Part 2

31. Set up the engine support.

a. Get the support hook in the mounting point next to the power steering pump, and get snug plus a few turns.

b. Get the other support hook in the mounting point next to the upper engine mount, and get snug plus a few turns.

32. To support the steering rack once it's separated from the subframe, tie up the outer tie rods to the coil springs.

33. Remove the 18mm conical nuts for the ball joints. Set aside, labeled.

34. Remove the rear 18mm subframe bolts.

a. Before removing the last bolt, support the subframe with a jack, wood, bricks, etc.

35. Check the front of the subframe for things that might catch. I found:

a. A ground cable secured to the upper side of the front subframe with a 10mm bolt.

b. A vent/drain tube secured to the front side of the front subframe with a push clip.

c. A wire conduit secured to the front side of the front subframe with an 8mm bolt.​

36. Remove the front 18mm subframe bolts, and lower it slowly to the ground, checking for things that might catch as you lower.

a. I found a line routed UNDER the sway bar, but it had enough slack that I was able to temporarily detach one side of the sway bar with the subframe on the ground to remove it.

b. Set the subframe bolts (including the 14mm bolts you removed earlier) and the plates aside somewhere, labeled.​

37. Once the subframe is clear of any attachments/obstructions, pull it off its temporary support and pull from under the car. It's moderately heavy, but can still be moved/carried with effort.

a. If desired, now is an excellent time to replace the exposed engine mounts, hammer in new subrame bushings or bushing inserts, or fit an aftermarket sway bar.​

38. Remove the 5 13mm bolts holding the angle gear in place.

a. Four of the bolts are visible, with a fifth hidden on the top side. This top bolt is accessible by running a long extension over the top of the angle gear, which is fairly flat.

b. If replacing the collar gear or the angle gear itself, disconnect the driveshaft from the angle gear so the angle gear can be removed from the car. Mine were both still minty from the previous owner's replacement, so I left them alone.​

39. Pull the angle gear away from the transmission. If you're not servicing the collar or the angle gear, you can just push it towards the passenger side a few inches to give yourself working room.

a. Even if you keep the angle gear attached to the driveshaft, there's still enough clearance to rotate it freely. I rotated it to drain out the old oil, then measured in an identical amount of 75w90 synthetic gear oil (plus another ¼ cup to account for minor spillage). Tighten the fill plug to 26 lb-ft.​

40. Remove the two 10mm nuts holding the driver's side wheel liner in place, and fold it back along the crease. Some locking vice grips or a c-clamp will hold it back nicely.

41. Remove the two 13mm nuts holding the transmission-mounted airbox bracket, then remove the bracket itself. Set aside, labeled.

42. Start removing transmission bolts. There are ten 14mm engine-to-trans bolts, and three 14mm rear engine mount bracket to trans bolts, all of two common lengths. Leave a top and bottom bolt screwed in for now (can loosen to finger-tight)

a. Four, running vertically along the front side of where the angle gear was attached. The top bolt is above the turbo hard line. Bolts screw in towards the driver's side.

i. I loosened the lowermost bolt for now, but kept it in place until I was ready to remove the transmission.​

b. Three, below and behind the front engine mount. Bolts screw in towards the driver's side. Two of the three are pictured here, with the third behind the engine mount bracket.

i. If you need extra clearance to get this transmission bolt, the engine mount bracket comes out with three 14mm bolts.​

c. Three, above and to the rear of where the angle gear was attached. Bolts screw in towards the driver's side.

i. These are the bolts for the rear engine mount bracket.
ii. If you're replacing the rear engine mount, loosen the bottom engine mount bolt before you remove the bracket bolts, so the bracket will act as a counterhold. The whole mount/bracket assembly comes out easily after the transmission is out of the car.
iii. Once these three bolts are removed, the steering rack is now no longer attached to the engine/trans. Use the engine support to lower the engine a few inches on the driver's side, so the side of the transmission can make it past the driver's side frame rail. Pictured is a side view of the transmission side lowered to a position where it can be removed.

d. Two, below where the airbox was. Bolts screw in towards the passenger side.

e. One, inboard of the shifter assembly on top of the transmission. Bolt screws in towards the passenger side.

43. Use a flathead screwdriver or a prybar to pull the shifter cables out of their guides.

44. Unhook the looped hard line from the slave vent tube by pulling the metal clip. Be prepared for brake fluid to leak when you pull the line back.

a. Follow the slave line to the side frame rail, where it's clipped in place. During transmission removal/reattachment, you can lift this clip off the body for more clearance.​

45. Pull the two 12mm nuts holding the starter/air box bracket in place. One of the transmission bolts and both starter studs are hiding behind this bracket.

