CLUTCH - NO MORE!

[MikeG]

OK Brothers, I need your help and advice.

My clutch on #135 (91) has been slipping off and on for the past year. I kept putting off the replacement (really dumb - I know) because one time it would slip - power take off, then the next time it wouldn't. One of those slipping time, it was slipping bad (smokey and stinky) - but only in first.

Anyway - it gave up the ghost yesterday and need to replace it. I currently have a CENTERFORCE clutch. I really like it, so looking for a source to replace it -- or your recommendations for replacing it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. If you have a recommendation, I would like to have the source and cost.

[Hammer]

Summitt Racing, spensive $800

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CTF-DF063084/

[A1990]

Mike:

Are you running single mass flywheel or stock dual mass? I am running fidanza single mass with Spec 3+ clutch. $699.00 or less...Nice unit.

[Paul Workman]

I bought mine at AutoZone. The assembly was a "Dynapak", but actually is the Valeo (OEM) part. I got it for just under $300 including the TO bearing and plastic guide, and it has a lifetime warranty.

Sometimes you will get the LT1/4 clutch pressure plate from AutoZone (and others?) which work as well, but you will need slightly shorter bolts. Those are available too - no biggie.

IF your clutch was slipping/burning, you might have cooked your flywheel, i.e., it may now have some hard spots on it and be needing to be replaced too. If after you check it out and decide to replace it, I have a good used one I'll part with. Lemmeno!

P.

[rhipsher]

What A1990 said. I got mine for $629.10 http://www.lmperformance.com/44263/25.html And even though this http://www.lmperformance.com/spec.asp shows it as being a sprung disk it's not. It's solid. Works just fine.

[MikeG]

Thanks guys for the posts back. I am currently in Spearfish, 4th day of our Black Hills Corvette Classic. The Z is in a shop waiting patiently for my return - a VERY good friend loaned my his 96 to drive out here.

Have talked to a couple of ZR-1 guys here, but have said LT1 is cheapest way on 1 said that is Heibecks recommendation - so thought I'd ck with me when I got home on Monday. Cory has responed asking what the problem is, sent him normaly email, waiting for response.

I have not checked any of the links yet, but thanks. Our Classic is one busy week end. Spent most of the day helping at the autocross, resting before going downtown for Vette Street. Have to get up at the crack of dawn (almost) to lead a tour group to Mt Rushmore for breakfast and then onto the Needles Hwy and Iron Mt Road. I'm glad 135 gave up the ghost when it did - in the middle of the Black Hills is no place to lose a clutch!

Thanks again for the posts.

Denny - flywheel is alloy, single mass - don't know who's, nothing in the papers that came with the car.

Won't know what shape it's in until we crack it open. Mechanic doesn't want to start until parts are on hand, but will talk to him about poss. of flywheel damage.

I'll keep y'al posted!

[Paul Workman]

Denny - flywheel is alloy, single mass - don't know who's, nothing in the papers that came with the car.

Won't know what shape it's in until we crack it open. Mechanic doesn't want to start until parts are on hand, but will talk to him about poss. of flywheel damage.

I'll keep y'al posted!

Well, Hey! U may be in luck!! IF it is like the single mass Al Fidanza, the friction plate (steel?) is bolted on and can be replaced - intended for that purpose! So, it may NOT be sucha big deal after all!:thumbsup:

Well, here's to hoping!:cheers: Sounds like you're having a blast out in Spearfish!

P.

[rhipsher]

You just can't go wrong with Corey H. & Mark H.

