clutch install

**wildbanshee** · 12-04-2010, 05:23 AM

The car just went over 100k and almost at the same time the clutch started making unnatural sounds. A week later its pretty tough to get her in gear. I have been told clutch replacement is pretty easy with a lift...having no lift what is your opinion of a weekend warrior

doing this myself over a day or so?
Any suggestions on a replacement?? looking at a aluminum flywheel and a spec clutch right now? any ideas on the best spot to get parts?

Thanks in advance.....

**35th-ANV-SS** · 12-04-2010, 10:12 AM

I wouldn't get Spec based on my own personal experience...others will agree.

Spec is hit or miss IMO.

I would do a LS7 clutch with new slave, tick adjustable MC. I believe the kit comes with flywheel, throw out bearing, etc.

Talk to Mark at www.kyspeed.com. He is a sponsor here.

**Demon_Z28** · 12-04-2010, 12:05 PM

ws6store has a full clutch kit replacement as well. I have a LS7 clutch I did myself. I am about to buy a TICK Master as well. Make sure to replace the Pilot Bearing and Throw out bearing and slave cylinder as they will be worn out. I did my clutch at 50k miles and the TOB broke apart after I took it off...

Another thing that is very important is to make sure the clutch is aligned with the pressure plate and flywheel. It will never come together if it is even the slightest miss-aligned. The best way to tell is if you use the clutch alignment tool and it feels loose going in and out your good. If it is slightly tight then your probably not centered. Having an extra hand is always a plus. Took me around 3 hours total. But I have done clutches in F-Body's several times.

Good luck.

LS1Howto.com has all the proper torque specs of the flywheel, and pressure plate, and bell housing bolts etc...

http://ls1howto.com/index.php?category=0

**wildbanshee** · 12-04-2010, 01:42 PM

Thanks for the input. yea i think after reading your suggestions and some online research im going ls7 all new everything...I was seriously considering doing it myself with my 17 yr old nephew..good bonding...then my wife looked at me and said..seriously you think that is a good idea...that normally would bring out the jack stands but i must be getting old cuz now...i paused and said..you know what.....someone else needs work in this economy..right?
thanks again..let you know how the new clutch works out...
banshee...

**Lunatikgixxer** · 12-05-2010, 02:35 PM

imo i wouldnt get the ls7 because of the hp rating. If you dont have any big plans for upgrading your HP in the near future then go for it but like me, im upgrading something major every 3-6 months so i bought myself a Monster level 4 clutch about 6 months ago and im very impressed with it STILL. BTW we changed the clutch on jack stands! What a pain in the ass i do not recommend it at all but it can be done, we did it in 2 days.

**1999sscamaro** · 12-05-2010, 03:38 PM

I bought the spec 3+ clutch some people sweared by it and others said it was a piece of shit. I just installed it you can look at my questions on a different post on the trans forum. But im having a hell of a time getting the clutch to disengage you have to shim the throw out bearing correctly. only time will tell if this spec clutch does the job but as of now it sucks with the hassle im going threw taking it off and on trying to shim it right.

To answer your question if you have good knowledge on cars yes you can do this get some jacks and jack stands and do it that way im doing it that way. If i did it right the first time with shimming the throw out bearing it would have taken me about 9 hours for the complete job. so yes you can with in a day but if you dont know what your doing it will take alot longer.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 12-06-2010, 06:09 AM

Originally Posted by 1999sscamaro

I bought the spec 3+ clutch some people sweared by it and others said it was a piece of shit. I just installed it you can look at my questions on a different post on the trans forum. But im having a hell of a time getting the clutch to disengage you have to shim the throw out bearing correctly. only time will tell if this spec clutch does the job but as of now it sucks with the hassle im going threw taking it off and on trying to shim it right.

To answer your question if you have good knowledge on cars yes you can do this get some jacks and jack stands and do it that way im doing it that way. If i did it right the first time with shimming the throw out bearing it would have taken me about 9 hours for the complete job. so yes you can with in a day but if you dont know what your doing it will take alot longer.

