I've got horrible chatter in my fly wheel/ clutch area...my clutch is newer but my flywheel is old. I have replaced opt, water pump and can do smaller things to a car. I am wondering from the guys who have takin out their trannies if it is possible for a guy like myself to do this in my garage. It would save me about a grand..be blunt and give some info or advice if you have it. Thanks guys


P.s it's a 6 spd 1994 with 190,000 miles. Clutch and flywheel not original

Derek

 

Blunt?? it is a beotch of a job.

You have to pull the exhaust, Drive shaft, the C-Beam just to get to the trans..... it is a good 4-6 hours to get the tranny on the ground.

Then you fix whatever needs fixing, then it is a good 4-6 hours again to get it all back in.

it is a BIG job.....not difficult.....BIG....

You'll feel your muscles in the morning after this job. It is a lot of grunting and straining. If you don't have a transmission jack

 

Well I have the time to fix it..I am worried I will get half way and have it towed. Can I do it with the car on Jack stands?

 

Yes...Jack stands are just fine. You'll need to make sure you get the car up as high as possible.

And don't worry, this is a step 1, step 2 type operation.....

Grunting will be plenty....thinking will be little.

When I did mine the first time, we pulled the bell housing off still attached to the tranny and the car needed to be very high.

If you take the four bolts loose and drop the tranny without the bell housing...it is much much easier in both directions.

 

Thanks soo much. That's what I needed to hear

 

See my thread on grinding the C-Beam

http://www.corvette-guru.com/modules...=11640&forum=1

I took some off the C-Beam and it made life much much easier getting that thing in and out

 

What do u put under the tranny once it's loose? I don't have a tranny Jack, could I rig something or go get what is said to use in the manual?

 

You need the big truck stands so you have enough clearance to get the tranny out. Rent a tranny jack or enlist a friend.

If you have never pulled a tranny, do not try it alone.

 

Harbor Freight has some low cost tranny jacks, I bought mine for @ $50 and have used it no less than 35-40 times.

 

^^Is that true?? I'll have to look again....cause it seems I'd be using one a lot.....

Derek, If you don't have a tranny jack, you can use a regular floor jack.....the issue is that you'll need two jacks....one for the motor rear and one for the tranny.

If you just use a bottle jack for the motor..that can work as well...you just need something to cradle the rear of the motor after you take out the C-Beam.....and most importantly.......

......when you are stabbing the tranny, you need the ability to line things up properly....this is a wonderful dance you do whereas you'll be under the car wrestling the tranny and then you realize that the motor is too low...so you shimmy out from under the car....go to the front and pump that jack two times..then shimmy back under and start wrestling again with the tranny......oh by the way...you need that brick and the wood block along with that 2x4 piece.......

A tranny jack relieves all that.....

But back to using just a floor jack. Agent86 has wonderful pics of when he built a platform for his floor jack for the tranny. I built one but then lost it....and found it again just three days ago. If you don't do this, you can basically place the round part of the floor jack just in front of the OD oil pan on the 4sp part....that is a good balance point on solid casing. beware however, when you are letting the trans down.....it wants to fall to the left....so when you let the floor jack down...the oil pan of the OD unit hits the back part of the jack and flips the trans.......I dropped mine and it is not fun and let's not mention scary as you lift that thing up trying to see if you broke the case anywhere.

Oh....wait...the OP has a 6spd...so forget all the OD stuff.....but I'll leave it in case anyone else reads this.

And don't let someone tell you it is not a job you can do by yourself. You can do this...it just takes a lot of grunting and muscle to get things lined up.......There is not much that is real real technical.

Of course I say this when I failed to correctly seat my TO Bearing and had to do it all again.....but that is another story.

I also crammed that inspection cover back up there incorrectly and one piece caught the flywheel back.......it made a horrible noise as if some one clipped a card on their bicycle with a clothespin and had the card hit the spokes......except it was on steroids....I finally had to loosen the starter enough to get that plate to drop enough to see the damaged part....a quick mod with Tin Snips and that wasn't an issue any further....

So, being honest and saying that it is easy...but then telling you that cr@p can happen....I just want you to know both sides. And not be scared. I think some personal crap in my lie was really effecting me when I made both of those mistakes....I wasn't really focused.

 

If the clutch is new, and the flywheel needs to be surfaced, There never will be a smooth clutch engagement when you change clutches until something wears down.
BUT
if the clutch engagement is "horrific", then there is another problem.
Try first checking engine mounts in the front, and the batwing bolts in the back. Something is allowing the engine/trans/rear to move in the chassis.
Horrific chatter can also be blamed on dog bone bushings, bad rear toe mechanism, loose rear spring bolts, loose tranny bolts, broken pieces, etc.
I would look the car over pretty well before I started yanking the trans, or you will get to a certain step in pulling that clutch, and find whatever is the culprit, and just have to either continue, or reassemble your car.

