Mr. Coop

I've been working on installing the LS7 clutch and doing the drill mod. I've got the new clutch and pressure plate in, and started tearing into the drill mod this morning before I put the tranny back in. Everything has been going fine up until this point. I have the knee bolster, kick panel, and retaining clip out. The master cylinder rod disconnected from the clutch pedal, the (2) 13mm nuts removed from the u-bracket but I cannot for the life of me get the bracket off the firewall to get to the star washers, it's like it's still hung up on something, I pried it about halfway off and it started to bend so I quit. What the heck am I missing here? Installuniversity and the FSM make it sound like it should just fall out of the way so I can get to the star washers but I assure you it does not. Is there something seized somewhere or am I missing something completely obvious?

TIA

Mr. Coop

Alright, I just pulled on the damn bracket as hard as I could until it came off the ends of the bolts. Cut 2 fingers open in the process, looking up under the dash it looks like it's welded where it shouldn't be welded, also there was only one star washer on the u-bolt. Now just gotta get this u-bolt out, does it come out with the master cylinder or am I supposed to somehow break it loose and take it out separate? I never would have dreamed this would be such a pita, I'd rather drop 4 more transmissions than go through this hell again. Is it possible somewhere on the assembly line they had a clutch pedal bracket that wasn't quite right and they just "welded it up" to make it function? Even looking at the diagram in the fsm it just doesn't look like it should be welded there.

Mr. Coop

Somebody definately fuxxored this car before I bought it, the master cylinder hose to the reservoir was routed behind the wiring harness underneath the brake booster so I had to unhook the reservoir to get it out, hose was attached with a zip-tie.

calhoon

iTrader: (6)

I hate to bring you "good" news but maybe the drill mod was already done!

Mr. Coop

That would sooooo **** me off, lol.

But I seriously doubt it, I'm the second owner of the car and the previous owner never did any of his own work or modifications and all work was done at the dealer, so he says, and I did get all the service records from the dealer. But, regardless of the fact that the carfax came back 100% clean when I bought the car I keep finding little things the more I work on it that are leading me to believe it was in a minor fender bender on the front drivers side. Maybe it was pieced back together at a body shop with some things not exactly routed as they were from the factory. I've got it out now, but I have an appointment to make so I won't have the hose out until later this afternoon.

LordOfChaos

iTrader: (3)

my car it wsa zip tied to the reservour as well, and routed behind the harness etc, my car was not fucked with

Mr. Coop

hmmm, well that's how I put it back in too cause it seemed the only way to get it there, makes me wonder how you're supposed to pull it all out as one assembly though, lol.

I did run into another problem, but I'll start another thread for that.

LordOfChaos

iTrader: (3)

i just took the hose off the reservoir, was real easy, and made the install go so much easier, figured it out after dickin with it for a while. course, i had to bleed it a lot more, but i figured it was a worthwhile sacrifice to save the skin on my hands.

Mr. Coop

Yep, that's what I did, but I was confused after seeing all these tutorials with pictures showing it coming out as one piece. Ah well, I know for next time (and hopefully there isn't one.)

LordOfChaos

iTrader: (3)

i got mine out as one piece, but it was a PITA, and did NOT want to do that again lol.

AZLS1

iTrader: (2)

Yep, Getting it back in is usually trickier than getting it out.

Mr. Coop

Actually it was easier for me to put it back in, maybe because I could visualize it in my hand before reaching up under the brake booster. I got the rod right through the firewall, pulled it the rest of the way in and hooked it to the clutch pedal, pulled the pedal back by hand until it was tight against the firewall and lined up the holes. The biggest problem I had getting it out was getting the bracket out of the way and I couldn't separate the u-bolt until it was out on the bench which made the geometry of getting it out through the firewall a royal pita.

LordOfChaos

iTrader: (3)

my arm didnt fit well, that made the whole thing a bigger issue.

Mr. Coop

Yeah, I could see how that would be a problem, I guess I take for granted my stick like figure, or at least, what's left of it. 16 years of regular beer drinking is finally catching up to me.

LordOfChaos

iTrader: (3)

lol, yea i guess that would help.

i'm 6ft 3 and 245 lbs

RMR JAM

iTrader: (4)

Just did mine last night and I just pulled the bracket far enough out to cut of the star washer, then left it in place. I expected it to just fall off too from reading install univ.'s instructions. But it is definately connected to the pedal mount.

Mr. Coop

ok, then I'm not completely crazy then, the fsm makes it sound like it just comes right off too, hehe

Revelation Z28

iTrader: (10)

i got mine off in 20-30 min or so.

i un bolted my slave (LT1 T56)

went and took the bottom panels off of the dash on driver side, unclipped the pedal, took the rod off the pedal assembly, drained the resivoir, unhooked the hose underneath the bottle, and went back under the dash and unbolted the U bolt. pulled the bracket foward, and used a screwdriver to un screw the star washer, stuck my hand under the booster and shook the hell out of the master and it came right out.

putting it in was about 15 min with the slave connected back on.

Mr. Coop

I understand what you're saying but the bracket on mine did not just "pull forward" it was welded to the clutch pedal bracket up high. I had to pull hard enough to bend it to get it off over the u-bolt to even get to the star washer.

Revelation Z28

iTrader: (10)

mine is the same way, but it wasnt really that bad to hold up considering i had it sitting on the U bolt bold on the right side so it didnt slip back on. then i got the washer up to the end and pulled the bracket for a few seconds to get it off the last few threads.