I just picked up this car TWO DAYS AGO. It's an '01 Z06, bone stock with 66k on the clock.

First, I get C1214 code....OK so it's a $150 repair. Fine.

Then, I realize my reverse lockout isn't working...but now it is, which is just weird.

On the way home from picking the car up, at around 70-80mph I noticed a slight whine from the rear but didn't sound like anything out of the ordinary. Fast forward to today, the rear sounds like a ****ing buzzsaw under load, but the noise goes away when I let my foot off the gas.

To top it all off, I pulled in the garage, shut the car off, and now the clutch is stuck to the floor. I feel like ****.

 

Probably just got a car that was driven hard. Don't get bummed out just yet, you got a great car, it's just gonna need a little TLC to get her back into form. Do you feel confident tackling the repairs yourself? If not, see if there is a reputable shop in your area to evaluate the cars condition.

By the way, did you buy this from a private owner or dealership? If dealer, is there any warranty?

 

I can swap whatever's necessary in my garage...got it private.

I just jacked the rear up to change the fluid, and when I turn the wheel, I get a nice lovely sound from the diff that sounds something like "clack clack clack clack clack clack" but only when I spin them in reverse. Great.

 

there are alot of bastards out there who will sell their cars with no conscience. thats why you have to have a qualified person go thru the car.

 

I just got done changing the fluid and the rear still sounds like a buzzsaw. Any possibility it's the tranny and not the rear? It only does it under load/cruising, but stops when I let off the gas...

 

sounds to me like you are well on your way to your first mod If you need to have the rearend rebuilt go with a performance gear ratio. The clutch issue is more than likely to be a bad slave cylender leak. what did you pay for this car and why did these things not show up during your pre purchase inspection by a certifyed ASE mechanic at a 150$ cost you may have saved your self thousands of $ by walking away from a car with many issues.. OK chin up this is a great place for info and help your in good hands here..

 

Hard to say, could be a lot of things. What happens to the noise when you corner ... does it go away ... get better if you turn one direction and worse in the opposite direction ??? If so, could be a wheel bearing ... not a major issue.

If you're pretty sure the noise is coming from the rear center of the car, could be in either the differential or the tranny. The good news is you will be dropping them out of the car to get to the clutch anyway.

I'd be inclined to, if you're gonna do this yourself, give someone like RPM Transmissions a call ( http://www.rpmtransmissions.com ) and see what they can offer. Maybe they can ship you the parts before you start the work to minimize your downtime (they'll most likely have you post a core charge). You'll want to replace all of the clutch components while you're in there (no point in having to tear it all apart again in, say, a year, to replace a worn out clutch disk).

Also check the torque tube for wear, there are componenets in there (the guibo or rubber coupler - one at each end of the drive shaft) that may also need service if the car has been "abused".

If you're still not sure what the problem is, possibly take the car to a reputable shop and pay for them to "diagnose" the problem. For maybe $100.00 to $200.00 you will at least have an idea of the what the problem is, and whether it is something you want to do yourself.

Keep coming with information and questions ... the forum is dedicated to getting Corvette's back on the road where they belong .....

 

I just looked up your location ... if I'm right, you're about 30 miles south from an EXCELLENT Corvette shop ... DEFINATELY call these guys .....

http://www.englandgreen.com

Don't mess with anyone else ... (and if a guy in California says they have a good reputation ... then you gotta know it is a GOLDEN reputation) ....

 

Thanks for the kudos!

MattZ28, give me a call if you have any questions.

Thanks

Stephen
772 539 0997

 

Ya, I think you need to diagnose the clicking sound a little better. That could also be a 1/2 shaft because CV joints will often click when they are wearing out.

As for the clutch, there seems to be some people that have problems with a sticking clutch. It seems that after cooling down it begins working again and it also seems most likely to happen when driving the car hard and shifting at high rpms.

Peter

 

Well it's too late for the car to go to England Green...It's already being towed to a different shop who will be rebuilding the rear. I just got this car so I'm not looking to replace a bunch of parts, I just want it to be driveable. I'll worry about the clutch when I have enough money to do it the right way.

The noise is coming directly from the center section...

 

They have to drop the drive train anyways to fix your differential. If the slave is bad, they can change at the same time. A new slave is only about $130. Good time to change the fuel filter as well. Might want to have them inspect the torque tube bushings as well. I know you don't want to spend a ton of cash, but a little goes a long way.

