I'm just about at my wit's end with this thing. We have a new baby due in March, and we had to buy a more family oriented vehicle (Mazda Protege 5). Now I need to sell my 'Vette, which has been sitting for a while with this clutch problem. :nopity

I first thought the problem was a hydraulic leak and air getting into the system somehow. Instead of futzing around with it, I replaced both the master and slave cylinders for the hydraulics, and I had a new hose made, because it is not available as a replacement part.

After a day and night of exasperation getting everything back together, and bleeding the system for what seemed forever, it seems I now have the same problem that got me into this to begin with. So either the hydraulics never were the problem, or they weren't the only problem.

The pedal is very hard for what travel there is. With the shifter in Neutral, if I push the pedal in with the engine running, I get a grinding noise as if something is being pushed into the flywheel. When I release the pedal, the grinding noise stops. Is it possible the release bearing is bound or something else?

And when I get that fixed, do I really need to break off the slave cylinder bleeder screw as stated in the service manual?

I'm going to give it one more go at bleeding tomorrow, but I'm about ready to have it towed to a shop and let someone else fix it! I would really appreciate any insights!

I have one more question--I stripped a spark plug hole under the A/C compressor. I was thinking of having a local 'Vette shop pull the head, drill the holes, and install helicoils to repair all the spark plug holes on that side. I also considered doing this myself, but I just read another thread about someone who was replacing head gaskets, and was now into replacing rocker arms, pushrods, etc. Mine has 140,000 on it, and I'm worried what's likely to jump out once the head is torn off. I just want to sell the car, but I want it to be right when I sell it.

How much of a can of worms is this likely to be? I also don't want to spend the next two weeks rebuilding the top end of my engine with enormous amounts of help from you folks. Should I just have the 'Vette shop do the work?

Or should I just sell it with this stated up front as a known problem? And who would buy it? I have someone interested in it already, but they're friends and I REALLY want to make sure it is right for them.

Thanks in advance for any help!

:flag

 

The grinding noise could very well be the throw out bearing. Doesnt sound like a hydraulic problem to me. As far as the spark plug goes, If you want it done correctly, take it to the shop. Make sure your mechanic knows that you are selling it and if it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

Sounds like the throwout bearing has siezed up or the fork is bent..or both. As for the head, if its been fine till now and the heads have never been off it shouldnt cause you any more problems to pull it, take it to a machine shop and have it fixed, then reinstall it yourself. If you can put together a bike on Christmas eve WITHOUT instructions and get it right then you have the skills to do it yourself along with us here on the forum. Either way, good luck.