I am not very familiar with these cars & I need some quick advise (today). I'm trying to help a friend assess a car to purchase...specifically a loaded blk/blk 2000 LS1 6 spd with 22K miles for $28K. Few things I noticed after crawling under it and driving:

-the clutch chatters some...owner claims this is common and occurred since new. The chatter is most noticeable when engaging under light throttle in first gear. The clutch housing area & front of the trans is very dry...no oil leaks.

-the throwout bearing feels quite rough. This is very noticeable when you apply medium pressure...but not enough to release the clutch. If you push it all the way to the floor, it feels quite smooth.

-a transmission gasket looks like it's leaking quite badly. Saw about 4-5 drips after parked for 5 minutes. It looks like it's seeping at the housing seam between the transmission and the tailhousing adapter....unless there's a breather spewing fluid (above that area in the top of the trans). The fluid did not seem to come from the top. Is this leakage mode common? It is not seeping between the tailhousing adapter and the differential. What major parts need removed to replace this gasket (Bell/clutch/trans/diff)?


How long do clutches & throwout bearings typically last in these cars...assuming they are not drag-raced? Should a throwout bearing replacement job be used as an opportunity to replace the chattering clutch...or are they good for 50K+? The tires show no evidence of aggressive/abusive driving.

Thanks for any replies

 

I have an '01 M6 with 8,500 mi. It has none of the issues you mentioned and, based on past experiece, I expect to exceed 50,000 miles without clutch problems. I don't drag race this car.

 

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-the clutch chatters some...owner claims this is common and occurred since new. The chatter is most noticeable when engaging under light throttle in first gear. The clutch housing area & front of the trans is very dry...no oil leaks.

-the throwout bearing feels quite rough. This is very noticeable when you apply medium pressure...but not enough to release the clutch. If you push it all the way to the floor, it feels quite smooth.
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The clutch chatter is common in the C-5's. The clutch and throwout bearing should last you over 100,00 miles depending how you drive. If you ride the clutch, or do a lot of stop and go,of course it's not going to last as long. The leak in the rear is not uncommon, they have a history of this problem. It's a good bargainning point. It could end up costing a few hundred dollars.
If the car is clean, and the previous owner looks like he took care of it, I think a deal can be made.

 

I agree, every c5 M6 ive driven or ridden in makes the marbles sound when releasing the clutch at low rpms. My 98 had 90K on it when I sold it. It had about 20 passes at the strip. Clutch was still OK, but was needing to be replaced soon. Sounds like a decent deal, just make them fix the leak. SCOTT

 

My 02 will chatter slightly, although it is better now then when it was new, under light load. I find the car likes a little more throttle when you start. 1,400 RPM seems to be sweet spot for normal stop light starts. The leak is an issue though, since removel to fix is a BIG job. If you are suspicous of the clutch, that would be a good time to replace.

 

I agree with the clattery marbles sound you are hearing. GMs video they sold with the 2000 corvettes even states that there is going to be some sound like that in the MN6 cars.

 

There is a BIG difference between a clutch chatter and the can-of-marbles sound.

A chatterring clutch has a problem associated with slipping during take-up. The Marbles-in-a-can sound has not related to chatterring and is NOT a problem.

If the clutch chatters on this car, that's a problem. The Marbles-in-a-can sound is normal and documented on the Owner Information Cd or video that comes with a new car.

 

You are right. i wasn't thinking about chatter, but rattle instead. Chatter could be a clutch disc and/or flywheel that was hot spotted. Not sure if the C5 flywheels can be cut, but the ZF flywheels are not recommnded to be cut. SCOTT