I found out that alot of people are having trouble removing the TOB from their pressure plate. It's really not that hard if you know what to look for.

I think I either lost or threw away my old TOB, so these pics will not show it in there, but you'll get the idea.

Here's a pic of the pressure plate. Notice there's an external snapring on the inside of the pressure plate. Yes, an EXTERNAL snapring inside the pp. I think this is where a few of you get hung up.





Here are the kind of pliers you'll need. They're EXTERNAL snapring pliers. When you squeeze the handles, the jaws should open. It kind of helps to have ones with the little bend at the end for more surface area.







Step 1. Slide the EXTERNAL snapring pliers in between the TOB and PP. Notice that the TOB is not here, but you can still find the snapring with it on there.





Step 2. Squeeze the pliers and remove the release bearing.

 

Great sticky material!
fing02.gif

 

Thing is, i used two different pairs (both not cheap) of external snap ring pliars just like the one you have pictured, and they wouldnt free it, you'll try to say i was using it wrong but trust me i wasn't, they just wouldnt open the snap ring enough.

I am one of the few on here who has done it, and i had to do it using a technique learned from a mechanic who did it for me once, he said he has tried using snap ring pliars in the past and they just dont work on these pp/tob combos.

I used a flat head screwdriver, used it to separate the tob from the pp while i used another screw driver to tap the snap ring open, the first screwdriver separating the tob and the pp prevents the snap ring from recontracting, I then tapped the tob out from the other side of the clutch.

 

Maybe a ring of rust had the snap ring trapped on the tob? I guess in that case, I'd have used some penetrating oil and let it sit for a while.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>you'll try to say i was using it wrong but trust me i wasn't, they just wouldnt open the snap ring enough.</div>

Oh no, I totally believe you. Rust on these cars is a total b****!

 

mine wasn't rusty, but it wasn't as easy as in these pix. I balanced the TOB on a large screw driver so as to put the weight of the pressure plate in a way that it would assist separation. Then I figited with some snap ring plyers for about 15 minutes until I finally got it. The method works, but there's got to be some special tool.

 

I've done it twice now. I posted how to do it once before but I'll type it up again. I found the directions on webtech or alldata.

1. insert snap ring pliers between clips (used ones JUST like agreens)
2. push down on tob (yes push down!)
3. open pliers up, after opening them up far enough you will hear a click and the pins to the tob should be held back out of the way. You can now remove the pliers and it will stay open. Take a peek at it just to be sure, the clip should have gone from being ~1/4 inch apart to being ~1 inch apart. (you are doing this step blindly. If you don't push down the tob things won't line up right)
4. take large screwdriver or prybar and pop it off.

Using this method I can have one off in 30 seconds or less. And yes it is the method Hyundai suggests.

 

last time i did this i used 3 diffrent sets of name brand snapring pliers and couldnt get it. i ended up getting pissed and using a cut wheel to break it in half as much as i could, then i grabed a chisle and hammer and beat the piss out of it.

 

haha.gif LOL.. I once used a 4 foot long braker bar and a 2 foot long flat head screw driver with about a 15mm blade to pry the fuxor off. I ended up replacing my clutch again because I warped the pressure plate and the clutch pedal vibrated like mad while I was driving.

 

Supercow's method sounds the best, but even IT wouldn't have worked on ABQElantra's RD1.

One of the ears on the snapring was BROKEN off.

Took us what, about 3 or 4 hours to get it off.

 

How did you get the snap ring off then Zman? Force or creative thinking?