cars have tested my patience. For a long time I had a problem with my 2006 where it didn't want to stay running and everything was good but codes for throttle body and some other thing I can't remember. It was all due to 2 tiny ground wires out of 4 tiny ground wires had broken from a tiny connector that goes from the wiring harness behind the throttle body area to one 10mm bolt on the block that's invisible because all of the vacuum hoses in that area. When I found the cables took 15 mins to fix, spent 6 months looking for the problem 😂

Thank you for the comment and kind words! I just recently fully removed a transmission from a Toyota Matrix (I might make a short tips video, not a full guide, it is similar to this video) using the same motorcycle/atv jack with ratchet straps and a board underneath. I have not used a transmission jack, but I have used the moto jack for many projects. It might be worth buying one of those vs the tranny jack being more specific, single use. Here is the part number and link to the flywheel tool, hopefully my comment is not too late to help! Good luck on the project, and if you’re done already let me know how it went. Lisle 23800 Flywheel Turner, Factory a.co/d/2LMO8SW

Great advice, thank you!

Thanks for the comment. Getting a lift is definitely a future life goal. But hey, working on the ground builds character as they say.

Thanks for the comment! I recently removed the transmission from my Matrix, I’m happy you could fit the manual tranny out. I dropped the subframe for mine since I left the transfer case (AWD Matrix) attached during removal. It makes me wonder if I could have gotten the auto tranny alone out without removing the subframe, though it was darn tight as it is so probably not.

@BrenoAutoGarage awd would be a tight fit. Except for the mounts I'd say this is a good transmission to learn clutch replacement. First one I've ever done and it's still working fine after 1000km.

Thank you for the comment! The only thing I can think of is to make sure the shift cables are hooked up correctly and that the little metal swivel part on the top shift arm didn’t fall out. If you watch my shift bushing replacement video at 4:45 I show this little part.

I recently got a real slide hammer, much better. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do lol. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the comment, funny enough I am working on a 2012 Prius head gasket right now! I did the valve stem seals this time, since I know the early 3rd gens had oil burning issues from there. Cut my finger trying to pressure wash the EGR cooler. It is carbon’d up like a brick. My 2015 Prius V EGR cooler cleaned up fine, this one I’m replacing. However I did not know these had the ring issues of other 08-12 Toyotas… This Prius is not mine, so I don’t know if it burns oil or not. But I imagine it does from what I saw. Gives me something new to think about.

I have a Corolla but have been looking for a swift gt, it's easier to find 66 impala than a swift gt.

Thanks for the comment & support!

Glad it helped, thanks for the comment.

Sounds like you’ll be having a good time now, lots of miles ahead on a new clutch. New bushings definitely help the feel don’t they, I was amazed.

Man I've used ratcheting come-alongs and everything else to remove an inner CV joint. Maybe this is why Subaru uses a pin and German cars use 6 bolts to connect the CV shaft instead of that stupid circlip like Asian cars use. You have to rotate the shaft until the gap in the clip is facing downward!

does it have a pilot bearing on this car

does it have a pilot bearing on this car

bro does it have a pilot bearing on this one cause i dont see any of those you replaced