 

I hope the shop you're sending it to is NOT gonna "rebuild" anything. Unless the shop is a collection of experts (like RPM Transmissions) you DO NOT want them "rebuilding" either the differential or transmission. Almost every dealer and service location installs a "remanufactured" transmission or differential. It takes a VERY knowledgable person with a lot of training to actually rebuild these componenents. This cuts your cost considerably as you pay labor only to R&R the component. The labor in the transmission/diff work is low because the "remanufacturer" is much more efficient than an individual "rebuilder".

Save some money .... since they will have the rear end out, get them (or someone) to do at least the slave cylinder. If your clutch pedal is on the floor (and without any diagnosis of it) there is obviously something wrong in the hydraulics, and that is often the slave cylinder. If you don't do this now, then when you have to replace the slave you will pay the labor to R&R the rear end all over again.

I hope you know the shop you sent it to KNOWS the Corvette, the layout of the car causes much head scratching time at shops that aren't familiar with the C5, and that's time YOU are paying for.

I hope it works out for you

 

You need some special tools, etc to do the rear.

Sounds like your bearing went in the rear. Best bet is find a used rear for $750 and shove it in.

All trannies make some noise so get use to it. More than likely your slave is gone. Pull the drive line and replace hydraulics at a minimum and install a remote bleeder.

 

I have a lot of faith in this shop. They've done a lot of good work on many FAST cars around here, import and domestic, and they have done excellent work with excellent customer service. I will let you guys know what the diagnosis is on Monday and how everything is working out.

BTW about the clutch, I changed the fluid night as per the Ranger protocol with my buddy Tripintaz, and the pedal feels much better.

 

My bro's did the same thing and we did the Ranger protocal too. Then the slave went a week later.

Now it's on the lift waiting on parts.

BTW the getrag rear requires special tools and most shops don't have them unless they do Corvettes to set the bearing clearance.

 

Dude,

You need to understand ... this is a CORVETTE ... it is not like other cars, the layout is unusual. The engine is in the front, behind that is the clutch, and then an unusual feature is the "torque tube" which carries the driveshaft to the REAR where the transmission and differential sit, surrounded by the independant suspension set-up.

Even though, for example, the engine in some Camaro's is the same as the Corvette (LS1) the drive layout is totally different. The Camaro has a "traditional" layout with the clutch/transmission just behind the engine, a drive shaft (not a torque tube) and a differential located in a "traditional" solid axle layout at the rear.

If these guys don't usually work on Corvettes (and from your description it sounds like a "speed shop" for kids cars) DO NOT TAKE IT THERE. They will have neither the experience or the tools to do the job right. FIND A CORVETTE SERVICE SHOP. Even your local Chevy dealer would be a better choice than what you are describing. You will save yourself a lot of pain and $$$ getting it done by people who KNOW a Corvette. Otherwise I GUARANTEE the job will be costly (they'll be doing a LOT of head scratching at your expense) and will be done incorrectly. The Corvette is not just "another car".

A quick example of how experience is important .... if the rear end is lowered from the vehicle incorrectly, the rear of the engine can contact the "firewall" and do serious damage to the car.

For God's sake call EnglandGreen and if you won't take it to him, ask him for a recommendation of someone local to you.

If it was my car, I'd f**king PUSH it the 30 miles to Vero Beach to KNOW it was in good hands. But it is your car and your $$$ .....

 

What's the old saying.......You can lead a horse to water..............

 

A little financial soul searching might serve really well at this point. Hopefully the problems with this car are fixable within the limits of your budget. Unfortunately they may not be. If that is the case, then you may be throwing good money after bad. The advice of taking it to a qualified shop for a complete evaluation is something that might save you a great deal of regret down the road. Perhaps the Corvette inspection mentioned in one of the earlier posts might be a valuable second opinion prior to having any work done by this shop where you have taken the car. (I've found 2nd opinions useful on numerous tmes) If partial fix is done and misses a major problem you will then be in that much deeper.

The other consideration is if the news is bad, and you find you will be over budget, then it will be important to have the best estimate as the exactly what the problems are and how far over. That will be the time to decide if can you stretch the budget and does it make sense to stretch.

Hope this works out for you. I am also a Corvette driver on a limited budget. From my own experience, I believe if you get this car running as it should, you will love it. Best of Luck.

 

I had Stephen at EnglandGreen order a new RPM 3.73 diff and I'm having it towed to him. Unfortunately the clutch install is way out of my budget at the moment, but at least the rear will be done right and over with. I'll update this thread as the process goes on. So far Stephen has been a pleasure to deal with and his labor costs are quite reasonable.