 

Probably one of the most difficult jobs I've ever done.Definatly need 2 people.I'd guess the DMF is shot.One shouldn't have more than 1.375" of travel between the 2 pieces.
Good Luck.

 

^^Yeah but tell us...was it mentally challenging or was it physically challenging??

Physical challenges scare me much less than "not knowing" how to fix something.....

Most people have seen a clutch R&R before.....Once you get the C-beam out and the exhaust

 

Your Right...I Agree...It's just a Matter of Removing and Putting Back Parts.It Kills Me When I Can't Figure Out How To Do Something.I Believe if it Were up on a Lift and Using a Trans. Jack Would Have Been Much Easier.

Just Glad It's Over.

 

Zactly.......perfect description......

Sadly, when I'm over at the trans shop I use for buying parts.....you see a grown man drooling over the simplest things like a trans jack.......

 

did the job, front wheels on ramps, back of car on jackstands, used two floor jacks. need two people. if exhaust has been off recently, project much easier....if not, just removing the exhaust is a project all by itself.

other than labor intensive, its not that hard or complicated. good luck

 

Do you have a single mass flywheel?

If you have to disassembly the tranny, this may help


Transmission R&R Procedure
('89 - '96 ZF 6 speed equipped Corvette)
Required Tools (wrench and sockets for each):
21mm, 19mm, 17mm, 16mm, 15mm, 14mm, 13mm, 10mm, 8mm
A 1/4" X 12" standard screwdriver (Support beam alignment leverage bar)
Full size rolling floor jack, (4) jack stands, support stands under front
control arms and rear shock studs.
Bell housing (L98/LT1/ LT4) P/N 10126448 ~ $200 (it will be an updated -
magnesium/aluminum blend w/vents P/N 10085208)
FYI - '90-'95 Bell housing (LT5) P/N 10085201 ~ $800
O.E. Clutch Assembly (by Valeo) from Carolina Clutch (phone # 888 462-2739)
~ $300 delivered.
Note: Clutch Assemblies by CenterForce or McLeod Industries are build upon stock Valeo Pressure Plates.

REMOVAL OF TRANSMISSION:
1) Remove the Shifter **** (see procedure below). Remove the lift-ring by using a 0.077" Allen wrench (if equipped), leather-boot by removing the center console and
4 egg corn nuts connecting the shift boot to the shifter.

2) Remove the exhaust system as one piece from after the catalytic converters.

3) Disconnect electrical connections from Reverse Light Switch, CAGS and Speed Sensor.

4) Support the transmission with floor jack centered at drain plug.

5) Remove drive shaft and support beam bolts.
Manipulation by varying support height with floor jack may
assist in driveline support beam bolt removal.

6) Slide support beam forward from differential mount far enough to clear the differential structure when lowered.



7) Monitor the firewall clearance while lowering the support jack allowing the engine and transmission to tilt backwards until the drive beam clears the
emergency brake cable. You will have to help the cable around the back end of the beam. The emergency brake must be completely released for this step.

8) Slide support beam rearward from the transmission and remove from vehicle.

9) Remove transmission to bell housing bolts.

10) Engage 3rd gear to allow for the shift lever to clear the tunnel when transmission is being removed.

11) Remove transmission from vehicle.
REMOVAL OF THE BELL HOUSING:
Remove the bell housing by aligning the fork on the two flats of the release (throw out) bearing and pull the fork back from the bearing while rotating the bell housing in a counterclockwise direction.

Note: Excessive clutch disc wear may require loosening of the ball stud to disengage fork and bell housing.
- The 6mm Allen socket ball stud locking screw is a
counter-clockwise turn-to-loosen thread and is tightened to 10 lbs-ft. The torque spec in the manual is incorrect.

- The 12mm Allen socket fork ball stud is a clockwise turn-to-loosen thread (left handed) and is tightened to 33 lbs-ft. NOTE: If the fork ball stud is not able to be loosened/removed (clockwise rotation), the allen socket portion of the threaded stud has cracks in it allowing it to expand remaining locked in position. This happens more often than one would expect likely due to the thread being the opposite direction thread type where counterclockwise rotation actually tightens the ball stud more so resulting in cracking the thread portion of the ball stud. Removal of the stud once the thread portion has cracked is best done buy CAREFULLY cutting the stud in half by using a cut-off wheel through the retainer hole of the bell housing. Once the stud is severed below the shift fork, the bell housing can be removed and a 1-1/8" socket can be used to back the stud out for replacement. When backing the stud out from the flywheel side, it is to be loosened by rotating in the counterclockwise direction.

