There’s not a huge amount of engine bay room in the Astra J when it comes to removing the gearbox to change the clutch, so the best approach is to remove the front subframe. With this out of the way, there’s plenty of space to remove the gearbox from underneath, but it’s essential to support the engine with a transmission jack, and it helps to support the gearbox with one too, instead of trying to lift it out.
The work involved in changing the clutch on this sixth generation of the Vauxhall Astra isn’t too complicated, but corroded fastenings can easily slow down the job and lead to frustrating disasters. There are also some annoying aspects, such as having no drain plug on the gearbox, so either the gear oil has to be sucked out via the filler/inspection hole, or clean cloths can be used to bung the holes where the driveshafts are fitted. Inevitably, a little oil will be lost, so it will need topping-up afterwards.
The following steps
