Hi,

Can anyone tell me what I need to change out when replacing an old clutch? I'm looking for what parts must be replaced and what parts would be a good idea to replace.

Thanks Guys!!

 

Must:
Clutch disc
Clutch fluid

Would be smart:
Clutch disc
Pressure Plate
Flywheel
Slave cylinder (has throw out bearing)

Ideal:
all above
pilot bearing
remote bleeder
Clutch master cylinder

Cheap a$$ way out:
have flywheel refinished
new clutch disc


I don't recommend doing anything other than what I have listed as Ideal. Also highly recommend the LS7 clutch setup, it's an LS2 flywheel, LS7 pressure plate, and LS7 disc. Replace your slave with an 04 Z06 slave. It's about $625 for these parts shipped to your door.

I did this to my car a few months ago. There are many threads on this if you do a search.

 

Some very good threads on the new LS7 clutch setup and that is the way to go with a stock car or a lightly modded car

 

You might want to look into this too.

In the Clutch
A Simple, No-Cost Fix for LS1 Camaro and Corvette Clutch Problems

The clutch comes out, and the Camaro launches hard. The tach hits 6,000 rpm and you stab the clutch pedal, yank on the shifter, and slam the trans into Second gear. Again the motor climbs to 6,000 rpm and you press on the clutch and bang the shifter into what should be Third, but you miss the gear. The motor revs, your foot comes off the gas and you search for Third. On the next pass, the same thing happens. You discover that the only way the trans will shift into Third is if you granny-shift the trans. First to Second is OK, but Second to Third just won’t go.
If this sounds familiar with your fourth-generation Camaro or Corvette, you’re not alone. The LS1 Camaros and Corvettes are plenty quick and have great power. The T56 trans shifts great most of the time, but often it just won’t let you bang Third gear. Several clutch companies claim to offer the solution, but in a recent discussion with Steve Cole of The Turbo Shop, he let us in on a cool little secret that he says will solve these clutch problems and make that T56 shift like a dream.
Ironically, the solution is not with the clutch, but with the hydraulic actuating system. Steve has been building and fine-tuning a high-rpm 302ci LS1 Camaro for Chevrolet that debuted at the SEMA show last year. The Camaro suffered the same fate as the description above and managed to kill a clutch in a matter of minutes. This led Steve to investigate the problem.
The hydraulic clutch actuating system in ’98-and-later Camaros is very simple. It starts with a plastic, injection-molded master cylinder that uses a standard piston and seal assembly to apply pressure when the piston is stroked by the clutch pedal. A –4 steel-braided, Teflon-lined hose connects the master cylinder to a hydraulic slave cylinder that bolts to the front of the transmission and actuates the push-off diaphragm clutch. Steve decided to create a complete bench-mounted system to see if he could locate the problem.
Through experimentation, Steve discovered that it took 5 ½ strokes of the master to move the slave piston through its complete travel. After many hours of experimenting, he discovered a delay in both the actuation of the slave cylinder and the time it took for the fluid to return to the master cylinder. Eventually, this pointed to a restriction in the hydraulic line between the master cylinder and the slave. After a little more detective work, Steve discovered a restrictor in the steel-braided line just downstream of the master cylinder line fitting. By using a pin micrometer, he discovered that the –4 line (which should have an inside diameter of around ¼ inch) included a restrictor that reduced the inside diameter (id) of the line to 0.064-inch or roughly ¼ the id of the hose.
Steve surmised that the restrictor not only delayed release of the clutch, but, more importantly, slowed engagement of the clutch as well. This means that after releasing the clutch pedal when the car is launched, the hydraulic fluid is still trying to return to the master cylinder when the clutch pedal is hit again for the One-Two shift. This again delays the return of fluid to the master. When it comes time for the Third-gear shift, the fluid is still stacked up in the line, preventing the clutch from releasing properly. This is what causes those missed shifts. Slowing the shift down allows the hydraulic system time to recover and perform its normal function.
Once Steve discovered the restrictor in the line, he used a 1/8-inch drill bit and carefully drilled out the restrictor to 1/8-inch, cleaned and flushed the line to remove the chips, reassembled the line to the system, and then bled the system to remove any air. With the system back on the car, a quick test blast down the street instantly eliminated the Third-gear shift problem. Since then, the Camaro has run numerous 12-second quarter-mile runs with no hint of a problem.
So why did Chevy engineers design the hydraulic system like this? Steve thinks that the restrictor has little noticeable effect on clutch disengagement. However, when engaging the clutch, the restrictor softens the “hit,” which reduces the abuse on the drivetrain. On quick, fast shifts, this unfortunately adds slippage and also builds heat very quickly in the clutch and flywheel. For everyday driving, the restrictor may be acceptable, but for performance driving and dragstrip use, this could mean the kiss of death.
This quick fix also applies to older supercars if they employ the stock Chevrolet hydraulic clutch actuating system. Steve’s only experience has been with the ’98-and-newer hydraulic clutch systems, but it’s possible that the older hydraulic systems may also use a restrictor. The only way to determine if the line has a restrictor in it is to slide a 1/8-inch drill bit down the length of the inlet side of the braided steel hose. If the bit hits a restriction, then you know you’ll need to modify the hose. Unfortunately, typical AN –4 lines will not work on this system since the GM line uses special GM hybrid fittings that are not compatible with AN lines.
The best news about this whole deal is that other than investing a couple of hours to remove the line and drill the restrictor, this modification costs nothing. We’re not guaranteeing that this modification will earn you the title of Mr. Six-speed, but it can’t hurt. It certainly doesn’t cost anything to try it.