46. With the bracket out of the way, you can pull the 14mm transmission bolt behind it (screws in towards the passenger side)

a. I loosened this bolt for now, but kept it in place until I was ready to remove the transmission.
​

47. While the crank position sensor looks like it has to be removed, it's secured to the engine, and can therefore be ignored.

48. Remove the 14mm transmission bolt behind the shifter assembly (screws in towards the passenger side).

a. This one was a real pain to get to, but with the starter/airbox bracket removed, the coolant hose and wires movable, and the right U joint and extension, I was able to get to it. Don't be like me, stuff a rag in that open turbo inlet to protect the turbo.

49. Back the bottom bolt you left in place out a few threads, and stick a prybar in the flywheel inspection hole and give it a wiggle. If you can get an air gap, congratulations! If you can't, you missed a bolt somewhere.

50. Remove the engine/transmission ground cable (a 12mm bolt). Thread the bolt back in to the transmission to keep track.

51. Remove the two 14mm starter studs (where the starter/airbox nuts were attached).

52. Use a prybar to gently separate the starter from the transmission.

a. There's enough room behind the starter that it can be pushed back and out of the way; it doesn't need to be disconnected or removed from the car.​

To be continued!

 

Part 3

53. Support the transmission from beneath.

a. Use a combination of wood, bricks, or other similar objects. I stacked them under the transmission, then lowered the engine/transmission a tiny bit to put some weight on it.

b. Alternately, if you have your transmission jack for more than a couple hours (unlike me, afternoon rental), use that.​

54. Pull the final loosened bolts, and wiggle the transmission free.

a. I worked left to right to scoot it away from the engine, then tilted it down at the back side once the input shaft was free of the pressure plate fingers.​

55. Pull the push clip holding these wires from the top of the transmission before removal. Here it's pictured post removal, as I only noticed it with the transmission partly detatched.

56. The transmission is free! Pull it free from the car so you can work on it and have room to put in the new clutch/flywheel/pressure plate.

a. If you took the lazy way out like me and didn't remove the driver side axle, resist the urge to use this as a point from which to carry/drag the transmission.
b. If you're replacing the turbo, you'll have excellent access now with the trans/angle gear out of the way.
​

57. In the transmission, pull the clip which attaches the slave vent tube to the slave cylinder, then pull the vent tube straight out.

58. Pull the 10mm bolt holding the slave cylinder in place, then remove the slave cylinder.

59. Put the new slave cylinder on. I don't remember the torque specs, so I used ~20lb-ft or so.

60. Align the new slave vent tube using the alignment peg on the side, and press it in to the transmission.

a. The new metal clip will slide over the end of the new slave cylinder, so simply push it on securely.
b. Leave the protective cap on the outside end of the slave vent tube until you're ready to reattach it to the slave line in the car.
​

61. On the engine, start removing the pressure plate bolts (torx T40). Pull the old pressure plate and clutch aside when you're done.

62. Pull the flywheel bolts (triple square, 12mm).

a. This will likely require a counter-hold. I stuck a flathead screwdriver in one of the narrow channels in the trans to lock the starting ring.

​

63. The flywheel fits pretty snugly on the crankshaft. Wedge a prybar under alternating sides and slowly work it free.

64. The crankshaft is now exposed. Well done you, this is exactly the halfway point!

a. If you're replacing the rear main seal, pry the old one out and tap the new one in with your special home depot tool and multiple gentle hammer strikes around the outside edge. Getting the plastic lower lip flush with the engine block face will mean the rear main seal is nicely seated a few millimeters behind it.

b. After the rear main seal is in place, you can refill the motor oil.
​

65. Put your new (or resurfaced) flywheel back on to the crank, aligning it using the pin on the crank and the hole in the back of the flywheel.

66. Thread the new flywheel bolts in by hand, then tighten in a star formation to 33lb-ft.

67. After all the flywheel bolts are tightened to torque spec, tighten to angle-spec of 65 degrees.

a. They make special angle wrenches for this purpose, but I used a piece of paper with a hole punched in the middle and a 65 degree angle printed on it. I then eyeballed the remainder of the bolts after I got my eye in with the first couple.​

68. Put the new clutch in the flywheel with the clutch alignment tool inserted, paying attention to make sure the side labeled "flywheel" faces the right way.

