C6 clutch
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 385
Likes: 80
From: Old Monroe, Mo
C6 clutch
I really hope I’m not beating a dead horse here. I did do a search but just got my first C6 manual, the ‘13 427 version and having a time getting use to having like an inch worth where the clutch engages. But from what I’ve read in various places this is normal ? And if it is normal WHY is it normal ? Why all that free travel room ?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 12,759
Likes: 10,657
From: Prosper TX/Austin TX
2020 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
I really hope I’m not beating a dead horse here. I did do a search but just got my first C6 manual, the ‘13 427 version and having a time getting use to having like an inch worth where the clutch engages. But from what I’ve read in various places this is normal ? And if it is normal WHY is it normal ? Why all that free travel room ?
If it has the original, I'd replace it with the updated part, #19331709, it's only about $100 for the part & takes about an hour to swap. The original can leave you stranded if the clutch pedal goes to the floor and doesn't come back.
Now regarding your question, I've owned 2 manual C6s and don't recall having a lot of free travel before the clutch engages in either of them. I drove my '11 Z06 yesterday and clutch engagement was normal, no free travel.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 385
Likes: 80
From: Old Monroe, Mo
first thing you need to check is if it has the original clutch master cylinder. The original has a white/clear fluid reservoir under the hood. If it has a black fluid reservoir with Dot4 on the cap, it's got the updated part.
If it has the original, I'd replace it with the updated part, #19331709, it's only about $100 for the part & takes about an hour to swap. The original can leave you stranded if the clutch pedal goes to the floor and doesn't come back.
Now regarding your question, I've owned 2 manual C6s and don't recall having a lot of free travel before the clutch engages in either of them. I drove my '11 Z06 yesterday and clutch engagement was normal, no free travel.
If it has the original, I'd replace it with the updated part, #19331709, it's only about $100 for the part & takes about an hour to swap. The original can leave you stranded if the clutch pedal goes to the floor and doesn't come back.
Now regarding your question, I've owned 2 manual C6s and don't recall having a lot of free travel before the clutch engages in either of them. I drove my '11 Z06 yesterday and clutch engagement was normal, no free travel.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,505
Likes: 3,632
I really hope I’m not beating a dead horse here. I did do a search but just got my first C6 manual, the ‘13 427 version and having a time getting use to having like an inch worth where the clutch engages. But from what I’ve read in various places this is normal ? And if it is normal WHY is it normal ? Why all that free travel room ?
Long version,
The C6 slave clylinder has a assist spring on it, that self adjusts the slave so TB is always just kissing the pressure plate fingers, so clutch should start disengaging about the first inch of push of the pedal, and if moving forward, really never need to go to the floor to shift.
The clutch pedal has an assist spring to it,
So when you will keep pedal up,and when you get the pedal about half way down, will pull the pedal to the floor board to assist you holding it there say during a stop light. What allows the pedal to be pressed back up, is the pressure from the TB against the pressure plate spring, with pressure against the slave,with it putting hydro pressure back against the master cylinder to overcome the assist spring.
Now why the extra pedal travels that you really don't need for forward gears when moving, and that is reverse itself, when all the pressure has to come off the reverse gear shaft, so that set of gears can engage cleanly.
So normal factory clutch with factory master cylinder, clutch should be fully locked up by the time pedal is about an inch from top of stroke, and should be disengaged enough for forward shifting a little past half down down. All the way down, at stop light, to start the car, and again, to get the trans into reverse.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 417
Likes: 169
From: KS
I couldn't stand the fact that there is so much dead pedal travel on the C6 clutch. I added a pretty thick spacer on the floor board to only allow the pedal to be pressed in so far. I have no issues getting it into and out of all gears including reverse, and man is it so much more enjoyable to drive. I also removed the pedal assist spring which helped even more.
Because the car won't start unless the pedal is close to the floor, I decided I needed I needed to add a rotating function to the spacer. To start the car, the spacer is rotated 90 degrees ccw with my foot so it no longer is behind the pedal. Once the car starts, I rotate it back with my foot (clockwise 90 degrees) so the spacer is once again behind the pedal. I used neodymium magnets in the fixed and rotating parts of the spacer to force it to stay in only one of these 2 positions.
