Well im heading up to ECS to have a set of 3:90 professionally installed.
While they are under the car, they will have to figure out was wrong with my clutch. I had hoped I fixed the problem by changing the fluid a couple times, but the pedal still sticks.

Its a wierd issue. The first 20-30 mintues of a drive the clutch pedal is soft and sticks. After about a half hour, It feel like it should. I havent taken the car on trips much longer than an hour to see what happens to the pedal on a long drive but it will take me about 3 hours to get to ECS. The clutch seems to lock fine all the time, so I hope its just the hydrolics.

 

Phil, I don't mean to beat a dead horse.. but what did your installer say? Is he willing to warranty the work? I personally think it plausible you simply have a defective clutch..

Or it could be the Splined shaft binding... Whatever it is.. He should take responsibility here.. Unless it's Way out of warranty..

 

I doubt it's an installer issue, but simply easier for me to have ECS to take a look while the car is in the air and the rear is out. It's just easier for me.

 

Are you pulling the Torque tube while you are in there? May as well take a full peek as to what may be going on..

 

Both forums are rife with probelms with the McLoed master cylinder...

 

Im just a paying party

I drove home from work today and after the first 20 minutes the clutch felt right. I think it's hyrdolic related and Ill have at least the hydrolics replaced. Its an expensive hobby boys

 

Phil - I've had bad experiences with the LUK clutches (stock and Pro Gold). I also replaced the stock master cylinder with the adjustable McLeod and am using the RPS clutch with absolutely no issues at all. Just a thought when you go to ECS - may want to try the RPS while they're in there. Good luck.

 

We have installed numerous RPS cluthes with great results.

 

Well kids, Im home from getting abused by Chris for 8 hours.

First I'd like to thank Marc at ECS for doing the work on my car. The guy works like a mad man.

This is how the day when. I hit the road at 6:15a in the pouring rain. About an hour into the rain, I said to myself, crap, I have a Vararam. My car has never been in the rain. Im glad to report I drove an average of 50 MPH ( on the highway It was 75-80 MPH ) for 4 hours with NO issues at all. I was a Vararam doubter but im not any more !

As I drove, the normal issues came up with the clutch, The first 30 mintues it sucked, and then worked fine.

When I got to ECS, we figured since I was getting new 3:90s, we'd attack the problem from differantal to clutch pedal.

The rear was dropped and Doug banged out the gears while Marc dropped the exhaust, torque tube flex plate, bla bla bla. We could have bled the system and just tried that, but I would have kicked myself in the butt if that didnt fix the problem. The slave was pulled out, and looked normal. When we got to the clutch, it got a little funny when Marc saw 3 forks on the clutch bent in. At that point I was a LS7 clutch hater until Doug came over a second later and told us it comes from the factory that way. You had to be there. Marc saw some fluid around the base of the clutch housing which made him look deeper. The clutch was pulled out and looked normal. Like 2000 miles new. The fly wheel was pulled, and that looked normal. Next the Mcloeds was pulled, It looked normal. Didnt see any fluid on that. At that point, I was pot commited. It was only going to cost about $500.00 more for a new clutch set up. I already paid for the labor. Nothing jumped out as the problem. So to call it safe, we had the whole system out, and replaced everything. My call. I didnt want to try and replace one thing, and something else was the problem. The rear seal was also leaking, so that was replaced. That was the fluid at the base of the housing.

While they were there, I had them change the tranny fluid, install the DTE brace, new C6 shifter and fix a couple little things.

So the bottom line is, your all welcome to guess at what the problem may have been, but it sure did not seem like the LS7 clutch it's self or its installation.

I ended up going with the Textrailia clutch set up and changing all the hydrolics.

I have a slightly used LS7 clutch, master, slave for sale if anyone is interested.

 

Interesting and I certainly agree with your replacement logic.

I helped put a LS7 clutch into a friend's H&C 04Z and it is great.

I also had two sticking pedal Z06 clutches which I finally replaced with a Cartech which is fine.

Both Z06 clutches had given up but neither showed an obvious cause, so whatever ruins these things is not obvious during the autopsy.

 

It is odd. My car is about 500 HP at the flywheel 420 ish RWHP. The 0706's have more power than me. They had a stock 0706 with headers and a after market air filter at ECS yesterday. I watched the dyno and it was 474 RWHP. Some guys report no problems, and the guys that do report a problem, say they have the problem in the first couple thousand miles
.

 

Probably not running the McLoed master cylinder...

 

Phil Glad to hear you got it all worked out!! How do you like the clutch? I realize you are still in breakin... but how does it feel compared to the LS7? (When it was working )
Man I cannot wait to get my Cartek done and dump that POS Luk..


That is hugely disturbing that no autopsy can determine why the Luk Clutch Sucks so bad...

 

The pedal felt a little harder than stock. Nothing to write home about. I had to rev a little high to release the clutch, and It does chatter a bit, but I understand that's normal for the first couple hunred miles. My leg was getting a little tired when I went a couple miles in an hour. Though I was listening to the yankee game on XM and the anger kept my leg strong.

Watching the game now, and I need to get talked off the window ledge.

ECS said with most of there clutches, they keep the stock master in.

 

Though I was listening to the yankee game on XM and the anger kept my leg strong

I am expecting a little higher pedal force also... I have my pedal spring removed too I assume yours is gone also?

 

I thought about that clutch but I don't think it will handle the RWHP/RWT on the new motor...

 

you better check and see what they are using on pro stockers

 

I turned 400 miles on the new set up, but it's mostly highway miles. I havent taken it over 4000 RPMs, but I think im really really really going to enjoy the 3:90s. The RPMs are slighty higher than before, but that's old news. It gears are nothing radical, but make the car feel much better. I think the feeling you get from the gears is what we look for when we go a heads and cam package.

The clutch still needs a couple hundred local miles before I play with it. I do have to rev it a little more than before, but not enough to care. Im talking about I used to rev around 1600 RPMs and release the clutch, and now I rev about 1800. Most of the chatter is gone now.I put on about 100 local miles since the 250 trip home. It still has some chatter, but I expect after a couple more local miles, but will smooth out. The chatter is mild. It feels like for a spit second once the clutch engages, it grabs more. The more miles I drive during break in, it will go away. The clutch grabs nicely. Im enjoying the car again

 

chuckster, any update on your Cartek? Is it in and working? How do you like it?

 

Still Sitting here on my desk right now I need to call my installer and arrange to get the car to him.. hopefully this weekend!