69. Put the pressure plate on over the clutch and clutch alignment tool, aligning via the flywheel dowels and bolt holes.

70. Put the pressure plate bolts in. As the pressure plate is spring loaded, tighten these down until the pressure plate is flush with the flywheel, then tighten all to 18 lb-ft. Again, work in a star formation.

a. These bolts are not torque-to-yield bolts like the flywheel bolts; new ones are recommended, but not required. If reusing, put on a dab of blue threadlocker, just to be on the safe side.
b. After you've tightened the first two opposing bolts, you can remove the clutch alignment tool.​

71. Maneuver the transmission in to position with your transmission jack. Yes, I caved at this point and rented a transmission jack.

a. While compact, the M66 is very back-heavy, and has to be mounted with the side "lobe" where the angle gear connects slightly lower than the bellhousing part of the transmission. Getting it in to the correct position on the jack was deeply unpleasant, and required lots of shimming with materials on hand (wood, bricks) and repositioning.

i. If you can, there are transmission jacks out there with strap attachments to hold the transmission down in a particular position. Tying it down and fine-tuning the angle with the transmission jack's angle adjuster would have made this significantly easier.
ii. Alternately, use StealthyS60R's method of raising the transmission in to place with a pulley, crane, or hoist hooked in to the eyelet pictured, which seems to be pretty close to the transmission's center of balance. Having done a trans pull a second time to fix a busted shift fork, the "dangle" method was much faster and easier. The pictures below were shamelessly stolen from other sources.

72. Raise the transmission in to position. Lift a bit, then check from all angles to make sure you're on target and no cables or hoses are getting pinched or tugged.

a. I found the reverse of installation (pivoted slightly down, then straighten once lifted past the side member) got me pretty close.
b. Now is a good time to reattach the push clipped connector to the rear of the transmission.​

73. Keep inching the transmission closer. Use the alignment dowels pictured as a reference until you get them mated.

a. While the transmission is going in, ensure the rear engine mount bracket clears the side lobe of the transmission.

b. If you removed the engine mount bracket from the car to replace the mount, maneuver it back in after the transmission is in place.​

74. Start threading bolts in to the transmission and rear engine mount bracket. Tighten all to 37 lb-ft.

a. Two short bolts along the bottom of the transmission.
b. Two long bolts below and behind the front engine mount.
c. Two long bolts along the engine side of where the angle gear attaches.
d. One long bolt above the two long bolts near the angle gear, above the turbo hard line.
e. Two short bolts below where the airbox was mounted.
f. One short bolt inboard of the shifter assembly (the demon bolt).
g. Two long bolts on the outside and one short center bolt for the rear engine mount bracket.

i. Save this one for last, as you may need to raise the driver's side of the engine again slightly to get the bolt holes lined up.
ii. If you left the angle gear attached, you'll likely have to elevate it so it isn't pushing down on the steering rack (and therefore the mount bracket)

75. Push the starter back up against the bellhousing (use the alignment dowel) and thread in the two studs. Tighten to 37 lb-ft.

76. Pull the protective cap from the slave vent tube, ensure the slave hose end is clean, and press it in to the slave tube.

a. You can start gravity bleeding now while you do other things. Loosen the bleeder nut on the slave vent tube (11mm), and fill the brake reservoir until you get a slow drip. Let it drip about 10 minutes, topping off as needed. Tighten back up after awhile and replace the rubber cap on the bleeder nipple.

b. Be careful with brake fluid, as it'll eat through paint. Wipe it up right away if it gets on any bodywork.​

77. Reconnect the reverse switch connector. If you clipped a retaining zip tie, put in a new zip tie.

78. Reattach the engine/trans ground wire.

79. Reattach the shifter cable ends.

80. Push the cable retainers back down in to their metal clips.

81. Replace the angle gear (and the collar gear, if removed: tapered side towards the transmission) and thread the bolts in to place.

a. Coat the exposed collar gear and angle gear splines with some fresh grease, to ease future removal/installation and to inhibit corrosion.​

82. Try to get the angle gear as straight as possible, and tighten the bolts to 55 lb-ft. Once again, a U-joint and a long extension makes short work of the topmost bolt.

To be concluded!

