Ok guys here's a list of what i'm doing while i'm in there. It's getting a new GM flywheel, Diamond Clutch stage 2 kit, new pilot bearing, Slave, Master cylinder, speed bleeder, and also replacing the Torque tube couplers. What i want to know is i've got a leaky butt on the car and may do that too. It's not terrible, just some dirty crap on the case but it's not leaking onto the floor or anything. I just changed the rear diff fluid not even 600 miles ago. Does anybody have the part numbers for the O-ring, axle seals and anearobic sealer for that job? I'm doing this on the floor(well jackstands)at a friends shop so i will be doing this on the ground. I'm also thinking of seperating the rear diff from the torque tube and then dropping the torque tube from the bellhousing and then in reverse for the reinstall. It seems that's the easier way for a person doing this basically alone(well my friend will be around to help)~Cole~

P.S. thanks in advance for any input and info

 

I will be following cajundudes install writeup closely

 

Coaltrain, I see you have a '98.
Are you aware that your flywheel may have had balance weights installed at the factory, to final-balance the engine. Some did, some didn't.
If it does, and you install a zero-balance FW, you will be facing the single most frustrating experience of your Corvette life.

Please do a search, and then do your homework on this.
This is a REAL issue on some of the '97 - '01 cars. Seems many of the shops don't even know about this, unfortunately they are mis-informed.

DG (Vibration Police charter member)

 

Well how would I know if it is one of those and what would I have to do to get it balanced correctly?

 

I agree with the remark on using Cajun dude’s write-up; however I wouldn't use the C clamp. I found a small comment in the forum where someone used dual cargo straps to inch the Torque Tube into the Pilot Bearing, so I gave it a try…..Worked great! I used two straps around the lower forward suspension arms (on each side) and the exhaust bracket on the TT and ratcheted the straps and maintained the same tension on the straps until the TT housing mated with the bell housing. I didn’t use the C Clamp. That trick worked for me.
Good luck and tell us how you do?

 

So from what i've read is that if mine doesn't have weights on the flywheel then my engine is already zero balanced. I guess i'm gonna have to find a shop around here that balances these assemblies. What it looks like i'm gonna have to do is take out my old assembly but mark everything first. Such as mark the PP to the stock flywheel then the stock flywheel to the crank. Pull it all out and see if it's got weights. If it does, take it to a shop to see if it's zero balanced already. If it isn't that means it was balanced to help make up for an imbalance in the engine assembly. If it is zero balanced that means as long as my new setup is zero balanced then it shouldn't have vibration? am i hearing this right? i don't want to do this again anytime soon.

 

Interested in this subject...bump to hopefully get some more input and comments

 

The service manual explains quite clearly how to address the fly-wheel balance weight issue. I recommend you obtain one and follow it.

 

Let's give credit where credit is due-It's Forum member Dope's Clutch How To Writeup (I got your back,Dope) on Cajundude's website.
That being said,I used Dope's writeup when I did my clutch on the garage floor,and it tells you just about all you need to know about the job.
Be careful of the pilot bearing when reinstalling the drivetrain-if you mess it up(like I did) you get to do the job twice-
Separating the Torque tube from the diff is a very good idea-a lot easier to line up the input shaft without the extra 500 lbs hanging on it.
I ended up going with a Kevlar pilot bushing,they're a little more "idiot friendly" during reassembly-that was around 5k miles ago,and it works just like it's supposed to.
My Vette's a 98,and had no flywheel weights,and my Spec StageII was zero balanced,and it runs smooth as a baby's butt,but you're going to hear quite a few opinions/facts on that issue-I may have just gotten very lucky,but,at any rate,it couldn't work better than it does.

Good Luck with the install

Oh,yeah-you might think about changing that fuel filter while all the crap's out of the way also-lots easier

 

interested more about the zero balance situation

 

my fuel filter was put in last summer

 

Disconect the torque tube from the transmission before you put it back in. It is SO much easier to line it up in the clutch and bolt it in with out the trans and diff hanging off the back end. There are only 5 bolts and it is very easy to put the trans back on after the torque tube is bolted up.

Get a fly wheel rotating tool. Much quicker than using a screw driver.