Caution: Do not let the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder (actuator) hang from the feed line.
Be sure to secure the actuator off to the side in a horizontal position. This will reduce the likelihood of any suspended debris in the clutch hydraulic fluid from settling in the actuator at the seal which can lodge in the seal and possibly compromise the clutch hydraulic system.
***CAUTION*** Do not, under any circumstance, use any type of leverage bar between transmission and bell housing. Manipulation by varying support height with floor jack may assist in aligning the bolt holes.
R&R of the Shifter ****:
NOTE - If the shifter **** is being removed for the first time, it may require a great deal of effort to pluck the locking wedge out of position. The following procedure will allow you to get into the correct position to generate enough pull force required to get the job done.
1) Remove the roof panel (you will need to stand up in the car get enough leverage to pluck the wedge from the shifter ****). It will be necessary for you to straddle the door sills in order to get your body in the correct position for max lift/pull leverage.

2) Remove the shift pattern cap with a small leverage/prying devise. With a small set of Vise-Grip pliers, lock onto the sides of the wedge that is just under the shift pattern cover of the ****.

3) with a long screw driver slid through the pliers jaws, use both hands and pull up with as much force as you can generate.

4) Once the wedge has been removed, unscrew the **** to access the reverse pull-up lock-out mechanism (if equipped). The reverse pull-up **** is held in place with a very small allen-head set screw.
R&R of the extension housing bushing:
NOTE - When removing the extension housing from the transmission case, be sure that the rear main bearing shim remains in place. If the shim should be removed for whatever reason, be sure that it is back in place when the extension housing is re-installed. Failure to follow this step will result in failure of the transmission.
NOTE - Be sure that any deformities caused by removal of the old bushing are removed from the aluminum bore. The dimples of the original bushing tend to leave slight wakes in the Aluminum bore as the old bushing is pressed out of place. For best reinstallation of the new bushing, make sure that the high spots of these wakes are removed along with any other protrusions caused by dents in the aluminum bore. If there are a few dents or gouges remaining in the bore, it is OK. You just need to be sure that all of the high spots have been removed so that the new bushing sits perfectly true.
NOTE - Do not be concerned that the new bushing does not have any dimples like the old one. The replacement bushing is to be pressed into place without any lubricants or binding agents. The combination of fit between the two different types of material and their coefficient of expansion properties will provide for an exceptionally good "hold in position" of the bushing when unit is returned to operation.
1. Remove the tail shaft seal.

2. Remove the bushing from it's journal buy cutting the bushing (with Sawzall) along the oil channel grove so as not to damage the bushing journal.


3. Use a scotch pad to thoroughly clean the bore surface and the bushing outside diameter surface.

4. Carefully press new bushing and seal into place. NOTE: This bushing is the same bushing used in a T-400 automatic transmission. NOTE: be sure that the rear main bearing shim is in place prior to re-installing the extension housing.


5. Be sure to evenly torque the extension housing bolts to 18 foot pounds of torque.
Shifter Removal:
1. Remove the shifter bracket at the back of the transmission.
2. Unbolt and remove the shifter control-arm Allen bolt.
3. Cut and remove the shifter bellows lower front tie-wrap.
4. Pull and hold back the bellows in order to gain access to the drift pin safety retainer ring.
5. Slide the retaining ring back and push the drift pin out enough to remove the shifter.
Changing the Speedometer Gears on the Vehicle
NOTES: The C4 Corvette Vehicle Speed Indication System (VSIS) uses a pulse-signal-reference generated from the Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS). The VSS, when equipped with a 15 tooth (T) drive gear (on output shaft) and 42T driven gear turning the VSS combined with a 3.45:1 differential ration, produces 4000 pulses per mile traveled. The VSIS is calibrated to 4000 pulses equaling one mile. When the differential (final drive) ratio changes, so does the pulses generated over each mile. To correctly recalibrate the VSIS signal pulse rate back to 4K/mile either the drive and/or driven VSS gear(s) must be changed or a black box Electronic Ratio Adapter (ERA) installed. Both cost around $140.

DIRECTIONS:
- Raise vehicle and safely support on jack stands.

Remove or Disconnect
- Exhaust.
- Driveshaft-to-pinion strap bolts (8mm).
- Driveshaft. (little to no oil should leak out).
- Vehicle Speed Sensor 10mm bolt.
- Vehicle Speed Sensor.
Note: Roughly 1/4 of a liter of oil will drain out of the transmission.
- Driven gear from Vehicle Speed Sensor.
- Drive gear off of output shaft.
To do this, you will need to rotate the shaft until the speed sensor drive gear clip is visible.
Push in on the locking tang of the clip then slide the driven gear back and off of the output shaft.
NOTE: The speedo drive gear will clear the extension housing tail bushing and seal.
Leave the washer in place for the new speedo drive gear.

Install or Reconnect
- Speed Sensor Drive gear and locking clip.
- Driven gear onto Vehicle Speed Sensor.
- Vehicle Speed Sensor.
- Vehicle Speed Sensor 10mm retaining bolt.
- Driveshaft.
- Driveshaft-to-pinion strap bolts (8mm).
- Oil into the transmission to replenish what was lost.
Note - add oil through the fill plug hole until it runs back out of the hole.
- Exhaust.