Bob89c4

Hello everyone!

Its been a while since I've been on the forum. Last time was when I replaced the heater core on my C4. Definitely not an easy job, it took two weeks but I finished it and I evidently opened up the AC condensation drain( i could never find) now the AC works better than ever along with the heater. Now to my question.

My wife and I took the vette out for a drive last night, about mid way I noticed that when I let the clutch out at the end of the travel of the pedal there was a kind of click that never was there before.When we got home I looked at the fluid in the master cylinder and it was down to the bottom fill mark so I added enough to get to the top mark.This did nothing. Still feeling a "click" at the end of the travel of clutch pedal.
Is there a clutch cable that might need adjustment or replacing or
is my clutch saying "thats it, there ain't no more" ????? Lol

I replaced the slave cylinder 2 years ago and at the time thought it was time to replace the clutch then but the new slave cylinder bought me another two years. It now has 104,000 miles on the odometer and I don't believe the clutch has ever been replaced. It is used for occasional weekend drives, never raced or abused. Is it time for a new clutch?

Does anyone have any experience with the solid Flywheel replacement kit Eklers currently has available for under 500 bucks or any other ones for that matter? I know there is no way I am going to find a new dual mass flywheel any more....should I just see how bad the original looks and scuff it up and replace everything else? Again the car has been leisurely driven ( at least by me) and not abused.

ANY info about the conversion kits, dual Mass resurfacing/availability and the GM throw out bearing would be of great help.I have searched threads here and the net and seen some info, several solid conversion kits but no real reviews from someone that bought one and wrote a about it!

Again I am talking about the solid Billet flywheel, not the Fidenza aluminum one.

Thanks in advance for your advice and Happy Fathers day to all the Dads out there!

Bob

cv67

Replace the clutch/slave cyl at the same time you probably still have air in yours;clutch itself unless its chattering or slipping probably just fine
Dont know the PN off hand but getting a steel FW for the st is the way to go, a basic LUK clutch is just fine too no need for anything fancy.
They are affordable and work fine;never liked light flywheels or grabby clutches on the street.

Bob89c4

Thanks for the reply. I replaced the slave cylinder with a Rock auto one a couple of years ago. I don't believe it has air in the line but ANYTHING is possible. My Son and I went out Sunday to let him see what its doing and she's totally gone. The clutch was NOT slipping before hand so I might try to replace the rock auto cylinder with a better one? There just wasn't a lot of travel left on the pedal but I've owned the car ten years and there never was. ZIP corvette touts about how close the one they sell is to the original so I might try that one out before I get in too deep in a total clutch replacement.

I was just wondering about the solid fly wheel conversions...who had done one. Love it ? Hate it? But honestly when the time comes there aren't a lot of options so I guess I will have to go with a steel or aluminum one and be one of the first to write a review ( about a solid steel one if I go that route)

I know as soon as I go with a single mass LUK will start making the dual mass again...

Thanks again,

B

SJW

I'm highly skeptical that you'll ever see new DMFs available for these cars.

I personally would never go with a light-weight flywheel in one of these cars. The gear rattle that you'll likely end up with would annoy me to no end, and launching from a stop will require more finesse with the clutch to avoid stalling.

FWIW, I went with a Stage 2 package from Spec, including their extra-mass billet steel SMF. Overall, I'm pleased with it. The extra-mass SMF helps quite a bit to keep gear rattle in check. I've heard that ZF Doc (google it) has developed a shimming procedure for the ZF box that also helps to control gear rattle, but I've never looked into this because I have no need.

Live well,

SJW

Daniel_Mc

Bob,

I am with the others in that you will likely never see the DM units remade. You have several flywheel choices I have driven stock, solid steel, aluminum and always prefer the aluminum. The starting from a stop thing is nothing to be concerned about and the noise is a personal preference. I have heard really loud ones and others no noise at all. We have the fidanza in a 89 L98 car, ZR-1, and a Cobra. They are great, make the car rev happy, and easy rev matching with downshifts. I would say if you are able to locate a car with a lightweight FW installed and drive it yourself to see if it is something for you. The OEM master and salve are much better than the repop stuff. If you still have the original I would suggest sending to Jim at Power Torque Systems for a rebuild, shelving it for later when needed.

