Okay I need some advice/help. I took my car (97) to a local vette specialty shop, whose name I won't mention yet and they replaced the stock clutch and flywheel with the Z06 clutch and flywheel. I got it back and drove it and first off, it shifted much much better and the grip is phenomenal. However, there was a low amplitude very high frequency vibration from the shifter, steering wheel, etc :mad.

After diligently reading the posts on here, I knew it was probably the flywheel out of balance, so I took it back. The mechanic said he transferred the weight from the original flywheel exactly like they had done a hundred times before so if there was a problem it was because either the original flywheel was not zero balanced at the factory or the new one wasn't. He also said he had never seen so much weight added to a flywheel (the original) either. He offered to try and fix it, which he tried to do by taking it all back apart and removing weight from the new flywheel. The vibrations are better, but are still there. My questions are,

"Could he have done more to try and balance it?
"If not, should I bother to take it back to him?)
"If he can't fix it, who can?"

Any advice would be appreciated.

:flag

 

If he replaced it with a Z06 clutch and flywheel package then it should have came balanced already from GM. I am not 100% sure but if you get a new balanced clutch assembly I dont think you are supposed to use your old flywheel weights also.

 

:iagree: The install of a '02 Z06 clutch and flywheel assembly in my '98 was a one for one fit right out of the box. Shouldn't have to touch the weights as everything is a factory balance. Sorry your having trouble. If the installer sold you the clutch assembly, the problem should be all his. Good luck.
Joe

 

My understanding is that the flywheel weight is not there in order to balance the clutch/flywheel assembly (which should already be balanced) but is to balance the engine itself (crank).

So if the car came with a flywheel weight, it should be installed in exactly the same spot (indexed to the crank) on the new flywheel. Perhaps your mechanic did not index it correctly to the crank.

 

This is why I was not 100% sure because I have heard of transfering the weight before but shouldnt the crank have been balanced to begin with? I know when you order a stroker that crank comes balanced already.

 

Weigthts from old flyweel MUST be installed in same location on new flywheel to balance entire engine assembly.

 

Well, I have read numerous posts here that the balance weights that are on the flywheel are there to balance the engine, NOT the clutch parts.
So new weights ( or the old weights) must be put in the exact same place on the new "zero" balanced flywheel.
If your mechanic did transfer the weights properly, then maybe the new clutch was not balanced properly even though it was new from the factory.
One forum member had this same problem and he got it fixed when factory technicians with special balancing equipment were called in and rebalanced his engine while it was still in the car.
Good luck and tell us how it comes out.

 

Yup I have heard of all this too. I remember those posts where the special equipment was brought in. It may be best to get the car to someone who really knows what they are doing. Don't let excessive weight be his excuse if the car never had a problem before. I doubt your minor vibrations could cause any harm but that doesnt mean you should settle for it. Please do let us no how you make out. I have had numerous clutch problems with my car and feel your pain. Hopefully when the car goes to Cartek and that RAM clutch comes out everything will be straight again. :cheers:

 

Thanks for the input guys, I searched some more archives last nite and this morning and it seems like the general opinion is that the weights should be transferred, but either he didn't transfer them all properly or the original wasn't balanced. Unfortunately it also sounds like a moot point as to who to blame, because once it is out of balance it takes "special equipment" to have the engine rebalanced.

Has anyone had this done at a dealership? I called mine today and they had no clue what I was talking about, which I suppose is to be expected. If anyone (some guy named Ranger maybe) has had the engine rebalanced and could tell me the process he went through, it might help out at the dealership. I'm hoping to take it too them Friday and drop it off over the holidays (I'm off all that week YEEEHAA!!) for them to fix it.

As an addendum, the vibration is present in the steering wheel, shifter, engine, clutch pedal, etc. and feels like a vibrating pager set on low. You don't pay much attention to it at first, but after a while your dang hand goes numb. You can also hear a low "whop whop" sound at idle from the flywheel. Basically it sucks because before the car was like a rock. I wish I never had him change the old flywheel out.

Thanks again and I'll keep everyone updated as to what happened.

 

Craig - one thing you might want to do (should be cheap) before tearing everything down is to take your old clutch assembly to a machine shop and determine if it is in balance, or if not, exactly by how much and where it is out of balance. This might help when/if you take your car in for a fix.

If it is balanced, you know that the original parts were OK, so the questions are:

1) was the new clutch assembly balanced?
2) was the old weight installed properly?

Obviously you can't know the anwers to these questions unless the new parts are removed, but you will have some ammo (or at least answers).

I am thinking about swapping clutches myself, with an aluminum flywheel. Before it is installed I intend first to take the assembly in to make sure it is perfectly balanced. Then I am going to talk the whole thing through with the installer before letting him loose on my car.

BTW - how much did you pay for the install?