That's the clutch I have (Spec 3+)...I don't like it at all. Hope you have better luck with yours.

**wildbanshee** · 12-06-2010, 06:21 AM

looks like im going to have to do it myself...just got three quotes for just labor...450$, $500 and $510...the best deal i found for the ls7 clutch kit, speed bleeder, pilot, bolts the works was $650--
I would have never guessed a clutch would run 1k+ installed....
so im going to buy a lot of lava soap, beer, and a chiltons and have at it...let you know how it goes...
banshee..

**Lunatikgixxer** · 12-06-2010, 08:21 AM

sweet good luck, dont drop the tranny on your arm or anything though lol that wont be good. Remeber just be patient

**wildbanshee** · 12-14-2010, 12:52 PM

Just got another call from the mechanic...who has struggled putting my clutch in...says that the car is back together but its leaking fluid from the bell housing and he thinks it defective slave or the speed bleeder?

He is pulling it back apart now to see what it is...what are the probabilities of this?
im guessing 10% defective slave
10% cross threaded bleeder..
80+% defective mechanic...

anyone had fluid leaking from the bellhousing after install?

I brought it friday because i have a meeting out of town thursday..not sure if ill have the car by then.

.....I could write a book on this experience seriously....

and you know the wife is having a field day with the "i told you so....."

**Cutlass** · 12-14-2010, 05:16 PM

I would guess its the speed bleeder. possibly not tightened down enough.

**Train** · 12-14-2010, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Cutlass

I would guess its the speed bleeder. possibly not tightened down enough.

+1..i put the LS7 clutch in mine back in september, didn't have any issues with it. is the mechanic you took it to reliable? (just a common question)

**wildbanshee** · 12-15-2010, 06:39 AM

honest yes absolutly...I think we just hit a perfect storm of not familiar with the repair/or up to date with newer systems/ with every possible thing that can go wrong is all at once going wrong..uggg....its a real

for sure!

he just called said as he is pushing the clutch it is forcing fluid right out -flowing out of the bell housing as fast as he is pouring it in..im guessing something is way lose at this point...I told him to pull it off if need be (speed bleeder)...just need the car back -i got something called a job i need to get to....

let you know how the 5 day adventure works out....

**Cutlass** · 12-15-2010, 07:08 PM

You really don't need that speed bleeder anyways. If he can't make the speed bleeder work, you could always sell it.

**wildbanshee** · 12-18-2010, 06:17 AM

Clutch is in...and working perfect..knock on wood...
apparently the slave was leaking -once the new one was installed everything went smooth as ice..finally!
I got to the shop late in the afternoon and he was just about to bleed the system...I was really dreading this...I had visions of massive air bubbles sticking clutch you name it.
He had a lot of worries about the speed bleeder...well to make a long story short..seriously it took 5 minutes to bleed the system!
the ls7 clutch is awesome...I did not realize how tire the original with 100k on it was! like a new car...

Thank you all for your suggestions and input it was a big help

still breaking it in....so see you on the road!
Banshee out...

**Cutlass** · 12-18-2010, 06:37 AM

hehehe...and you wanted to blame the mechanic. Glad to hear its working awesome!! I keep waiting for my clutch to crap out so I have an excuse to swap in the LS7 clutch.

**Lunatikgixxer** · 12-19-2010, 09:01 AM

haha wow dont you hate it when something seems like total shit and its something so minor a 10 year old can fix it! Happens a lot, good to hear u got it fixed good luck with the clutch.

**vette0009** · 12-19-2010, 10:23 AM

Well at least you found some humor in it all lol

I may do the LS7 clutch down the road

So Let us know how it works out

**bberretta** · 12-20-2010, 08:04 PM

I did the LS7 clutch swap last December from a few members recommendation and love it. My stock clutch had 130k hard miles on it and when I pulled it the pad on the clutch was paper thin. My only problem is the "new" throw out bearing is bad and I'm going to have to pull everything back out to re-replace the throw out bearing. Clutch and Tick MC is amazing- just sucks the GM throw out was junk.