-Daniel

MatthewMiller

Bob, first let me say I agree with everything Daniel_Mc just wrote. The only caveat I would say is that you should make sure to go with an organic disk for a street car with stock power. I have a 13lb Fidanza flywheel in mine, and when I still had the organic disk it was fine on the street. Now I have a dual-surface disc with a metallic lining on one side, and it's definitely harder to launch. OTOH, if you have no desire to change how your car currently drives, then there is nothing wrong with cleaning up the original DM flywheel and reusing it, as long as it is in good shape.

Second, I don't think your problem would be caused by bad hydraulics. Usually when the master or slave cylinders fail, you get the opposite problem: the inability to fully disengage the clutch. I think the same would be the case if the fork pivot is wearing out. If it's slipping, that makes me think your pressure plate is somehow failing, and that the click you heard is somehow related to that.

That said, I wouldn't try to talk you out of trying to swap out your slave cylinder, first. Maybe something in it is preventing the piston from returning all the way back up the bore, thereby keeping your clutch partially disengaged? If so, that's a hell of a lot easier fix than replacing the whole clutch. I and a few others here have had decent luck with the slave and master cylinders sold by NAPA. There's a NAPA on 94 at Jungermann which is not too far from you.

Which leads me to the last thing. I live right by Cottleville, so I'm close to you. You are welcome to see what my car with the light single-mass flywheel is like. However, it's not a fair comparison because it has roughly 40% more power than stock. But at least you can hear the noise the transmission makes in neutral, and get a sense of how much more rev-happy it is with the light flywheel. If I can help you if/when you have to do the clutch job, let me know. The main area where a helping hand is nice is the actual removal and reinstall of the transmission. Also, I have a decent torque wrench if you need to borrow it, which is critical for properly installing the pressure plate to the flywheel. Feel free to PM me about this stuff.

JasBass

Morning all

I have an 89 where the DMF is done and sounds like a bag of rocks, clutch slipping too. Under heavy throttle it'll go, but not like you'd think, then you'll feel it catch/jolt the trans, hookup and go like hell. Wondering what the OP finally went with? Feedback from that choice? Matt and Daniel, any fitment issue with the Fidanza other than to use the organic clutch? I found a good deal on the Fidanza and don't mind the noise at idle. Thanks for the feedback!

MatthewMiller

I wonder if the sounds and issue you are experiencing is just the throwout bearing? Regardless, if you want the Fidanza it fits properly with no issues. You need to use a sprung-hub disk as opposed to the non-sprung disk that is used with the DMF. You can use any disk material, but I recommend organic, Kevlar (SPEC Stage 2 iirc), or maybe a dual-friction metal/organic (Centerline).

Just be aware that you're going from a 40lb flywheel to a 13lb one. It will take a little more concentration to smoothly engage the clutch and get the car rolling from a stop - more so with more aggressive disk materials. You'll probably find it easier to smoothly and quickly shift, though. And there will be a noticeable increase in acceleration in the lower gears.

WVZR-1

POSTER #7 doesn't need to buy a 13lb 'single mass'

JasBass

Agreed about the throw out bearing, forgot to put that in the post. The PO did/had so much crappy work done on the car that it mentally would make me feel better just replacing the entire lot. That way I know what is in there and it was done right. 92k on the car, the original DMF would be a ticking time bomb if I left it in there. Appreciate the info man

MatthewMiller

If you have the original Valeo pressure plate in there, it may be better to keep it and have it resurfaced. OTOH, if it turns out the bearing is shot then most likely neither it nor the PP are original. My point, though, is that the original Valeo PP and INA bearing at 95k miles may be better bets than the new Chinese crap that's available as replacements now.

dizwiz24

WVZR-1

I doubt this also, flywheel weight matters for drive-ability - a 'band-aid' description doesn't fit. I certainly believe SJW made a good decision with a 'heavier' steel and others mention 'happy motoring' with similar. It ain't often someones happy with a 13lb flywheel.

MatthewMiller

There are certainly pros and cons either way. I believe the 40lb DM is pretty heavy even compared to many other stock flywheels. But a 26-30lb SMF would be a better choice for someone who doesn't compete in any speed-oriented events and wants to retain easy standing-start drivability. The 13lb option has its advantages for autocrossing, road course work, etc.

vettespecial

Hi, my 90 had the single mass flywheel with a cheap clutch, after my engine overhaul i went back to a DMF and love it, If you do take yours
out and go to single aluminum, I would be happy to buy your as well.
I cant tell a 40 lb flywheel from a 7 pound with the power my overhauled L98 makes now! I hoard up on spare parts. Dave