 

Part 4, end

83. Remove the passenger side half-circle carrier bearing and set somewhere close at hand.

84. Thread the passenger side axle back in to the angle gear.

85. Once the axle is back in place, replace the half-circle carrier bearing and tighten the two 12mm bolts to 18 lb-ft.

86. With both axles in place, and with the engine/trans still lowered slightly, you can now refill the transmission fluid through the 24mm fill hole.

a. Fill until the fluid level is even with the fill hole and you get a slow dribble. Should take around 2 liters. Tighten the fill plug to 26 lb-ft.

b. If your engine/transmission aren't quite level at this point, you'll have to save this step until they are (i.e., when the subframe is back up and the engine support is removed).​

87. Turn the hubs by hand and push the axle splines through the hubs.

88. Replace the starter-to-airbox and trans-to-airbox brackets and tighten the 13mm nuts to 18 lb-ft (or "tight enough," it's only supporting the airbox)

89. Replace the airbox, back (MAF-side) first.

a. The snorkel is bendable enough such I was able to fold it down, slide the airbox in MAF first, then pull the snorkel up to its position under the front crossmember.

90. Tighten the 3 10mm snorkel bolts and the 3 10mm airbox bolts to "tight enough" spec.

91. Clip the TCV to the side of the airbox, in such a position that the hoses don't come in to contact with the moving shifter parts.

92. Reconnect the MAF connector, and tighten the MAF housing hose clamp. Make sure the turbo inlet is fully seated on the MAF housing first.

93. Raise the engine back to its original position. Use the upper engine mount for visual reference.

94. Push the plastic cover back down at each of its three corners until it clicks in to place.

95. Maneuver the subframe in to position under the car. Now is a good time to re-route that long line under the passenger side of the sway bar.

96. Raise the subframe using whatever shimming materials (I used bricks and cinderblocks) you have on hand. Use your floor jack to do the heavy lifting.

a. At this point, I reattached my ball joints to the control arms (30 lb-ft, plus a dab of threadlocker), so I'd be more closely lined up with the subframe bolt holes.
​

97. Tilt each corner of the subframe up until you can thread a bolt in to it. After the first corner, it should get easier. Also pictured is a power steering line which should be clipped back in to place.

a. As the subframe is going up, make sure the front engine mount (with the alignment tab facing towards the back of the car) slots correctly in to its bracket.

b. Also make sure the steering rack studs thread back through their holes on the subframe as the subframe is going up.​

98. Tighten the 18mm and 14mm subframe bolts. Torque spec on these is 77 lb-ft + 120 degrees, and 37 lb-ft for the small ones.

a. While these are torque-to-yield bolts and should be replaced according to Volvo, they're pretty beefy and I've never bothered, opting instead for a dab of threadlocker and foregoing the angle tightening.

99. Tighten the 15mm front engine mount nut to 37 lb-ft. Extensions and a universal joint come to the rescue again.

100. I had some trouble getting the side engine mount lined up, as my engine had shifted slightly while on the engine support. Was eventually able to push the engine around enough to line it up. Tighten the 14mm bolts to 37 lb-ft.

101. Reinstall the transmission mount. Tighten the 18mm nuts and 14mm bolts to 37 lb-ft.

102. Tighten the steering rack nuts and bolt to 37 lb-ft.

103. Put the tie rod ends back in the knuckle and tighten their nuts to 44 lb-ft.

a. My otherwise nice non-OEM tie rod ends have crappy nuts or crappy conical seats, and tend to come loose unless REALLY cinched down. I opted for 44 lb-ft plus a dab of threadlocker.​

104. Reattach your sway bar links. Tighten to 37 lb-ft.

105. Fold the wheel well liner back down, and replace the metal protective plates. Tighten the 10mm nuts to "tight enough" (these are plastic nuts, so be conservative here).

106. Reinstall the downpipe exhaust hangers.

107. Remove the engine support.

108. Reattach the items to the front of the subframe.

a. Vent, push clip

b. Wire conduit, 8mm bolt.
c. Ground wire bracket, 10mm bolt.

109. Reinstall the upper engine mount bolt (15mm) and nut (18mm). Tighten to 37 lb-ft.

110. Reinstall your AWD support bracket, and push any clips you unclipped from it back. Tighten the 12mm bolts to 26 lb-ft.

