Clutch Problems

**1SSWFO** · 08-17-2005, 05:43 PM

Alright let me begin my bitch session. My car has 61000 miles and needed a clutch so i bought a SPEC stage 3($420.00) and used a new SLP flywheel($150.00) (steel) and replaced the slave cylinder with a new one from GM like the clutch instructions said and replaced the master cylinder with the same upgrade from GM per the SPEC instructions. well they said to break the clutch in for 450-500 miles ok. i've
got 247 on it and the damn thing wont go in gear? I called SPEED INC. and thats where I bought the clutch and flywheel, and all I get from them is you installed it wrong because they didn't do it, well a GM mechanic installed all of this, so I called SPEC direct and got the same SAME DAMN ANSWER they claim there is no way i got a bad flywheel or that the clutch might be screwed up? Well I'm not bashing anybody YET, but thats f----- up spend $650. with a so called speed shop and the only support you get is: sorry you must have screwed it up, If anybody knows anything or can help I would greatly appreciate it. This is what makes me so worried about buying SHIT from off the net. THE PEOPLE JUST DONT CARE!

transam1998 · 08-18-2005, 05:37 AM

I've been through this with my SPEC clutch as well.

When the clutch was installed, there should have been a cardboard shim to go between the transmission and the slave cylinder. this moves the throwout bearing closer to the clutch so it will disengage properly when you press the pedal. If the clutch doesn't disengage all the way, the car will be hard or impossible to shift.

When I installed my SPEC clutch, I installed the shim, and the car was ok for a couple hundred miles, then it started getting hard to put into gear. I had to take the transamission back out and add some aluminum shims. The car was fine after that. I eventually bought the Mcloed adjustable master cylinder in hopes that I can solve any possible problems like this in the future without having to pull the transmission back out.

Be cautious when adding shims, you will have to add more than I did since it sounds like you need more, but it won't take much.

**Zboner** · 08-18-2005, 05:46 AM

spec has extremly bad customer service, my friend just had one installed about 2 months ago, the throwout and pilot broke!!! so it has been sitting for 6 weeks and spec will not send him new ones, i just done get it

Bsherrill · 08-18-2005, 07:19 AM

I dont have a SPEC Clutch I still have the OEM clutch, but I just had this same problem and it is being fixed now. It was becoming damn near impossible to get it into gear

and when I would it would grind like a mofo. I took it in to a family friend who owns a shop. I called him this morning and he said that the master cylinder was leaking. When you put the clutch down it was sucking air in and getting in the way of the fluid to completly disengage the clutch. This may or may not be your issue (I'd do what the guy posted before about the shims) I am just however giving you an answer to my problem. You may want to re-bleed the master cylinder and make sure you have no air pockets. Hope this helps in anyway and that you get your issue fix and are back on the road slammin gears

**ibanez7** · 08-18-2005, 12:05 PM

please dont take offense to this, but did you cover two important aspects:

Bleeding your master and slave properly and is there hydraulic fluid in there?
low fluid or air can prevent you from shifting. (it only takes a teaspoon amount of missing fluid to cause difficulty in shifting) The resivoir must be filled to the offset line, to fuction properly, with Brake dot 3 fluid.

Every time I have done a clutch install with the 01-02 slaves, I have made sure to bleed the system, with about 100 or more clutch pedal depressions.

Also you bought a used SLP flywheel, well that could have been a mistake, cause you dont know if its been cut and or if you need to shim it. The wear on the clutch at 2xx miles, could be enough tolerance to prevent your clutch from engaging if your clutch is not shimmed and needs to be.

BUT, then again you may have done a perfect job on install and your friction place could just be destroyed.

Can you put the car in gear when turned off, if so find an open parking lot start the car in gear and try driving, to see if you clutch slips or if it just wont shift. If it wont shift my bet would be the hydraulics.

**1SSWFO** · 08-18-2005, 06:26 PM

ALRIGHT JUST GOT DONE BLEEDING THE MASTER CYLINDER WENT THROUGH ABOUT HALF A BOTTLE OF FLUID? AND THE FLYWHEEL AND ALL THE PARTS LIKE, FLYWHEEL,CLUTCH,PRESSURE PLATE, THROWOUT BEARING, SLAVE CYLINDER, AND MASTER ARE BRAND DAMN NEW NO USED PARTS AT ALL. IT FELT LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED A LITTLE, BUT IT DID THE SAME THING WHEN I PUT THE NEW MASTER ON TUES. NIGHT? IF THIS DONT FIX THE PROB THEN I'M GOING TO SALE THE FUCKING THING AND BUY A FREAKING 1990 HONDA HATCHBACK BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE DIP SHIT ON ANY CORNER CAN REBUILD THE MOTOR OR DEGREE A CAM OR ANYTHING ON THOSE POS! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ALL THE REAL GEAR HEADS, NO OFFENSE TO THOSE OF US THAT ARE STILL LEFT. WHY IS THERE NO ONE ON THE EAST COAST THAT KNOWS DICK? OH AND BY THE WAY SPEED INC. WHATS UP WITH THEM BEING REAL D I C K S!!!!!! LAST DAMN DIME I SPEND THERE. SPEND WISELY GUYS AND GIRLS. THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVISE MAYBE I WILL GET IT WORKED OUT SOMETIME, SORRY FOR ALL CAPS CHEAP COMPUTER.

**ibanez7** · 08-18-2005, 06:37 PM

you bled the master cylinder but did you bleed the slave cylinder too???

**1SSWFO** · 08-18-2005, 06:42 PM

the only bleeder valve you got is the one coming out of the tranny which would be the slave master combined the master came bench bled from the dealer in a sealed box.

stealthtransam · 08-23-2005, 08:54 PM

I had speed Inc. Install 4 cluthes for me and every one blew up under 2k go to advanced transmission in Streamwood they built my tranny and my current clutch and 20K hard on them no chatter and no breaking =). I personally dont recommend speed inc's installers.

**laytoncamaroz28** · 10-04-2009, 11:14 AM

i gotta 98 z28 with the m6 its gotta brand new tranny and it shifts fine drivin it normal but when you hit it u cant grab the next gear until the rpms go down to where the next gear starts it does this with all gears under a WOT shift please help!!!

**Cutlass** · 10-04-2009, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by laytoncamaroz28

i gotta 98 z28 with the m6 its gotta brand new tranny and it shifts fine drivin it normal but when you hit it u cant grab the next gear until the rpms go down to where the next gear starts it does this with all gears under a WOT shift please help!!!

Don't be afraid to start a new thread. You'll get more responses that way. Also try using the search feature on this site. This is a common question and has been answered many times before. But here's your answer:
http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55824