Clutch spring removed...what a difference
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
The clutch is fine, the removel of the spring is a bad idea. plus the pedal hangs a little. Not to mention it feels funny. Not only, because GM says there's a reason it's there.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 593
Likes: 0
From: Pleasanton CA
Jeff
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,366
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
[QUOTE=Rock'n Blue 08;1572908437 Not only, because GM says there's a reason it's there.[/QUOTE]
GM also says the glue worked on holding the tops together, and that you should not be able to type and address in the nav screen while the car is moving.
They dont get everything correct.
GM also says the glue worked on holding the tops together, and that you should not be able to type and address in the nav screen while the car is moving.
They dont get everything correct.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,366
Likes: 934
From: Huntsville Alabama
ok took it out and you can feel its a little stiffer, but its also feel better. it does not have the POP to it at the top of the pedal, that makes people engadge the clutch jecky sometimes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,030
Likes: 0
From: The Villages Florida
Here is another OLD post that came to life after more than 3 YEARS, what is up with this? There are other much more recent and relevant threads that get closed after a MUCH shorter time!!!!!
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Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 678
Likes: 33
From: Los Angeles California
My 08 coupe's spring just broke and I do prefer the pedal without the spring, but not at the expense of messing up the clutch assembly.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 0
From: Tellico Plains, Tn "Wolf" Official Corvette Guard Dog
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
still feels and works great, I would do it again.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,629
The clutch spring does two things,
First it is an assist spring as it cams over on the bottom of the pedal stroke so less pedal pressure is needed.
The second thing is does is acts like a return spring at the top of the pedal stroke as well.
So if you don't want the assist part of the spring that is fine, but you still need the return part of the spring working instead. Why, the top of the clutch pedal has a switch that is used for items like the cruse control, and if there is no return spring in place, then you hit a small pump in the vet, and pedal is going to dance off the top switch to disengage the cruse control instead.
The answer to the problem has always been to just swap the C6 clutch assist spring with a C-5 clutch assist spring instead.
The smaller C-5 assist spring (on the right) give less pedal assist as it cams over when the pedal is being pushed down, but make sure that the pedal stays all they way up against the clutch top switch when your foot is off the pedal instead.
First it is an assist spring as it cams over on the bottom of the pedal stroke so less pedal pressure is needed.
The second thing is does is acts like a return spring at the top of the pedal stroke as well.
So if you don't want the assist part of the spring that is fine, but you still need the return part of the spring working instead. Why, the top of the clutch pedal has a switch that is used for items like the cruse control, and if there is no return spring in place, then you hit a small pump in the vet, and pedal is going to dance off the top switch to disengage the cruse control instead.
The answer to the problem has always been to just swap the C6 clutch assist spring with a C-5 clutch assist spring instead.
The smaller C-5 assist spring (on the right) give less pedal assist as it cams over when the pedal is being pushed down, but make sure that the pedal stays all they way up against the clutch top switch when your foot is off the pedal instead.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Dano523...while you are technically correct with your post ^^^^ I can tell you in practice, I've had no spring for 8 years and only one time did my cruise control stop working due to this (and I use cruise a lot).
I (and many others) removed the spring to avoid the pedal stuck on the floor at high rpm shifts (along with the Ranger fluid changing method). It is extremely effective at this. I've removed half a dozen springs at the track and cured every stuck clutch issue.
I have a c5 spring and tried it - it did NOT prevent the clutch sticking down at high rpm shifts, it continued to stick down with the c5 spring.
I (and many others) removed the spring to avoid the pedal stuck on the floor at high rpm shifts (along with the Ranger fluid changing method). It is extremely effective at this. I've removed half a dozen springs at the track and cured every stuck clutch issue.
I have a c5 spring and tried it - it did NOT prevent the clutch sticking down at high rpm shifts, it continued to stick down with the c5 spring.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,629
Drilling the 3 orifices restrictors out of the OEM fluid line will also solve the problem correctly for strip running instead.
So the first problem with the stock clutch is you have a lot of spinning mass at high RMP's slowing the clutch from re-engaging via the clutch fingers. Throw in the restrictions in the fluid line slowing the fluid returning to master cylinder as well, and now the spring fingers are fighting against that too. When the fluid gets contaminated with clutch dust, the fluid flows even slower back through the line to the master cylinder even more.
So pulling the assist spring may help a touch from the pedal sticking to the floor, but even with the spring removed, your still have the clutch slowly engaging/burning up as you come off the pedal with the restrictors in play.
So the first problem with the stock clutch is you have a lot of spinning mass at high RMP's slowing the clutch from re-engaging via the clutch fingers. Throw in the restrictions in the fluid line slowing the fluid returning to master cylinder as well, and now the spring fingers are fighting against that too. When the fluid gets contaminated with clutch dust, the fluid flows even slower back through the line to the master cylinder even more.
So pulling the assist spring may help a touch from the pedal sticking to the floor, but even with the spring removed, your still have the clutch slowly engaging/burning up as you come off the pedal with the restrictors in play.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 16,667
Likes: 1,209
From: Raleigh, NC
St. Jude Donor '15
Similar experience here. Haven't had the spring for over a year. Pedal comes high enough on it's own to hit the switch. I've never had an issue with cruise not working as expected.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Drilling the 3 orifices restrictors out of the OEM fluid line will also solve the problem correctly for strip running instead.
So the first problem with the stock clutch is you have a lot of spinning mass at high RMP's slowing the clutch from re-engaging via the clutch fingers. Throw in the restrictions in the fluid line slowing the fluid returning to master cylinder as well, and now the spring fingers are fighting against that too. When the fluid gets contaminated with clutch dust, the fluid flows even slower back through the line to the master cylinder even more.
So pulling the assist spring may help a touch from the pedal sticking to the floor, but even with the spring removed, your still have the clutch slowly engaging/burning up as you come off the pedal with the restrictors in play.
So the first problem with the stock clutch is you have a lot of spinning mass at high RMP's slowing the clutch from re-engaging via the clutch fingers. Throw in the restrictions in the fluid line slowing the fluid returning to master cylinder as well, and now the spring fingers are fighting against that too. When the fluid gets contaminated with clutch dust, the fluid flows even slower back through the line to the master cylinder even more.
So pulling the assist spring may help a touch from the pedal sticking to the floor, but even with the spring removed, your still have the clutch slowly engaging/burning up as you come off the pedal with the restrictors in play.
Removing the pedal spring doesn't "help a touch", it absolutely fixes the problem when combined with the Ranger fluid method.
And it fixed the problem for the 6 guys I can think of at the track that I removed their spring, along with many others on this site.
To drop the drive train to drill out the clutch line is obviously a lot harder than taking the pedal spring out. I do know we used to do the "drill mod" to our F-body clutches which are obviously a lot easier to get to.
I daresay after 497 launches like this and 79,000 daily driving miles, I haven't "burned up" my clutch. It operates today just like it did 9 years ago and still gets 1.4 60 foots when I want to.