Transmission problem

by MIKE
(Longmont,co)

Hi,
I have a 1990 Chevy Camaro RS 305 v8 with 108000 miles on it. When it first gave me a problems a couple days before it stopped running I would push the gas and it would rev up really high but as I hold the gas steady, it would slowly get to the rpm it was showing. The day it went out some decently hard knocking happened right before it completley went out. I have been restoring it to become an everyday runner and I have replaced the clutch a little over a month ago. Now I'm getting oppinions from people that it is the clutch.....again. I might ride the clutch but not enough were it should go out in a month. I have also replaced the slave cylinder and I have bled it the same day my car stopped. If it is the clutch is there a way to adjust it where the clutch is disengaged before I take my foot off the clutch or is there more high performance clutches that would be less suseptable to wear and tear. Any advice will help

Thanks

Mike



Steve Says,

Hi, Mike. Thanks for using my website.

I'm pretty sure your clutch is hydraulic and therefore there is no way to adjust it. There is no need for adjustments on hydraulically controlled clutches.


The symptoms you describe are indicative of a clutch problem. It sounds like a slipping clutch disc to me. Since you have recently replaced yours with a new one we need to think of other things that might be causing your clutch to wear prematurely. I'm guessing (and hoping) that you put a whole clutch kit in it when you replaced it and not just the clutch disc. Any time you replace a clutch you need to replace the pressure plate, disc and pull out bearing (and sometimes the pilot bearing too). If you didn't replace the pressure plate it might not have enough pressure to press the clutch disc onto the flywheel.


The other thing to look at when you have it apart is the face of the flywheel. Make sure it is clean and isn't too grooved. I actually usually have a machine shop regrind the face of the flywheel whenever I do a clutch job. This assures me that it is clean and smooth.


You also want to take a look at the hydraulic system. Make sure that it is letting the pressure plate fully disengage. It is very rare to have it keep pressure on the pressure plate but it is possible. While you are checking it out you should make sure that the fluid is good. I usually bleed them just to make sure all the air is out and the fluid is in good condition. It sounds like you have done this already so that is good. There are more expensive clutches out there but there is something else going on with yours no clutch should go out that fast.


I hope this has helped. Good luck with your clutch problem.