On my 02 z with 28,000 miles my clutch just started sticking the other day. I had a new clutch and transmission installed at 23000 miles. I have stinger intake, lg pro headers, and borlad mufflers for mods. The pedal only starts sticking if I am shifting at 5800-6200 rpms. If it doesnt stick the pedal will just be a little harder to press in. The car doesnt smell like its burning the clutch. I am under GMPP now since I went past my three year mark. Should I worry about it now or is it something that needs to get looked at right away?

 

Well my sticky clutch problem was also amplified with the installation of the LG longtubes due to more heat near the hydraulic system. I just had a friend who has a Z install the new LS7 clutch, I drove his car the other night and it didnt seem to have any issues. I try to keep my fluid clean, I use a auto battery turkey baster looking thing to pull the dirty fluid out of the resevoir and refill with fresh fluid, this seems to help some. I will be doing a new clutch this spring, I would like to get some more seat time in my friends car with the LS7 setup and do a few launches and go through the gears to see if it maintains, if it does that is the route I will go if not it looks like I will be doing the Textrailia. I just cant stand when $hit doesnt work right so I am going to remedy the problem one way or another. The pressure plate design and the hydraulic system is the culprit so replacing with another stock clutch will not fix the problem

 

Check your fluid

 

I would imagine that if a hydraulic clutch is sticking then there may be some contamination in the fluid, no allowing the pedal to return. It could have happened during the installation of the new clutch and trans. I would exchange it just the same to even eliminate that being the problem. Hopefully if it is causing the hang up, it will be flushed out during the swap of old with new.

 

Temp fix get a turkey baster and suck all the fluid out of the slave. Pump 30 times go drive. Then repeat once or twice. I assure you that will help.

 

I checked the fluid it looks pretty bad. I am going to change the fluid and see if that helps. I just installed LG Pro headers a couple weeks ago so I am guessing the heat has something to do with it. Is there a permanent fix? I went and drove hard yesterday and just shifting at 6,000 rpm in first will make it feel differnt going into 2nd. If I keep geeting on for awhile the pedal will stay on the floor and I have to pull it back up with my foot. If I pump it a couple times it will work again.

 

I had an issues like this a few weeks ago.

The dealer changed the Master & Slave and it seemed fine.

The other night I was shifting out of first (5k) and it stuck again.

I lifted the clutch pedal up with the top of my foot and barely missed the shift.

I checked the fluid and it was topped off.

I don't know...............................

Russ

 

Perhaps something from here is in order?

http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/

I have longtubes and 28K also, but I have not expereinced this (yet). Heading it off at the pass would be nice. What exactly is exposed to the high heat, the entire slave cylinder or just the hydraulic lines going to the clutch?

 

also a good fix that worked for me is the spring on the clutch pedal...took it out and its never been to the floor since....my fluid looks really bad but havent had time to do the fluid swap...basically its a black spring on the clutch pedal...remove(i did mine in a parking lot with no tools just hands took 10 minutes) and thats it...the pedal has a different fell to it after this is done...but i like it better...

 

I do the "turkey baster" action on mine every time I change oil. It only takes about 30 minutes to do this quick change, and if you do it regularly it really keeps the clutch fluid clean.

 

The removal of the spring is the quick, cost free solution that many have used with stunning success. As to the fluid, I believe there was a technical service bulletin that said the fluid color change did not affect the performance of the system. It said it was a chemical and not heat related reaction. Of course smoking it with stainless headers is another story.

 

The spring removal will only lessen the problem, it will not fix it. You're best bet is to get a better clutch then the crap that GM stuck in the car.

 

 

I had an 01 Z06. Never fooled with the clutch fluid until after about 100 passes, when I got pedal woes. Pedal stuck to the floor on successive high-rpm shifts.

Replaced the clutch and FROM THAT TIME ON I got religion on doing continuing preventive maintenance on my clutch fluid. Any time it looked anything but clear, I changed the fluid in the reservoir. No subsequent pedal woes on that car.

Move now to my 2002 Z06. 350+ passes with no pedal woes. On this car, from day-1 I've changed the clutch hydraulic fluid frequently...before and after racing...and anytime in between that the fluid began to darken. Zero pedal issues on this car throughout its life with all stock clutch components and still with the clutch pedal spring in place.