111. Push the lines along the passenger side of the subframe back in to their clips.

112. Reinstall the belly pan (if present, 10mm bolts).

113. Tighten the strut to knuckle bolts/nuts, 18mm and 21mm, to 78lb-ft. Use a dab of threadlocker.

114. Put the wheels back on, and lightly tighten the lug bolts in a star pattern.

115. Thread the axle bolts back in.

116. Lower the car.

117. Tighten the lug bolts to 100 lb-ft, if you really feel like measuring.

118. Tighten the axle bolts to 26 lb-ft plus 120 degrees.

119. Pop the wheel center caps back in.

120. Finish bleeding the clutch.

a. If you gravity bled for a good long while earlier, most of the air should already be out of the system.
b. Start the car, and slowly and steadily pump the clutch pedal to prime the new slave cylinder with fluid.
c. My clutch pedal started to stiffen up nicely after about a dozen pumps, but if you're not getting anywhere, you'll have to crack the bleeder screw for awhile again. Remember to intermittently top the reservoir up nearly to the brim to encourage flow.
d. When done, top up on brake fluid to the max line and put the reservoir cap back on.​

121. Go get a front end alignment.

 

Wow man great job!!

 

I'm not technically minded enough to know if this is well done or done correctly, but if it really is as good as it appears, it should be added to the how-to sticky.

 

I'm tired from just reading about the job....strong work. I never will replace my clutch, and pray that the guy who does, knows what the hell he is doing!

 

It honestly wasn't that bad. I've done clutches on german cars before, and this was easier. I did it a couple hours a day over the course of 4 days, but could probably cram it all in to one day (albeit dawn-to-dusk) if I had to do it again.

 

Yours is the first post I've saved to my local machine, photos included, for safe keeping. Good job and thanks for adding to the community!

So, maybe 12 hours of labor, did you replace with OEM parts?

 

I'd say 12 hours of labor, yeah; I'm nowhere near a professional, I'm sure a real mechanic could do it in 6-8 hours, especially with a lift. Clutch, PP, flywheel, slave, and vent tube were all OEM (though I got the clutch, PP, and flywheel used with a couple hundred miles on them). Rear main seal was Elring.

 

Great write up.

The only change I would suggest is that there is an eyelet on the top of the transmission near the cable bracket. When you hook the transmission from there, you can lift it in the perfect orientation to mate up with the motor. If this was my job, I would have rigged the transmission from the top with a come along instead. This would make the mate up and disassembly a bit easier since you would only need to try to guide it onto the motor instead of supporting it at the correct angle as well.

Its a good sign that I've recovered from my own engine and tranny work now that threads like this no longer trigger my PTSD, lol.

 

Great write up.

The only change I would suggest is that there is an eyelet on the top of the transmission near the cable bracket. When you hook the transmission from there, you can lift it in the perfect orientation to mate up with the motor. If this was my job, I would have rigged the transmission from the top with a come along instead. This would make the mate up and disassembly a bit easier since you would only need to try to guide it onto the motor instead of supporting it at the correct angle as well.

Its a good sign that I've recovered from my own engine and tranny work now that threads like this no longer trigger my PTSD, lol.

That's a good idea! I couldn't believe how unbalanced that transmission was, it kept wanting to tilt back on the jack. If I'd planned it better, I would either have done as you suggested or spent the time to find a transmission jack with strap attachments, to hold the trans down in the right position.

 

Just lift and it dangles perfectly. Then you can apply all your manhandling to getting it mated up once you get it to the right height.

 

Sweet jesus, that DOES dangle perfectly. I'm stealing that image and adding it to the writeup, thanks!

 

A note to all: after doing this again to fix my busted 1/2 shift fork, the suspend trans way is the way to go. Compared to the two hours of adjust-curse-readjust I went through with the transmission jack, suspending it from above and raising it in to position took all of 15 minutes.

 

Very nice write up sir! Well done.

 

this brought back some bad memories. I've done this job twice - my buddy's and my car. I would not attempt to do this again...too time consuming, too much of a PITA and getting to all bolts is a nightmare...but kudos for having the time to take photos!

 

absolute beauty of a thread.

just bought all the parts for a clutch job. Not doing it myself, but great to know before bringing in!

Sticky!

 

Also make sure the pressure plate's auto-adjusters are actually dialed all the way back before installing. If one jostled free in shipping or something you'll get very uneven clamping and burn the clutch out prematurely.

 

I had another thread on resetting the SAC mechanism. I'll update the DIY with a link.

 

Yikes! Great write up, you probably could have completed the job in half the time if you didn't stop to take so many pictures.

