Help with clutch decision!!! Please
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire
Help with clutch decision!!! Please
Ok. Story. I recently bought my first Corvette. 97 6spd. Guy I bought it from showed me a reciept for a new clutch and slave, looks like the master was done also. The pedal is sooo stiff my leg keeps cramping up in traffic. My brother (a GM tech) drove it this weekend said of all the C5 sticks he has driven. Nothing had ever been like that, stiffness and slight vibration while revving the engine. Possible the flywheel being out of balance. The clutch kit that was put in was a K50185-1 kit from the local auto parts store. I really want it fixed right. Any advice on a pretty much stock vette clutch would be appreciated. I don't want anything crazy just factory feeling and reliable as I am not going to race it or pull sick HP out of it. It seems that the factory clutch disk is no longer manufactured by GM. so it seems like that is not an option.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,647
Likes: 7,291
From: CT
If you're looking for a new clutch, I HIGHLY recommend the McLeod RST. RXT if you're going to go nuts with power - that one holds 800+ tq?
Super light pedal, guaranteed grip, inexpensive to rebuild/upgrade.
Having had an OLD spec 3 clutch in a trans am years ago which cramped my leg in a traffic jam so bad that I had to clutch by pushing my knee with my left arm one time... I know your pain! McLeod for the win.
Super light pedal, guaranteed grip, inexpensive to rebuild/upgrade.
Having had an OLD spec 3 clutch in a trans am years ago which cramped my leg in a traffic jam so bad that I had to clutch by pushing my knee with my left arm one time... I know your pain! McLeod for the win.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3,638
Likes: 245
Ok. Story. I recently bought my first Corvette. 97 6spd. Guy I bought it from showed me a reciept for a new clutch and slave, looks like the master was done also. The pedal is sooo stiff my leg keeps cramping up in traffic. My brother (a GM tech) drove it this weekend said of all the C5 sticks he has driven. Nothing had ever been like that, stiffness and slight vibration while revving the engine. Possible the flywheel being out of balance. The clutch kit that was put in was a K50185-1 kit from the local auto parts store. I really want it fixed right. Any advice on a pretty much stock vette clutch would be appreciated. I don't want anything crazy just factory feeling and reliable as I am not going to race it or pull sick HP out of it. It seems that the factory clutch disk is no longer manufactured by GM. so it seems like that is not an option.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 208
Likes: 21
From: Henderson Nv
Personally for my car I'll be doing a monster stage 2 package from tick with an 18# flywheel. I don't intend to ever make more than 500 hp. Vibration is more than likely your flywheel. Most people cheap out on balancing clutch components.
As far as your super stiff pedal the only thing I could think of is a gross oversizing of your master cylinder. What's your pedal travel like for engagement/disengagement?
As far as your super stiff pedal the only thing I could think of is a gross oversizing of your master cylinder. What's your pedal travel like for engagement/disengagement?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire
Yes the fluid does look pretty dirty. I will check and see what the make on the master cylinder is. Maybe replace it with factory gm, then flush the system and replace the fluid. That seems to be the easiest place to start. As far as the vibration, I'll look into either balancing my flywheel or replacing it later. Thanks for the input guys!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
Yes the fluid does look pretty dirty. I will check and see what the make on the master cylinder is. Maybe replace it with factory gm, then flush the system and replace the fluid. That seems to be the easiest place to start. As far as the vibration, I'll look into either balancing my flywheel or replacing it later. Thanks for the input guys!
I have read where some track guys "vented" their bell housing dust covers to get more air flow to reduce heat and to keep clutch dust from accumulating in the bell housing...
Last edited by 73Corvette; Jul 11, 2016 at 04:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire
That is sound advice. I can live with the clutch for now if it wasn't so damn stiff. It wrecks my knee when I get stuck in traffic. I'll poke around and see what brand it is and then look into bleeding it and getting some fresh fluid in there.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire
So I started to clean out the muddy fluid in the reservoir. Syphoned it out and put new in. Gonna run it for a bit and try it again. Didnt seem to help at all. Has anyone used ZIP CORVETTE for anything, are they reputable? I see that they have an aftermarket HD z06 clutch kit. I am thinking of just replacing everything in there with new as I dont know what the guy before me did in there. Like new gm slave, master, and the z06 clutch kit as I know the flywheel needs to be balance anyway. I dont want anything crazy as it stock and I dont plan on doing too much to it. I just want a good pedal and no vibrations. I was thinking of grabbing a pair of the drive shaft couplers and putting them in for good measure as I am sure they are original and 19 years old. Does that sound reasonable?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
So I started to clean out the muddy fluid in the reservoir. Syphoned it out and put new in. Gonna run it for a bit and try it again. Didnt seem to help at all. Has anyone used ZIP CORVETTE for anything, are they reputable? I see that they have an aftermarket HD z06 clutch kit. I am thinking of just replacing everything in there with new as I dont know what the guy before me did in there. Like new gm slave, master, and the z06 clutch kit as I know the flywheel needs to be balance anyway. I dont want anything crazy as it stock and I dont plan on doing too much to it. I just want a good pedal and no vibrations. I was thinking of grabbing a pair of the drive shaft couplers and putting them in for good measure as I am sure they are original and 19 years old. Does that sound reasonable?
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 699
Likes: 18
From: Haslet Texas
LT1-S twin if you want something to drive like stock and hold up to 700 rwhp, with stock drivability and you can abuse the heck out of it. Level 2 is you make less than 500 rwhp and want to do the same with stock drivability.
The adjustable masters will increase pedal effort ~40%, all of our units are designed to work with stock hydraulics, both units mentioned above have stock pedal feel.
Our stuff is on sale right now through the end of the month, I'd take a look at them - www.monsterclutches.com
The adjustable masters will increase pedal effort ~40%, all of our units are designed to work with stock hydraulics, both units mentioned above have stock pedal feel.
Our stuff is on sale right now through the end of the month, I'd take a look at them - www.monsterclutches.com
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire
Has anyone used the torque tube couplers from Corvette Central lately? I am having a hard time swallowing the 130 dollar price of the factory GM ones. I dont even know if mine are bad but since I'm going to be digging into it. I wanted to have a couple on hand just in case they are.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 290
Likes: 5
From: St. Petersburg Florida
Has anyone used the torque tube couplers from Corvette Central lately? I am having a hard time swallowing the 130 dollar price of the factory GM ones. I dont even know if mine are bad but since I'm going to be digging into it. I wanted to have a couple on hand just in case they are.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Likes: 15
From: Strafford, New Hampshire