please help! clutch dilemma
10-04-2015, 01:13 PM
#21
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Member Since: Dec 1999
Location: Anthony TX
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CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
HOLY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, CRAP!!!!!!!! 
Some things I would be concerned about. Some have already been mentioned:
Clutch/Flywheel balance "drive train vibrations"
Crankshaft Pilot Bearing replacement (did they replace it?) CORRECTLY?????
I ALL of the bell housing, TT and drivetrain bolts properly installed and torqued????????? I would CHECK!
Good luck my friend!
Bill
Some things I would be concerned about. Some have already been mentioned:
Clutch/Flywheel balance "drive train vibrations"
Crankshaft Pilot Bearing replacement (did they replace it?) CORRECTLY?????
I ALL of the bell housing, TT and drivetrain bolts properly installed and torqued????????? I would CHECK!
Good luck my friend!
Bill
10-04-2015, 04:13 PM
#22
Safety Car
I hope this works out well at the finish for you.
I also stepped in it a few times trying to find a shop . I bought a vert with clutch and a few other lesser problems, at a reduced price. At the time, I didn't know every shop in my area was making that high end german repair money, and complicated chevys were an unneeded rare bird.
In my state, the car repair board will answer a complaint, but can only fine a garage for easy stuff , like returning old parts and paperwork, they can't judge the quality of the work on the car, before and after. I would give them a call, if your state has oversight in this area. They tightened up the guy that ruined the tranny in my old jag, I didn't see any money back, but the shop didn't profit, a couple of times over. They had bad paperwork, the guy told me, he felt the guy was a cheat, so he got lit up.
I would ditch the lawyer idea, smalls claims court is structured for the consumer, not the pro doing the work, who they assume should know enough to avoid problems, if you want to invest more time. Paper work wins there. The more documents the better.
In my case the search for a garage took time, and the clutch was a real mess by the time it came out, I got some odd pedal action twice, but it never slipped. I did crack a lot of necks around town when I took off, the grinding metal noises were loud and sang of an explosive future.
I also wouldn't sleep on the pilot bearing, as previously mentioned. My pilot bearing was missing in action, nothing left but clutch dust in the hole, and they are a little tricky to install, from reading here. Needle bearings are stock, racers use sintered bronze oil bushings , they don't last as long , but are harder to crush.
Another item I didn't know about until recently, there is a reverse gear lock out solenoid that is easy to reach when doing the clutch, otherwise you need extra terrestrial type fingers to reach it in place. I was bummed when I learned about the part and location. I would have preferred a mechanical lock out, given the shift pattern.
I paid $1000 on labor , for installation of a McLeod rst clutch and steel flywheel, C6 master and slave, used torque tube assembly, plus the man on my car found the broken ignition clip that evaded other shops , in a safety critical circuit. A lot of the minor fettering on my car was testing garages on small jobs, I didn't want your saddle after paying that much labor, and most shops wanted more. I knew I was a low skill owner, but had run off the repair spectrum cars in the past, so was well aware of how easily mistakes are made. No one well tell you their shop is not qualified for the car, except an honest guy, which doesn't improve your chances any , when you think about it.
These cars are a break from the past. One of the old corvette attractions was that you could drop it off for repair at the gas station, when that was happening. You couldn't do that with a Jag. Get a shop with practical experience on C5 and up, the older cars are from a different world.
When GM builds stuff, it seems knowing the weak spots from past experience is very helpful. At one of my first corvette shows it was pointed out to me. The cars are built to be assembled quickly, not for ease of repair. The dealers are required to send a guy for special repair training if they want to sell the line.
If you need anymore long answers with low content, just ask.
I also stepped in it a few times trying to find a shop . I bought a vert with clutch and a few other lesser problems, at a reduced price. At the time, I didn't know every shop in my area was making that high end german repair money, and complicated chevys were an unneeded rare bird.
In my state, the car repair board will answer a complaint, but can only fine a garage for easy stuff , like returning old parts and paperwork, they can't judge the quality of the work on the car, before and after. I would give them a call, if your state has oversight in this area. They tightened up the guy that ruined the tranny in my old jag, I didn't see any money back, but the shop didn't profit, a couple of times over. They had bad paperwork, the guy told me, he felt the guy was a cheat, so he got lit up.
I would ditch the lawyer idea, smalls claims court is structured for the consumer, not the pro doing the work, who they assume should know enough to avoid problems, if you want to invest more time. Paper work wins there. The more documents the better.
In my case the search for a garage took time, and the clutch was a real mess by the time it came out, I got some odd pedal action twice, but it never slipped. I did crack a lot of necks around town when I took off, the grinding metal noises were loud and sang of an explosive future.
I also wouldn't sleep on the pilot bearing, as previously mentioned. My pilot bearing was missing in action, nothing left but clutch dust in the hole, and they are a little tricky to install, from reading here. Needle bearings are stock, racers use sintered bronze oil bushings , they don't last as long , but are harder to crush.
Another item I didn't know about until recently, there is a reverse gear lock out solenoid that is easy to reach when doing the clutch, otherwise you need extra terrestrial type fingers to reach it in place. I was bummed when I learned about the part and location. I would have preferred a mechanical lock out, given the shift pattern.
I paid $1000 on labor , for installation of a McLeod rst clutch and steel flywheel, C6 master and slave, used torque tube assembly, plus the man on my car found the broken ignition clip that evaded other shops , in a safety critical circuit. A lot of the minor fettering on my car was testing garages on small jobs, I didn't want your saddle after paying that much labor, and most shops wanted more. I knew I was a low skill owner, but had run off the repair spectrum cars in the past, so was well aware of how easily mistakes are made. No one well tell you their shop is not qualified for the car, except an honest guy, which doesn't improve your chances any , when you think about it.
These cars are a break from the past. One of the old corvette attractions was that you could drop it off for repair at the gas station, when that was happening. You couldn't do that with a Jag. Get a shop with practical experience on C5 and up, the older cars are from a different world.
When GM builds stuff, it seems knowing the weak spots from past experience is very helpful. At one of my first corvette shows it was pointed out to me. The cars are built to be assembled quickly, not for ease of repair. The dealers are required to send a guy for special repair training if they want to sell the line.
If you need anymore long answers with low content, just ask.