Sorry for the long winded description. It also acts as an anti theft device. Won't start if you don't rotate the spacer from under the pedal.
Lingenfelter makes a stopper for the pedal.
https://www.lingenfelter.com/product/L350250197.html
Maybe with a tech 2 you could recalibrate the clutch position sensor to allow the car to start with the shorter pedal travel?
Because the car won't start unless the pedal is close to the floor, I decided I needed I needed to add a rotating function to the spacer. To start the car, the spacer is rotated 90 degrees ccw with my foot so it no longer is behind the pedal. Once the car starts, I rotate it back with my foot (clockwise 90 degrees) so the spacer is once again behind the pedal. I used neodymium magnets in the fixed and rotating parts of the spacer to force it to stay in only one of these 2 positions.
Sorry for the long winded description. It also acts as an anti theft device. Won't start if you don't rotate the spacer from under the pedal.
Lingenfelter makes a stopper for the pedal.
https://www.lingenfelter.com/product/L350250197.html
Maybe with a tech 2 you could recalibrate the clutch position sensor to allow the car to start with the shorter pedal travel?
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 4,465
Likes: 1,395
From: SC
I couldn't stand the fact that there is so much dead pedal travel on the C6 clutch. I added a pretty thick spacer on the floor board to only allow the pedal to be pressed in so far. I have no issues getting it into and out of all gears including reverse, and man is it so much more enjoyable to drive. I also removed the pedal assist spring which helped even more.
Because the car won't start unless the pedal is close to the floor, I decided I needed I needed to add a rotating function to the spacer. To start the car, the spacer is rotated 90 degrees ccw with my foot so it no longer is behind the pedal. Once the car starts, I rotate it back with my foot (clockwise 90 degrees) so the spacer is once again behind the pedal. I used neodymium magnets in the fixed and rotating parts of the spacer to force it to stay in only one of these 2 positions.
Sorry for the long winded description. It also acts as an anti theft device. Won't start if you don't rotate the spacer from under the pedal.
Lingenfelter makes a stopper for the pedal.
https://www.lingenfelter.com/product/L350250197.html
Maybe with a tech 2 you could recalibrate the clutch position sensor to allow the car to start with the shorter pedal travel?
Because the car won't start unless the pedal is close to the floor, I decided I needed I needed to add a rotating function to the spacer. To start the car, the spacer is rotated 90 degrees ccw with my foot so it no longer is behind the pedal. Once the car starts, I rotate it back with my foot (clockwise 90 degrees) so the spacer is once again behind the pedal. I used neodymium magnets in the fixed and rotating parts of the spacer to force it to stay in only one of these 2 positions.
Sorry for the long winded description. It also acts as an anti theft device. Won't start if you don't rotate the spacer from under the pedal.
Lingenfelter makes a stopper for the pedal.
https://www.lingenfelter.com/product/L350250197.html
Maybe with a tech 2 you could recalibrate the clutch position sensor to allow the car to start with the shorter pedal travel?
Racer
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 417
Likes: 169
From: KS
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 4,465
Likes: 1,395
From: SC
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,505
Likes: 3,632
Walk in the part, and just tech2 to go into cps relearn, and it will walk you through the process. Hence first pedal all the way up, hit next, pedal all the way down, hit next and it's done. The clutch pedal sensor to BCM just need to learn its two different ohm readings, since each sensor is slightly different in ohm readings when mounted in the car.
Note, if using VX nano with cracked tech2 win, use 2013 for year of car, go into BCM module and will be fine. There is a glitch in the solftware from 2006 to 2012, that will not give you the correct BCM data is you use any of these years, and trying to get to BCM data (the rest of modules are fine to use the correct year of the car.
And to note, this only works for the later cars that got a sensor on the pedal itself (like the brake pedal has) since the early vets has a sensor at top of pedal for cruse control kick out if you touched the pedal, and sensor on floor board, that pedal all the way down would press so you could start the car (hence no CPS relearn for these cars, since did not use this type clutch pedal sensor).