sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

I think my clutch might be dragging. I just bought a MityVac & am pretty sure I bled it properly. I recently just did a clutch swap on my 97 SS, with a CC stage 2.

Symptoms:
Engine off, no key, no reverse
Engine off, key on accessory, reverse fine
Engine on, really hard to go in reverse, first, second, third seem stiffer
Clutch engages less than an inch from the floor
Clutch pedal vibrates at the very top
Car does not move at all from a dead stop in gear with clutch disengaged

What does this sound like to you? If it is clutch dragging, what needs to be done to fix it?

By the way you guys are awesome. I've learned a ton through this website.

Thanks

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

How far off the floor does the clutch engage?
If you have your foot off the brake, depress clutch and immediately try to engage a gear does the car lurch forward?
Do you have a pilot bushing or bearing?
Jack up the rear tires and engage gear with the clutch depressed while the engine is running. Do the rears still spin? If no, rev engine a few thousand RPM higher and see.
Just by what you said I would guess you are indeed getting drag since reverse is difficult to engage. This needs to be fixed ASAP or you can wear down the syncros to the point of gears starting to grind. Especially if you shift hard.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

1) About an inch or so from the floor board, there's not much travel at all before it engages
2) It does not lurch forward or move at all.
3) I will try this tomorrow, not sure why I haven't done this yet...

Also, I was just in my car trying to solve this problem. I think it might be related to the slave or need to be bled more? When I push the clutch really hard (almost like it's getting pushed past the floor board), it goes in reverse with less effort. Is there a better way to bleed the clutch other than the mityvac? I would like to do a full fluid flush on the clutch system before moving forward. I can't seem to find proper instructions on how to do so.

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

I honestly think if you are getting vibration of any sort the trans need to come back out. JMO.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

Unfortunately I feel the same. It's just time consuming, and I want to be sure I'm not pulling the transmission for no reason. What are the possibilities of this:

If there is play in the clutch, the clutch fork moving back and forth tapping against the slave, causing vibration in the clutch pedal?

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Hard to say. Perhaps something is loose.
When I had issues with a RAM clutch I too could push the pedal harder to the floor and reverse would engage easier. I ended up bending the slave rod that seats into the fork. The slave was just fine though. My experience has been a cluster **** and involved just going with a different clutch.
I think the bleeding w/ a vacuum is about the most effective way to bleed a LT1 slave if I'm not mistaken.
There just should be no vibration whatsoever and is a sheer sign something mechanically is wrong.

When you say "at the very top" does that mean when the clutch is not depressed or when it is?

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

It vibrates when the clutch is not depressed at all. Like if you gently rest the tip of your foot on it, you can feel it vibrating. If you apply pressure to it, the vibration goes away.

And honestly, my slave rod may have gotten bent. After doing the clutch swap, when I put the slave back in, I didn't get the end piece aligned with the fork properly when I bolted it up. Stupidly, I kept pushing the clutch when it wouldn't budge. Then I took the slave out and realized it wasn't aligned the right way. So there is a possibility I bent the slave rod by not re-installing it right the first time and pushing too hard on it. I will pull the slave out tomorrow and check it out. If this happens to be the case, I'm assuming the whole slave cylinder needs to be replaced?

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

No, the rod is a separate piece. It simply pulls out of the rubber housing. Your TB is suspect... Just not sure how.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

Hmm. I was thinking that earlier after my clutch install. I think I'm going to order a new master and slave cylinder from ws6store. Mine already have 110k miles on the stock one. These ones are already bled, too. Worst comes to worse I have a new master and slave cylinder with the same problems.

Thanks a lot for the help. If you have any more suggestions I'm open to hear them. I'm still going to jack up my car later tonight or tomorrow to rule out the clutch dragging.

Jpack

iTrader: (12)

Couple questions for you, are you using a new flywheel or the one you had before? When you installed the clutch did you face the hat of it to the engine? How hard was the pressure plate to install? If you pull the trans back out inspect the fork and pivot for wear. Does your slave still have the plastic ball in the rod?

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

I had my stock flywheel resurfaced (first time it's ever been resurfaced). The clutch was installed facing the right direction. I payed extra attention to this because my new clutch did not have "flywheel side" written on it anywhere. Anyways, I knew which way it went in by comparing it to the stock one when I pulled it out. The PP would not have bolted flush if it was on backwards. When I did torque the pressure plate down, I ended up having to do it in a star pattern several times to get it to fit flush against the flywheel. When I finally got it flush and hand snug, that's when I torqued it. I'll check the slave tomorrow for the ball when I check to see if it is bent.

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

I had a friend with the same problem. His engagement was at the floor and his pedal would vibrate. The wheels would turn by themselves when the car was in neutral on jack stands. We found that the pressure plate wasn't bolted to the flywheel evenly so we bought a feeler gauge and did it again.

Also, if you bought an aftermarket clutch kit there's a chance that the paint could be a bit lumpy around the PP bolt holes. The MIC Valeo copy I used had yellow paint splattered around the rim that I had to scrape off.

After getting the flywheel resurfaced did you use a shim?

The hydraulic clutch system wasn't meant to be bled and should be replaced every 80k. I ordered a new one for $180 through a Chevy dealership when I did my clutch swap back in July. I had a completely different problem where engagement was at the top of the pedal. The problem went away when I replaced the stock system.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

From the best I can remember, there was paint around the PP bolt holes. Hopefully this isn't the case, but if all else fails, I will check it out. I did try to stick my fingernail in between where they mated, and wasn't able too. By eyeballing, they looked flush. With a feeler gauge, there's no telling. I will have to drop the transmission if the problem isn't fixed after replacing the hydraulics.

As far as the flywheel goes, my machinist said he didn't have to remove much at all, so I did not use a shim.

Also, now that I think about it, there wasn't a white cup on the end of the slave cylinder.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

Pulled the slave cylinder out and the rod was bent (but it did have the white cup on it). I bent it back the best I could & ordered a new master and slave through ws6store. The vibration isn't that bad now that it's straightened out, and it goes into reverse better. I'm hoping the new master and slave will take up the slack in the pedal, allowing it to go into reverse a lot better.

Once I get the new hydraulics installed, I'll jack the car up to see if the clutch is dragging (I really hope it isn't). Until then, I won't be driving it.

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

Ok. I installed a whole new master and slave cylinder (pre-bled one from WS6 store). Clutch pedal vibration isn't really that noticeable anymore. When I take the slave off with the car running, I can feel the vibration through the fork.

Here is what I'm more concerned about:

I jacked the rear end up off of the ground. With the engine running, when I depress the clutch pedal and put it in 1st gear, the wheels rotate maybe 1/4 of the way and stop. With the clutch pedal still depressed, I pull it out of gear, then put it back in gear, they don't rotate at all. I'm assuming this isn't a dragging clutch because it doesn't do it constantly?

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Not sure if you answered, but do you have a pilot bushing or bearing?

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

It's a pilot bushing (brand new, came with clutch kit, brass I believe).

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

When you put the trans in, did you have to draw the trans onto the bellhousing with bolts or did you work the trans all the way to the bellhousing?
Reason I'm asking is if you drew the trans into the bellhousing you could have damaged the bushing causing it to go out of round. Just one theory at least...

sc.schultz

iTrader: (2)

I believe I did draw it in with bolts a little. I'm going to assume it's the bushing that's making it rattle/vibrate on the pedal. But what is causing my clutch to not disengage all the way?

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

One possibility is if you drew in the trans onto the bushing the input shaft may have distorted the bushing causing it to bind on the input shaft.