[MikeG]

Clutch arrivied from Corey (Spec Stage 1) this afternoon, will start the removal and replacement tomorrow.
Spent a couple of days last week trying to find a stock clutch. None to be had (at least not from any of the stores here: Advance Auto, Auto Zone, O'Rileys, Napa and a couple of local on line sites) Talked to a tech at RAM clutch (they would sell me a clutch kit, with an alloy single mass flywheel - but I already have that and they would not sell me just the clutch, press plate, etc - "It's a kit, ya know!") - Tech did say the FORMER malufacturer was no longer making stock clutch plates - so if they are out there they will be rare and pricey!
One local shop said they could get me one - wouldn't tell me the source, but did say they could get it for 580 + shipping - got a whole lot better deal then that from Cory!!!!
Hope to have the clutch in and finished by the week-end - have to go on a 500 mile break in trip (directions said lots of stop and go traffic, but NO HARD LAUNCHES:([-X[-X[-X:neutral:

[GOLDCYLON]

You just can't go wrong with Corey H. & Mark H.


Wurd :hello:

[JThomas]

Good luck with the repair Mike. You'll be back on the road soon!

[MikeG]

The wrenches turned today - finally!!

Have held off on doing any updates until something happened. I ended up going with a SPEC 1 clutch kit from Corey Henderson. In this area - SD - they only source for a OEM clutch for the ZR cost more then the one from Corey.

Anyway the clutch is out!!! The flywheel is off to a machine shop and should be back tomorrow and hopefully #135 will be back on the road by Friday.

I will try and attach some photos.

The first one will be of the clutch plate-flywheel side. There is NO material on this side!
The next one is of the clutch plate-press plate side - there is some material, but not much and some is gone completely.
The last is the old and the new side by side.

Hopefully the photos will come out - I not sure how to attach them to this post.

[MikeG]

Forgot to add all the surprises!!!

The old clutch was not a CenterForce - it was a SPEC clutch. I've sent mail to Corey Henderson to find out what I used to have!

Also the papers that came with the car said, "Alloy Single Mass Flywheel" - well that turned out to be a GM flywheel, a single magnetic casting. Cast Iron, I guess. Anyway it's heavy!

I will now have to track down the former owner and find out what happened to the CenterForce clutch and the alloy frlywheel. He gave me all the papers (receipts) from when he purchased it. The last (and only) receipt is from DRM for the flywheel and the receipt for the CenterForce clutch.

Can they morph under heat and pressure?:confused:

[Hammer]

Hi Mike,
Looks to me like you got your usage out of that clutch. Certainly glad it did go south on the BG trip.

[MikeG]

Use it I did. I'm glad it fail when it did and where it did. On Wed, Jul 14th - heading to get ready for working registration for the Black Hills Corvette Classic, I'm thinking I need to check this out one more time - I was signed up for Drags Thurs night as one of the events for the Classic. So I roll around the corner onto the 4 lane road heading to Billions Chervolet (our club sponsor) and at a roll of about 2 mph I nailed the throttle - clutch hooked up will full power, all the way to rev limiter. Went to shift into 2nd and it wouldn't go. Coasting down I blipped the throttle and got it into 3rd. Released the clutch and no output - just coasting. I blipped the throttle again and got it into 2nd, released the clutch and could just feel the faintest bit of power - enough to get it into Billions parking lot.

I had a break in registration later in the morning, went out fired it up, put it in 1st, let out the clutch and went absolutely NO WHERE - not one inch.

I sent Corey a picture of the pressure plate - had SPEC sticker on and gave him the p/n. He wrote back to say SPEC hasn't used yellow on it pressure plates for at least 7 years! In looking at the clutch plate yesterday after everything was all button up and a test drive, I came back and looked at the clutch plate one last time and noticed a "REMF" stamp on - why would any one put a reman clutch plate in a ZR-1:cry:

It's working fine, just back from a 30 mile trip (only 470 to go!). Yesterday it felt real easy to press down - like stepping on a marshmellow - tonight the pressure that I was used to was the same - so even a Stage 1 takes some muscle in stop and go!

Thanks again Guys for the links that were passed on - the pocket book wasn't going to handle much more then what it ended up costing me.

Later to you all, Mike:icon_thum

[JThomas]

Congrats Mike!

[MikeG]

Thanks Joe - have now got the 500 miles break in miles on the clutch and all set for an autocross next week-end near by. It's nice to have the monster back on the road again. Corey was a big help in getting met he clutch!

Later, Mike