No pilot bearing on this car

Hello and thanks for the comment! I like to see detailed comments, I too often write long replies to people to get all my thoughts out. It sounds like you have more mechanic experience than me, having done a full engine rebuild, I have not gone beyond a head gasket on a Prius and top end on a two stroke motorcycle (super simple). I am also an engineer by degree, having finished college with a mechanical engineering degree a few years ago. But indeed the engineering knowledge does not translate directly to auto repair, a whole other set of things to learn. I am lucky to have a friend who is a certified professional mechanic to ask questions and learn from. Yeah the CV axle tool would be nice, I might invest in one the next time I need to pull one out as well. I cannot remember where I read that the flywheel bolts were TTY, but they might not be, although I do remember somewhere saying they were. But either way you would probably not have issues, lots of guys online claim to reuse stuff like flywheel bolts and even head bolts that are definitely meant to be single use and get away with it. I have to wonder, was the corolla originally your weekend fun car, given you put in a performance clutch? But now it is going to someone else, hopefully you replaced it with something fun for yourself! I just watched a video on the new 2023 GR Corolla, wow what a car, much more serious than even the 05-06 Corolla Xrs. Ugly looking in my opinion though LOL. I much prefer the style of the new Nissan 400Z, not the brand though. Either way I’m not one to get expensive new cars anyways, I just keep up with the new stuff for fun. Sad to hear that about a Tacoma, and somewhat surprising, did the cooling system clog up or boil away causing overheating and a warped head? I watch guys like Vice Grip Garage who take old junkers, get them going, and drive them hundreds of miles home on old fluids (except for the oil) and they seem get away with it. Although those engines are old technology, probably much looser tolerances and more accepting of old fluids. I have not dealt with a car that sat a long time to have any personal knowledge. I have a Pontiac G6 that has more or less been kept in storage the last few years, but I still get it out and drive it every few months to keep it fresh. Good luck on all your upcoming projects!

@@BrenoAutoGarage We ended up getting the Fly Wheel Bolts fro dealer, better safe than sorry; mine have come out already 2 or 3 times, I got a "break" from the dealer which discounted 10% so instead paying $128.00 for all Bolts, ended with a nice $90.00 paying $10.00 per bolt instead of $15.00!! I know I could find them even cheaper but I look for some time and could not find cross reference parts from ARP so we decided to get it from dealer, in the end the project, like every restoration project is a money pit so at this point, who cares? LOL. I have used quality parts or Toyota genuine OEM parts where I can; Engine critical parts like bearings and gaskets are Mahle, oil and water pump are Aisin and so forth; the parts reused were detailed and restored; I did not do the head; was done at a shop and i am at their mercy; the Timing kit was I believe DNJ which it is Chinese and so is the Radiator and also I got all AC parts for replacement if needed as that AC runs hot; so once the car runs if it does; still have an AC project to fix but not to worry; of course I have all the tools needed and the know how, thanks to you tubers and my brother who is an Commercial/Residential AC Tech..i am not looking forward to it but it will need to be done; my original compressor is good; the Relay is testing good as well and the system may have a leak; all need to be tested once engine runs again as I got advised by another experienced mechanic; I would love to evacuate freon and disconnect and replace parts but if this is needed the engine would not be too much in the way even though it would be easier to do it now, will have to wait. Quite a project, agree?

That sounds like most of my projects, start out just wanting to fixing one thing, and end up finding two more things that need to be fixed/perfected. I agree on quality parts, not worth the time it would take to fix something twice if the cheap part breaks. I recently replaced the AC compressor pulley, clutch, & field coil on my Corolla, I filmed it for a video as well, but have not spent the time to edit the footage since I’ve been busy at work. I will get that video published to KZfaq eventually though, I do not rush myself on that. But for that repair I did not have to disconnect any refrigerant lines which was very nice, I think I got lucky since there are so many things that can break/leak in the AC system. It sounds like you have some good people to talk to and help with it.

@@BrenoAutoGarage That is awesome, I just managed to take apart the car dashboard as trying to get better access to the clutch master cylinder nuts under it and possible the power booster, kind of very difficult to do with the dashboard in place, that according to Haynes manual is not an easy job for the home DIY, I agree, took me almost all day few hours as manual is not clear what to take first and now that all is out in the open I keep questioning myself if I should just continue and replace the evaporator, which could access very easy now; like I said I have all the AC components needed but have to find the leak because AC runs hot, charge seems to be fine, compressor fires and relay tests ok, I do not see indication of leaking around the area of the evaporator but can not be sure unless taking it apart, at least if I ended up having to replace all or most AC components I got everything I need and all the tools but can not stop thinking this could be a good time to do it as everything is so accesible, and the new compressor could be mounted straight out in the engine before drop in

If it was hard to get the dash apart I would definitely replace the evaporator (I have not taken my Corolla’s dash apart before, just the gauge cluster out). My dad once paid nearly $1000 to have a shop replace every AC part and line in the engine bay of his old truck, but not the evaporator (because of the labor cost to open the dash). Then 6 months later the evaporator began to leak.. He did not want to put more money into it, so all those new parts and $$$ went to waste. That was many years ago before I knew anything about cars, but it’s a story I remember when I think about car AC systems.

