Wait how do you get to the clutch without pulling the trans?? Just curious
OK4450, That’s fast.
gsragtop, on the older fwd Opels - Ascona/Kadett/Astra 1981-97, a clutch job is easily done in 40 minutes. The Kadett were sold in US as Pontiac Lemans. Without removing the engine or transmission. That was clever engineering in my opinion, but the mechanics didn’t make much money on them. Also, on the older saab 99/900, you didn’t have to remove engine or transmission.
But how do you get around the input shaft of the trans?? I cant really picture a way around it?? Always looking to learn new things 
On the Opel, you pull the input shaft back (locked in place with a circlip) via a plugged hole in the rear of the trans with an 8 mm. bolt and the Saab is somewhat the same although the design is a bit different.
Yes, with the old SAABs the clutch could be changed without transmission removal but it did require a few special tools and a little wrestling.
The tough ones were the ones with a failed slave cylinder. Removal of the cylinder or the clutch assembly required that the pressure plate fingers be depressed so one of the special tools could be inserted into place and which would keep the fingers depressed. No easy task when the hydraulics won’t work.
Yup, bad language was the standard when the hydraulics didn’t work, but the common tool for the pressureplate was - more or less - 1 foot of wire tucked in between the fingers and the “outer” body of the pressureplate while someone was stepping on the clutch petal.
I have to say that sounds like a great idea ASTERIX… I assume there was a down side and that is why we do not see it on more cars?? Or was it a matter of it costing another $5 a car to make it this way, and they figured why bother let the techs make some money??
“Or was it a matter of it costing another $5 a car to make it this way, and they figured why bother let the techs make some money??”
That’s what I think.