I'm having strang clutch hydraulic issues. Car has been running exceptional for teh past 4 months since it was given a new stock OEM clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder. Clutch engages and disengages like butter and shifting through the gears are like butter. The SPEC 3+ clutch grabs and hold exceptionally and show no signs of slippage.

However, out of nowhere all of a sudden on my way home from work, I was approaching a light, so I press in the clutch and put the tranny in neutral and coast to a stop at the light. The light goes greee, I press in the clutch to put the tranny in 1st and no bueno. The car will not go in gear. There is still clutch pedal pressure, but not as much pressure as before. So I check the clutch fluid resevoir and its clean and full.

I'm at a loss because with the car off, I can row through the gears flawlessly. But with the clutch peddle pushed in, the car will crank and idle in neutral, but I can't get it in gear. With the car in gear, at first I could crank it and it would jump forward and shut off. Then I did it a few more times, cranking the car with the tranny in gear and now it won't even crank with the car in gear and the clutch pedal pushed in. I don't think the clutch is disengaging so I turned the car off, put it in neutral and pushed it home.

Do you you think my clutch master cylinder could have failed or somehow I could have gotten air into the lines? What could possibly be going on?

 

Thats got to be an engagement issue if it jumps when you try to start it in gear with the clutch pushed down. I swapped the oem master with a tick performance master and never had an engagement problem

 

Im pretty sure that if it were the failing of the slave cylinder, I would have had low fluid in the clutch reservoir and there would have been fluid under the car, which isn't the case. Also when a slave fails, it gradually leaks. I'm almost certain it has to be a blown seal in the clutch master cyl.

 

If you are not leaking anywhere, and bleeding does not solve the issue, the M/C may be bypassing internally causing loss of pressure/stroke, etc.
If that be the case I can recommend the Tick M/C like MyEBC5Z has. The pedal pressure will increase, but not so bad you can't get used to it. The Tick uses a Tilton hydraulic cylinder in their design that flows more fluid and comes with the M/C braided line to connect to your quick-connect. Best of all, it's adjustable for positive clutch disengement and it also has a LIFETIME warranty against leakage. Not bad. I love mine.

HTH

 

Can a spec pressure plate just go out/fail all out a sudden?

 

Not without some sort of mechanical drama involving various metal bits and pieces going in different directions and funny noises like a loud BOOM coming from the bellhousing for instance.

 

It really does sound like your master cylinder has taken a dump. I had mine fail, and it was the same situation - worked fine downstifting onto the freeway ramp but no peddle when I went to shift up. I also have an adjustable Tick MC now. Best thing you can add to an MN6 car.

 

UPDATE: I finally installed a new clutch master cylinder and bled the system good. The clutch pedal felt Significantly firmer and positive than before. I cranked the car up and pushed the clutch pedal in and it went into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, but would not go into 5th, 6th and reverse. I went back into 1,2,3,4th again and again it would not go into 5th, 6th or reverse. So I turned the car off and rowed through all 6 gears and reverse just fine. I turn the car back on and this time it wont let me go into any gear. WTF! I cant get it into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or reverse. Also with the clutch pedal pushed in, and held in with the car running, it doesn't die like it did previously. What is going on? Could it be the pressure plate?

 

UPDATE: I pulled the torque tube and clutch/pres plate yesterday and I found a broken clutch spring.

 

Do you have ARP flywheel bolts installed?

 

No, they are stock bolts. What role would ARP flywheel bolts have played in the clutch spring failure?

 

There are clearance problems with the PP , and the head of the ARP bolts......I've seen it once, and read about it numerous times on SPEC clutches.

 

The clutch had over 35k miles on it, do you think the spring could have worn out? It drove fine the the first 4k miles after the new slave and pilot bearing. I should have replaced the clutch when it was out the first time 4k miles ago when I put in the new slave and pilot bushing.

I didn't see any deformed or nicked flywheel bolts, but thanks for pointing it out, because I will take a closer look tonight when I pull the flywheel.

 

As long as the bolts are stock, you are fine.

 

Unless something has changed in the last 30 years. Clutch springs occaisonally break. You didn't say anything about how you use the car. I have blown a 12" disc spring in way less than that. Bad brake for you but that is how I learned to change a clutch out when I was a young guy. Gone are the days of laying under your Z28 dropping the drive shaft, removing 4 bolts from the bellhousing and pulling your 4 speed out on your chest, laying it aside, pulling the pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing, taking some emery cloth to the flywheel and putting it all back together with new parts in less than 2 hours so you can go back out and race some more. Just reminicing.

 

Damn this is exactly what my issue is with my c5z! And I also have a spec 3+! although I was in the middle of a burnout when it happened its the exact same issues. I will be taking my car apart later this week and am not looking forward to what I'm going to find.

 

I was in the midst of a spirited drive on the highway. I had just nailed it from a 3rd gear roll and tach'd it out at 7k rpms and shifted to 4th for a split second and then to neutral and coasted to a light and then I made a u-turn under the highway. Then drove normal, went through 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear on the feeder, just cruising and went to put it in 4th at about 30mph, it was kinda of notchy getting it in, but it slipped in. Came up to a stop sign, put it in neutral, then 1st gear to takeoff and I'm locked out of gears.

I have another spec 3+ clutch waiting to go in. I was going to go with Katech LS9 clutch for C5s, but I was concerned about the added weight and I didn't know how long their clutch would last since it's a new product.

 

Yea they are stock bolts. I'm having a hard time getting the flywheel off. I tried using a 15mm socket, but I couldn't get to fit right on the bolt without slipping off. I called my buddy he told me to use a closed in of a wrench and to tap the other end with a hammer, but because the car is about 1ft off the ground, it's hard to get at a good angle. Would you recommend using an impact wrench to get the flywheel bolts off?

 

Update: New clutch is in and the driveline is working exceptional.

 

Did you stay with the same make & model #'s?