A central cause of pedal woes is clutch fluid cooked by heat from the engine. When it cooks, it become badly discolored and full of black goo that collects in the reservoir. And, of course, that goo is coursing through the hydraulics, parcipitating trash in every eddy.

Opinions vary.

Ranger

 

This may work if you have a stock car. Didn't have a problem until I installed a supercharger. Next day had problems. Changed the clutch and the slave problem solved. Never have changed the fluid since.

 

I have chabged the fluid in the reservoir and it is helping some. I have been changing it everytime I take the car out, which has only been twice. Right now my pedal will still stick to the floor after 4th gear but the pedal isnt getting hard anymore. Also the pedal is just barly sticking now, I can just bump it and it will come up and work again. So it making a difference. My car is still under warranty and the slave cylinder is covered but I am affraid they will say my headers caused it fail.

 

The magic is changing the fluid as a P.M. BEFORE the issue ever arises. Once the goo takes hold, you are fighting a holding action.

Suggest you find a mod-friendly dealer for your forthcoming clutch replacement. Headers should not matter to them.

Ranger

 

Yeah I understand, I am more or less adding a bandaide. I am really big on PM but this clutch assy has only 5,000 miles on it and 2,000 miles of those were on the interstate. The other 3,000 were hard miles. The porblem didnt start till after the header install which was only a few hundred miles ago. If they don't cover it, then I will just fix it myself along with remote bleeder, clutch assy, harden out put shafts and probly gears while its all apart. If I known ahead I would have installed a rmote bleeder while I did the headers.

 

I have a reoccurring clutch sticking problem on my '02 Z06 also. My local Chevy dealer has been attempting to fix my sticking clutch for a year and a half. They have replaced the clutch/pressure plate/throw-out bearing twice, the master cylinder once and the slave cylinder twice, and most recently the torque tube and complete transmission. Guess what… The clutch STILL STICKS. They are stumped and so am I.

I’ve noticed that it only happens when shifting at high RPMs (5-6,000rpm) and more often during downshifts after matching RPMs (5-6,000rpm) with a blip of the throttle. When it sticks, I can sometimes pull it up with my toe and it snaps back up. Other times, it is stuck on or near the floor and pulling it up does not good. Stomping on it also does not help. This usually happens at “sub optimal times” during the driving experience.

Just to comment on the threads talking about clutches sticking because of overheating the clutch… I don't buy it. First of all, clutch fluid does not get hot (w/ stock manifold) and second of all, heat does not hurt the fluid. I have completed four back to back 20-minute road course track sessions in 95 degree Texas weather where everything under the hood could cook eggs in the pits, then immediately opened the clutch reservoir and stuck my finger into fluid. It was barely warm. I was shocked. If you don’t believe it, try it. The clutch fluid does not get hot. By the way, don’t try this with brake fluid.

I don’t have headers, so I can’t talk to this. However, I doubt very seriously anyone is hurting their clutch fluid from heat. Think about it. This is the same fluid you use in your brakes that routinely hits well over 400 degrees (not 95 degrees). Hydraulic fluid degrades and must be changed because it absorbs moisture. The moisture lowers the boiling point and will oxidize your brake components. You don’t care about the boiling point in the clutch (never reaches 400 degrees), but you do care about the oxidation. This is why you change it.

I have changed my clutch fluid regularly, but this has no more affect on my clutch sticking problem than taking a sugar pill. As someone pointed out, changing the fluid does not undo any damage that has been done by oxidation. To fix this, you need to replace the moving parts (master and slave cylinders).

 

It's a **** design and every Z06 i have driven near it's limit does it. Replacing stock parts with stock parts is not going to do anything. I have decided to not let it bother me until i am serious and go to Road Atlanta for a track day or something. At that point it will be time to put an aftermarket clutch system in.

I'm glad some people are not having issues but i'd bet a large sum of money that if they gave me 15 minutes with their car i could make the pedal stick if its still a stock set-up.

I wouldn't sweat it unless you are getting into track days, it's a design flaw from GM, as with everything else they won't come clean and just fix it for good.