 

[QUOTE=Last C5]You might want to look into this too.

In the Clutch
A Simple, No-Cost Fix for LS1 Camaro and Corvette Clutch Problems


Very interesting. This is something I will have to look into, since I am staying with the MN6. I have not noticed this to be a problem so far with my RPS setup, however this does seem like a great idea

 

Could the restrictor be the cause of notchy shifting on the MN12? Shifting into third sometimes has to finessed to avoid the "tick" (as if the outer edge of the gear is catching prior to fully engaging) when shifting into third. This happens whether cold or hot. The only time that it seems to be less prevalent is when acceleration is high and fast shifts are made through each of the gears.

 

This is some great info, thanks a lot guys!!

 

ttt

 

What you are describing is very close to the problem the Camaro boys were having at the drags. Most of us wouldn't notice this because there is more time between up shifts on a road course. However, sometimes downshifts happen pretty quickly. ????

 

[QUOTE=peter pan]
Out of all the clutches that I have tried, I highly recommend the RPS clutch. Many manufacturer distributors do, as well. However, the choice is yours, and, is always very wisely based upon goals, needs, application, quality, design, warranty response and support by the specific clutch manufacturer, and, one's own budget.

 

Where can someone access instructions on how to do a complete clutch replacement job?
Thanks,
Chris

 

 

Maybe I'm not reading this right, but the explanation sounds backwards to me. If fluid isn't returning to the master cylinder fast enough and backs up in the system, that means it would accumulate between the master and slave, pushing on the slave causing partial disengagement. It shouldn't cause failure to release, but failure to engage.
Can you explain this further? So far I'm not getting it, unless failure to engage fully causes enough heat to create bubbles in the fluid, and THAT causes the clutch to not disengage fully.

 

I was told the newer Z-06 slave master combo didn't have this restriction is that true? I'm about to install this setup.

 

I believe you're right, it does prevent the clutch from releasing as fast as it should. But, it also depletes the reserve you have in the master cylinder and prevents a clean release for the third gear shift too.

 

When you bleed the system, if you watch the throw out bearing while someone else pushes the clutch pedal, you will see that the throw out bearing moves as fast as you can press the pedal, and releases the same.

 

I have upgraded to 04 Z06 slave and goodies and I went out and abused my car for Christmas to remember how much I love FI--oh I waited until it was about 70 degrees outside here in South Texas and I was in shorts. I did not notice any shifting issues and I did 4 back to back launches through 4th. I only changed passengers between my sons as they wanted some gear heading on Christmas