Thanks! From your profile pic of a 10th gen corolla, I’d be curious to know if my video helped do the clutch on your car? I bet they are pretty similar.

Thanks for the comments, and good luck on your upcoming clutch job. It could be worse, but makes me wonder how much easier a RWD would be.

Thanks for the comment, glad the video helped.

Good luck, sounds like you have the experience to get it done fast. How did you pull the auto, out the bottom or top? I have an engine hoist now that I didn’t have then, could have made this a different job.

@@BrenoAutoGarage I still have yet to even think about starting the project lol (constant 96F+ weather where I live, feels like 104F due to humidity). Been rather busy with work as well, but I think Monday will be the day I officially start the project. As per the Yaris, I got it out from the bottom, I have been thinking about getting an engine crane/hoist but I dont have the money for it currently.

Update: I fucked up and asked my father for help as he was in town instead of my buddy. He is an egotistical maniac who refuses to let me do things properly in the name of saving money and not being proved wrong. Told me if we took out the bolts holding in the ball joints the car would come out of alignment so his fix to taking out the axles was to yank them to the side and PUSH DOWN AS HARD AS HE COULD ON THE BRAKE LINE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE AXLE. I would rather PAY FOR A REALIGNMENT THAN DIE BECAUSE MY BRAKE LINES START LEAKING OR RIP APART. He has also done countless other things such as breaking the CV axle boot, consistently denying that manual transmissions don't have fluid (he tried to clear this up saying that I myself said I had an automatic transmission when I CLEARLY HAVE A MANUAL and refused to let me water down the worn down clutch material (he ended up getting a face full of asbestos). Safe to say I am going to get the car assembled, then do the job myself on my own terms. After actually going through the process, as long as I don't drop the transmission and break it, I can genuinely say I can probably get the job done by myself in 1-2 days.

just use a 1 foot prybar and rubber mallet never had a problem

She’s at 237k, pretty sure it’s the original engine but transmission was rebuilt at 150k, so they might have replaced it then. Very impressive for the miles, especially since I have a Pontiac G6 with only 110k miles that has a slow leak I’m almost certain is from the rear main seal. Real shame since I don’t want to pull another FWD transmission! It’s minor enough I’m leaving it alone for now.

It would make it much easier to align the trans back onto the engine when you’re done, and to do a rear main seal if you want. But you’d need an engine lift and have to undo the wiring harness, coolant lines, clutch line, exhaust manifold, A/C compressor (I would dismount and leave in the bay with the A/C lines hooked up), power steering, possibly more I’m forgetting… I’ve never pulled an engine though, and might be making it sound harder than it is. Guess the takeaway is either way this is not a fun job, but good luck on yours!

It’s been a few years but I believe I left a jack under it the whole time, pumped back up as needed. With only one mount it would sag way too much, probably break off unless it hit the subframe first. Back when I did the head gasket on my Prius I took the passenger mount off and left the other three, and even with only one removed it sagged down a good couple inches. I should have supported the engine that time too, but I didn’t know better.

I have been wanting to do this myself, you can find other videos & forum posts out with the exact details. But you need quite a few parts: -wheel hubs & backing plates -different parking brake cable (routed under the exhaust heat shield) -different brake soft lines -internal drum brake parts for the new parking brake (not the same as the current drum brakes) Plus the normal stuff -calipers -rotors -pads Get parts from 05-06 Corolla Xrs or a few other models with shared parts (Matrix Xrs, Pontiac Vibe GT, possibly Celica GT)

www.toyotanation.com/threads/diy-2003-2008-corolla-matrix-pontiac-vibe-rear-drum-to-disc-conversion-w-pics.1677017/

Thanks for the comment, I don’t believe there are any other adjustments, although I didn’t check mine when I did my clutch.

