Clutch out on 1.8 avensis is it straight forward compared to other cars I am a retired mechanic

you need mechanic... as you did not state if this is automatic or manual - no more help can be provided...

i would check fluid level first, then call the mechanic...

hello and greetings
i have been following avensis even before it came to existence, i mean to say i owned a toyota carina diesel td, before then an avensis 2002 first generation and now avensis second generation 2008 and all of them were diesel.
i found carina and avensis gen 1 to be easily manageable and easy to replace daily parts like lights and engine parts. i got impressed with carina thats why i bought avensis both are brilliant cars with minimal hokus pokus and focus being on the engine and long running machines with very or no visits to garage. due to change in environment laws and advancement in technology, the latest avensis is much more quiet, effective and runs very good , still toyota has kept it simple when it comes to interior and outlook, but the engine of the avensis has become more effective and powerful and also smooth.
few things to keep in mind is that that gen 2 avensis has egr and diesel particulate filter, these can clogged if the avensis is driven less and short tours, in my case this is not the problem. i already have spare diesel particulate filter and turbo with me bought on internet, in case it goes wrong. would like to mention that a friend of mine have mercedes and the dealer has advised him to drive on a long tour every year for over 180km to keep the engine from dying.
so this problem is not just related to avensis.
here are the pros and cons
pros.
1. reliable
2. few visits to garage.
3. good mileage around 16 to 18 km pr litre
4. big trunk room
5. small to big family requirement is fulfilled
6. nice on long routes

cons
1. simple design with no first class interior

so as you see the pros are more than cons and hence making it the first choice

buy the premix? end story.

what engine is it , displacement??????????????????
or like me, a skin flint. (retired, and cant change ,)
i look up the cooling capacity of my engine.
the engine and RAD is drained. 100%
lets say its 10 quarts.
i put in 5 quarts of AF and top off with water.
also , in all auto stores, there is a RAD hydrometer.
it measure %
i do this every fall, to make dang sure block water dont freeze
and crack the block.
did you know the just below 32F is the worst ice expansion.?
not 0F.
ICE is strange .
way2
just mix 1/2 and 1/2
take a bucket.
add 1gal AF.
add 1gal water
put in rad
repeat till full,

Take it back to repair shop!

The clutch is not releasing fully when changing gears. Does the pedal go down quite a way before it seems to be contacting anything? The reason the forward speeds don't make noise is that they have synchromesh gears, which is a pre-engagement mechanism that allow smooth noiseless shifts (up to a point anyway!). I think this a hydraulic clutch mechanism and the lower slave cylinder at the clutch bell housing is the adjusting point for correcting the clutch free play. It should be set so that the internal release arm is nearly touching the throwout bearing inside the bell housing. The problem may also be that the slave cylinder is loose on it's mounting. The clutch pedal should move about 1/2 to 3/4 inch before it starts to push on the shaft from the master cylinder. Hope some of this helps!

Sounds like your piston rings could be shot or your head gasket has blown.

Check if there is an creamy coloured emulsion in the oil, check at the filler cap. Also check for oil in the water coolant expansion tank - this would indicate a blown gasket, as the 2 fluids are mixing.

the blue smoke is an indication that you are burning oil, oil can only get into the cylinders a few ways.

firstly, throught the head gasket.
secondly by passing the piston rings.
thirdly via the plugs, injectors or valves, but you would have to put it there for it to get in, so probably rules this out as a cause.

If it is the gasket - nice straight forward job, however, if it's the piston rings - not so straight forward.
For my Avensis, it was engine out and full strip down to get to them.

I have a 2001 Avensis 1.8 VVTi and just had to strip the engine to change the piston rings - the clutch was easy, compared to the rest. The Haynes manual has it all in and the job may take some time. I had access to a fully equipped car hobby club to do mine and i still took 50 hours to out the engine and strip it.

But to be honest, dropping the tranny is the biggest part of the job, the rest is 8 bolts and a clutch plate.
It's the disconnection of the tranny thats the tme consumer - the procedure simplified is - wheel off, track rod end off, wishbone off, CV joint out, electrics to tranny off, support the engine on blocks, support strut off, tranny off, clutch off.
As they say in the Haynes Manual - 'Replacement is the reverse of removal'

Hope this helps in deciding what to do!

hi by the sounds of things this might be your thrust bearing in the clutch housing, or the presure plate springs have broken you will have to get them checked by a clutch fitter or mechanic, as this is a long and possibly expencive job...sorry its not much help

I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. It sounds like no oil was in and you ran it it got hot and bang. I would take it back to the mechanic and make them repair it