Clunky shifting manual
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 13
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Clunky shifting manual
Hey everyone. Not sure if this has been asked. I did a search with no luck.
i have a ‘15 z06 manual. Motor was built by previous owner at a reputable shop. Car makes right around 850 at the wheels. I had a McLeod twin disc clutch installed about 2 months ago. Since then I feel like the transmission has become much harder to not only get into gear but upshifts and downshifts feel much “clunkier” than I remember before.
I have waited to ask this question until I got the required break in miles on the clutch. I was hoping it might improve over time. It has an aftermarket MGW short throw shifter on it. Clutch appears to work fine. It engages and disengages like I would expect but I’ve got to really yank it into second gear when I’m getting into it. Same goes for third etc…. I don’t remember it being like this prior to the new clutch. Is there an adjustment in the shifter or clutch that I should be addressing?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks
i have a ‘15 z06 manual. Motor was built by previous owner at a reputable shop. Car makes right around 850 at the wheels. I had a McLeod twin disc clutch installed about 2 months ago. Since then I feel like the transmission has become much harder to not only get into gear but upshifts and downshifts feel much “clunkier” than I remember before.
I have waited to ask this question until I got the required break in miles on the clutch. I was hoping it might improve over time. It has an aftermarket MGW short throw shifter on it. Clutch appears to work fine. It engages and disengages like I would expect but I’ve got to really yank it into second gear when I’m getting into it. Same goes for third etc…. I don’t remember it being like this prior to the new clutch. Is there an adjustment in the shifter or clutch that I should be addressing?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks
Last edited by hookleberry; Feb 11, 2024 at 01:25 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,043
Likes: 9,807
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Is the clutch as easy to operate as the stock clutch? If not you may not be completely disengaging it when you shift or you are letting up on the clutch too quickly and not fully completing the shift before the clutch starts spinning the transmission again.
Bill
Bill
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 10
Likes: 3
From: Houston/Atlanta
Very slim chance of this but do you think any air got into the system? I was getting clunky shifts and first and reverse would sometimes need a quick pump or two go in. I bought a small vaccum pressure gun and rubber hole stopper drilled a 1/4 hole took out most the fluid (left a little) and put it on the clutch fluid reservoir. I then pumped up to 25 pounds and my clutch feels completely different. Sometimes aftermarket stuff is wonky like this though. On my 2014 Silverado I had a circle d torque converter installed professionally by a reputable shop and similar to you it just never worked and ended up burning my clutch plates. Ended up going back to oem but hope this helped a little and you fix the issue.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 13
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Thanks for the responses guys. Bill, to answer your question… now that the clutch is broke-in it is just as easy to operate as the OEM. The clutch engages and disengages great. If anything there is a little less travel to disengage than the stock clutch. It just seems like the effort to change gears or put into gear is harder than before. It could be my imagination since I got the new clutch. It does not “drag” once in gear.
I put close to two thousand miles on the stock clutch since I bought it from another forum number on here and I’ve got about 1000 miles on the new one.
I put close to two thousand miles on the stock clutch since I bought it from another forum number on here and I’ve got about 1000 miles on the new one.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 615
From: Blacksburg Va
Have you flushed the clutch fluid? I haven't actually had a problem with how mine operates but was really, really surprised how dark black my fluid was at 3.5 years of use. Do the 'ranger' method. No I have no idea why it is called that. But suck the fluid out of the reservoir and top up w/ new. Pump clutch 20 times. That new fluid will be dirty looking. Do it again. Keep doing the above until you still have clear fluid after your 20 pumps. Mine took 6 cycles to end up w/ clear fluid.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 254
Likes: 41
From: Charlotte, NC
If you say the clutch engages and disengages fine, I would change the trans fluid, if old, try changing Most recommend using Redline. It feels better after I did it. Also might consider checking the alignment of the MGW shifter. If installed without the alignment tool, might be slightly off.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote