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DIY Clutch Replacement, tips, tricks and lessons learned
Hoping this will help someone out there:
Just completed install of an LS7 clutch on my 03Z with 62,000 miles. Went for some baseline dyno pulls at the tuner before adding power and clutch slipped bad on the first pull (330rwhp). Put down 349 on the second pull with clutch still slipping but not as bad.
Anyway, I debated whether to have this done or do it myself. I'm fairly skilled mechanically, I did an engine swap in a Camaro 30 years ago and have done heads/cam jobs 3 times since including in '22 on my previous 01Z. But I had never done a clutch, much less pull the entire driveline out of a car. The only part we farmed out was the tq tube rebuild, which I had done by VetteNuts since I am only an hour from their shop and I don't have access to a press to properly do the bearings.
My 13 yo son, who is car crazy, was my helper on this. Plenty of opportunities for him to learn and turn a wrench. We completed this job in a little over a month working a few hours here, a few hours there, around our busy life schedule.
This was done in my garage on jack stands with hand tools.
What all we did on this job:
LS7 clutch (flywheel, disk, pressure plate)
Replace pilot bearing
replace engine rear main seal and rear plate (Michigan Motorsports sells a kit which was perfect)
Replace oil gallery barbell (went with the Sac City Vette one)
New GM slave (car already has Tick Adj master)
Remote slave bleed line (from Tx Drivetrain)
Tq tube rebuild (done by VetteNuts)
new seals/o-rings in diff and trans while we had it out (kit from Tx Drivetrain)
What I think you need to do this job at home:
- At least 6 jack stands. We supported the car on the jack points with 4 Esco jack stands. I like these because they have the flat pad on top which the jack pucks sit on nice and stable. I placed a 5th jack stand under the front cross member just for peace of mind. Once you remove the driveline the car is front heavy, and all the weight is out beyond the jack points. You don't want the car tipping forward and there are times you are wrestling with it trying to get the tq tube or trans splines lined up.
- small bottle jack with wood block on back of oil pan to support rear of engine and to adjust engine angle which makes it easier to get to the bell housing bolts
- Bearing puller tool. I got this one that worked like a charm
Most videos seem to have you removing the entire driveline, cradle, trans and tq tube as a unit. This is probably the way to go if you have a lift. I decided it would take longer but be easier to break this up into 2 jobs. We removed the rear cradle only at first, using floor jack with cross member and 2X4s. We supported the trans/diff+tq tube with a jack stand until we were ready to remove. Then used the transmission jack and a jack stand to remove.
Going back together:
I decided to install the tq tube first, w/o the diff/trans. Why? Because this gave us a chance to stop and test clutch engagement before going any further. If there was a problem it was way easier to pull apart from there than if we had gone further. I got paranoid something was going to go wrong so the next morning after getting the tq tube back in my son held the clutch pedal in while I put the alignment tool into the output of the tq tube and spun it....it spun freely with the pedal depressed.....therefore confidence we had installed the clutch and slave right and were at least in the ballpark on measurements for the slave shims. (we needed 3mm of shims btw).
From there it's just reverse of removal. Install diff/trans. The only tricky part here aside from lining up right was getting the shift rod back through the hole in the tq tube housing....once you have angles right it just slides together like butter. But it was a workout up to that point.
Highly recommend watching 2-3 install videos on YouTube before you begin. The other tip is 100% definitely bag and label all bolts.
Last edited by Chris01Z; Dec 5, 2025 at 10:14 AM.
Reason: adding details
Nice writeup! It's a pain of a job good on you for DIYing it. The LS7 clutch is underrated- it grabs hard, it's cheap, and the clutch pedal is still light.
I have that same trans jack, it's a little slick so it tends to rapidly eject itself from the underside of a whatever you're lifting if you're not careful but it's made me a lot of money, even though my customers are riding around with dented oil pans. Only thing I would add is that you can easily remove the trans/torque tube/rear subframe assembly on stands, the trick is that stack wood under your jack stands to get the rear up high enough, and it's safer than fully extending the stands.
This really is the easiest way. Less cumbersome. Better control over the weight.....and go figure....exactly what the service manual outlines.
The service manual procedures for this are really pretty good......but it seems like many folks consider it a badge of honor completing a task without the service manual.
No, they perform tq tube rebuilds. I emailed them a week or so before I took it there. They made sure they had the parts in stock so when I showed up they rebuilt it in about an hour and 15 minutes.
No, they perform tq tube rebuilds. I emailed them a week or so before I took it there. They made sure they had the parts in stock so when I showed up they rebuilt it in about an hour and 15 minutes.
DIY Clutch Replacement, tips, tricks and lessons learned
but it's made me a lot of money, even though my customers are riding around with dented oil pans. Only thing I would add is that you can easily remove the trans/torque tube/rear subframe assembly on stands, the trick is that stack wood under your jack stands to get the rear up high enough, and it's safer than fully extending the stands.