Don't for get that the wires for the rear O2 sensors are crossed, unlike the front ones.

If you put in a speed bleeder for the slave, you will not need it. If you don't, you will wish you had.

Check the torque tube rubber dampers while it is out.

Not hard to do, it just takes awhile.

Reb

 

I helped a friend put one in his 02. It isnt hard, just a real PITA. A lot of stuff has to be taken off to get to it. Definitely take the tube off of hte transmission. Also try to get a metal alignment tool. We could never get it lined up with the plastic one that comes with a clutch but we used a spline that came off of an old torque tube to line it up and the tube went in a lot easier. There was a lot of cursing and banging and such but eventually it just went in. If the torque tube doesnt go flush to the back of the engine, it is not in. We tried the C clamp, straps etc and nothing but once it lined up it dropped right in.

 

I did mine about 4 months ago, and I hope I never have to do it again. I had the use of a lift, and I found the limits of my mechanical abilities. Comparatively speaking, engine work is much easier. That's really good info about the weights on some 98 flywheels. That would be frustrating to get everything back together, and have it unbalanced. Good stuff, Wrench.

 

You are about to embark on a great adventure. Here are some hints in addition to the great writeups already done...

Just as you are ready to drop the tube from the bell housing use a carpenter's level to note the angle of the tube. You'll need to line it up exactly at that angle to pull it back in. The C clamp is only used because it's tough to get your hands around it and pull it in that last tiny bit. The C clamp is not to line things up. It should already be lined up.

Take pictures of the billions of wires and connectors so you can see later how they were hooked up. When in doubt, take a picture.

Keep all sub assemblies and their bolts in labeled plastic freezer bags. It's not good to have extra bolts left over after this job.

Be sure you have all your wiring and brake lines layed out correctly (take pictures) before you pull up the transaxle. It's such a bear to take it down again to re-route some stupid *&$#@ line.

Good luck.

 

Coaltrain, I see from your recent post you have been doing a little reading on the balance subject. Very smnart move!

As a reference for others here, from '97 to about '02, SOME of the manual tranny engines were externally fine-balanced with weights plugged into holes on the FW. Probably a small percentage, as the big majority of guys herein have had no vibration problems after installing a zero-balanced aftermarket FW and PP. However, the service manual details the process of inspection and replacment of the weights when installing a new FW/PP. After '02 (Not sure exact model year) the factory apparantly started balancing the engines better, and removed the weight process from the service manual. I've not heard of a later model herein that had the vibration problem after installing a zero-balanced new FW.

Yes, mark the location of everything before you pull it, especially the flywheel on the crank, just to be safe. The FW is not keyed to a dowel on the crank, and can be positioned 6 ways, so do mark it.
Then you can look the flywheel over carefully to see if it has weights.
Then pull the weight/weights out and install into the new FW in exactly the same clocked position, and install it on the crank in the exact same clocked position. That's the service manual procedure.

However, after some of the horror stories seen herein (mine included), I think I would be 110% certain there were no lead weights jammed in the FW holes before I proceeded.
Otherwise, take the FW/PP combo to a shop and have it balance checked. The weights may be difficult to see, and if you missed one, it could result in a lot of extra trouble.
If the balancer finds an imbalance in the OEM FW, then you MUST
UNBALANCE the new FW to the same extent, at the same clocked position. Then you must bolt it onto the crank in the same clocked position that you marked earlier.

Not rocket science really, just get any imbalance back onto the same location that it came from.

Chances are probably really good that you have no weights, and will have no problem.

But, as Dirty Harry said, "Do you feel lucky".

Cheers,
Wrench (Forum vibration police)

 

yeah now the issue is finding a place in MN that does the balancing

 

well i found 2 places near me that can do it Any other tidbits?

 

Any Torque specs for the flywheel to the crank and PP to the flywheel? from what i saw it was 75/45 but anything else is MUCH appreciated. I will be starting this tuesday

 

My 2000 book says;
Flywheel, torque to 15-37-74 lb ft. in a criss-cross sequence.
Pressure plate. Torque to 47 lb ft in a criss-cross sequence, making 4 passes to reach final torque of 47.

DG