My 09 xrs has an adjustment. It's under the clutch pedal. Loosen the nut and thread in or out, the link. The link connects to the back side of the pedal. Great video. I'm replacing the transmission in my corolla.

According to monkeywrenchracing.com ACT-ATK73 will work for both 1ZZ & 2ZZ engines, or just search parts store websites with your car’s info

My reply might be too late to help, but without some way to support the tranny you’ll either have to lift it down yourself (if you’re strong) or get a friend to help. Would be tricky to either way laying on the ground with car lifted on normal jack-stands/ramps. I would not have tried mine without the motorcycle jack. Now that I have a cherry picker that would have made it even easier. It’s been a few years but the major pain points I remember are: -removing the cv axels without a slide hammer -removing the back engine/tranny mounts -aligning the tranny input shaft during reassembly (would be harder lifting by hand) What I’ve discovered over the years learning about cars is there are a lot of easy things you can DIY to save big $$$ on cars (brakes, hubs, fluid changes, upper engine gaskets, key programming, recently AC recharging, heck even a head gasket can be easier depending on the engine), don’t be afraid to let a fair shop handle stuff that is miserable without an overhead lift. Having recently built an exhaust system on the ground I speak from experience.

​@@BrenoAutoGarage ye I finished already was awesome thank God all works well getting it down was more challenging I ended up removing entirely but i used the technique frm the video geting it up I ended up just semi resting the bell housing on my my chest and stomach and flexed a bit and then I shimmied myself into position and kind just bench pressed it up and on

I would assume it is a similar process, just make sure to get the right parts for your vehicle (might be different for the 8th gen corolla)

I searched online for “1zz-fe clutch alignment tool” and found two options: ACT ATK73 Centerforce 50012 Either of these should work. I was assuming my kit had just forgotten the tool, that is crazy if they are leaving it out on purpose!

@@BrenoAutoGarage I was able to get it centered up with a little creativity. But I’m having another issue I’m not sure if normal or what. But my engagement point is super low now. Maybe just because it’s new?

I did not feel much change in engagement point after my swap. I would try bleeding the clutch slave cylinder (keep the brake fluid reservoir topped off, they share the same fluid). Also check that the slave cylinder pin and clutch fork are all lined up correctly. You could have a friend get in and push on the clutch and you watch the slave cylinder to see if it’s pushing the clutch fork in correctly. As long as all the parts are together correctly and bolts tightened I don’t know what else it could be.

the crappy duralast brand kit had it

This is my first manual car, and doing the clutch replacement sucks, but it makes a boring economy car like a corolla fun to drive! At the time this car came out most automatics were boring 3 or 4 speed units. But you’re right, a well made automatic with occasional fluid changes will last the life of a vehicle. Although I’ve driven newer 6 speed automatic cars with the “manual mode” shifters, and it’s just not the same as a true manual.

be a man

You are correct. Workshop manual for an '04 says 75W90 GL-5 or GL-4

I found out about the GL4 recommendation on the Toyota Nation forums. I used Red Line MT-90 from Amazon. Here are some links to take a look at where I got my information. First one is a general overview, go down to Transmission Issues: www.toyotanation.com/threads/2003-2008-corolla-matrix-pontiac-vibe-common-problems-and-potential-buyer-thread.1343825/ And the next thread with lots of part numbers to use (go down to Gear Oil for M/T): www.toyotanation.com/threads/official-ultimate-2003-2008-corolla-matrix-pontiac-vibe-maintenance-thread.429745/ From the maintenance history I got with my car the tranny was rebuilt at 150k miles so GL4 vs 5 I wouldn’t panic, it’s a very slow going situation. I just wanted to pass on what I’d found online to maximize tranny life. Look up “GL4 GL5 brass synchros” on Google for more information.