Thanks for posting

 

The second time around, I had the transmission out of the car in about three hours flat

 

I've done quite a few of these, and this is pretty close to how I do it. If available, use an engine crane to lift the trans for removal/install. Otherwise, it can be done with jacks - but it's a pain in the ass that way. The hole on the top that he mentioned is the perfect balance point for the trans when attached to a chain, and will basically slip into the motor with ease. For removing the top bolt of the angle gear, it's actually very easy once the subframe is out to use a regular ratchet and socket on the bolt, but you kinda have to know what you're looking for. The very first time, I took out the trans mount bolts first before I found the angle gear bolt.

 

What I shall refer to as the "dangle" method is definitely the way to go, crazy how quick and easy it was compared to a trans jack.

 

Au contraire:

 

It's kinda true, most of the time people ask me why I'm bleeding before I realize I'm bleeding. lol

 

First of all let me apologize for the length of this post, however, i have a few questions.

I know there's been a lot of information on this subject in this thread, however, I have the engine out of my 2007 Volvo S60 R right now and while it's out I'm replacing the clutch.

I've managed to source a very lightly used Volvo S60 R flywheel, I can't see a part number on it, however, to all intents and purposes it appears exactly the same as the one that's in there. I only see only one flywheel part number available for all R's from 2004 to 2007, so I don't see a problem with using it, is this correct?

I'm purchasing a new LUK clutch and pressure plate, looks like there are two variants one for the 2004/2005 and one for the 2006 and 2007. The engine that I'm installing is from a 2005 car although I'm still purchasing the clutch for a 2007 as I'm guessing that the later clutch (part number) is different due to the gearbox side and not the engine side, if that makes sense.

Next, is the special tool that's needed to compress the pressure plate springs upon installation. I can't source the genuine Volvo tool, however I was looking at the tool below on Ebay:-

vidaXL SAC Clutch Alignment Setting Tool Self Adjusting Aligning Car Hand Tools | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for vidaXL SAC Clutch Alignment Setting Tool Self Adjusting Aligning Car Hand Tools at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Will this do the same job as the Volvo special tool? Or has somebody out there got a Volvo tool they can rent out to me?

I know some members have ensured that the small SAC springs on the pressure plate are fully retracted and then installed without the tool with success.

However, I definitely don't want to do this job twice, so I want to get it right the first time.

Thanks for reading this all the way through as I know it gets a bit in depth.

I have a new 2004/2005 clutch and pressure pate, part number 30783021 if anybody is after one (make me an offer).

 

Just did this, and first of all, thank you SO much for the detailed post with tons of helpful pictures. A few tips for those that will follow this guide:

1. You do NOT need a clutch alignment tool. Does it make things slightly easier? Yes. Is it needed? No. This was my first-ever clutch job, and I could do it easily without a tool. The clutch kit I bought from iPd didn't come with one. Most don't.
2. Unless the splines on the collar sleeve/gear/transmission thingy are stripped (observe when you take out the transmission), do NOT replace the sleeve. It is absolute hell to take that thing out. And I don't live in the rust belt, the car has 118k miles, everything was clean.
3. Buy a good set of long-reach snap ring pliers.
4. Have a good pick set for the seals.
5. For the rear main, the plastic PCV knock-out tester isn't strong enough. Just use a wooden block with a sledge.
6. If you are like me (i.e. a student) and don't have the budget/tools for an engine support bar, here's a ridiculously strong and inexpensive way to hold up your engine. <$10 at Home Depot, and a bunch of scrap wood.
7. Use the centroid hook point on the transmission to help lift it up rather than try to jostle it in with just jacks from the bottom. That's an excellent trick.
8. Here's how I supported the bottom of the car (it didn't move a single bit, probably as safe as it gets):

 

Unless the splines on the collar sleeve/gear/transmission thingy are stripped (observe when you take out the transmission), do NOT replace the sleeve. It is absolute hell to take that thing out. And I don't live in the rust belt, the car has 118k miles, everything was clean.

I believe the original collar sleeve is epoxied to the transmission output shaft from the factory. If the sleeve has ever been serviced before it will come off easily, but if it hasn't you need to cut notches in to the sleeve and pull it out with a 3-jaw puller, ideally using heat to get the collar over 350 degrees to break down the epoxy.

 

Great write up! It's like a trip down memory lane for me. I owned and operated a tranny shop for 25yrs.We serviced all makes and models including Volvo and Saab.No other shops in our region would touch them. You did a very fine job on your clutch.I applaud your efforts.