SKIP AND ANDY’S CORVETTE WORKSHOP

  1. 6 SPEED CLUTCH, REAR MAIN SEAL, REAR BEARINGS AND UNIVERSAL (s) REPLACEMENT.

This is just for information only. If you decide to do this job after reading this, go buy the manual to do the job.

CLUTCH REMOVAL

1) Disconnect battery.

2) Jack up car to at least 20-24 inches off ground. Raise rear at least 2 to 4 inches higher than front.

3) Remove shift knob and console plate as follows:

a) Pry off shift pattern button.

b) Pull metal wedge from inside of knob with vise grips.

c) Unscrew shift knob.

d) Remove console glove box door.

e) Remove 2 forward screws from inside glove box. (Under fabric)

f) Remove 1 screw from forward cup holder.

g) Raise console up and lay off to passenger side. Disconnect of wires is optional.

h) Remove 4 dome nuts from rubber boot.

4) Disconnect rubber intake from air cleaner housing.

NOTE

If the radiator hoses are not disconnected you will damage the radiator.

5) Drain radiator and disconnect upper and lower hoses at radiator.

6) Remove exhaust system as follows:

NOTE

Most connectors on this job are idiot engineered backwards. Instead of having the disconnect plug on the item to be removed, its on the stationary side. You must remove the bayonet from each bracket to remove the item. Stupidity at its finest.

a) Disconnect electrical connectors from exhaust just outboard of engine, 2 on right, 1 on left.

NOTE

Have fun getting at these.

b) Remove 2 bolts (each side) connecting converter brackets to bell housing.

c) Remove 2 bolts connecting right bracket to converter.

d) Remove 1 bolt and 2 nuts (from studs) from exhaust clamp on left side just aft of converter.

e) Remove 2 studs on left bracket. Left side of exhaust is now free.

f) Remove 2 bolts from middle spring hanger.

g) Remove 2 bolts from aft spring hanger.

h) Support exhaust with floor jack just aft of center chamber.

i) Remove three nuts on right side attaching exhaust to exhaust manifold.

j) Remove nuts at mufflers.

k) Lower exhaust from car.

l) Remove three nuts on left side attaching forward portion of exhaust to exhaust manifold and remove left converter.

7) Remove parking brake spring from center beam.

8) Mark driveshaft in relationship to forward yoke and shaft and shaft to differential.

9) Remove 4 bolts from rear driveshaft universal. Slide driveshaft rearward and remove.

10) Now that you just got hit with transmission fluid, either plug the hole or just let it drain into a pan. Fill it up later.

11) Remove starter.

12) Remove plate from lower front of bell housing.

13) Remove clutch slave cylinder. Do not let it hang unsupported.

14) Remove 3 electrical connectors from left side of transmission. Leave that stupid CAGS plug disconnected and tape it up. (Caps for plug are available from Mid- America)

15) Support engine at oil pan using block of wood with floor jack. Yes, the oil pan is strong enough.

16) Remove 2 forward and 2 aft bolts from beam. Nuts and washers are on top.

NOTE

This beam is designed to be in the way all the time. The engineer at moron 101 succeeded in this endeavor. You wifind it is in the way all the time. It should have been designed to removed in two pieces. This was the same guy that did the connectors.

17) Take a huge hammer, and beat the beam (or the stupid engineer that designed this piece of junk) rearward until it contacts the rear exhaust hanger. DO NOT REMOVE BEAM.

18) Break loose five bolts holding transmission to bell housing.

19) Place transmission jack under transmission and raise until weight is supported by jack. Do not attempt to remove transmission without a transmission jack. This transmission weighs at least 3 million pounds and may hurt you if it lands on your head. Well, some of you anyway.

20) Remove five bolts from transmission. Top left bolt has bracket with harness attached.

NOTE

At this point you just found out if you put the car up high enough to remove transmission. This is where you eat your energy bar and drink that high protein shake.

If the car is not high enough, well, it sucks to be you again. Put bolts back in transmission. Jack up engine and tranny, jack up car. Repeat until the car is high enough. Do not let the engine hit the firewall.

21) Pull transmission rearward and tilt the rear down to remove. Watch the rubber boot because the shifter lever comes out with transmission.

NOTE

I just know you’re having fun now.

22) Remove transmission from under car.

NOTE

Careful of the bolt with the wire connectors. They may be seized on and will break the wires. There is no spare wire length to play. If you break these, "it sucks to be you".

23) Slowly lower engine to gain access to bell housing bolts. Do not lower to far and allow tubing or hoses to be crushed on firewall. This is a bad thing.

24) Remove Allen head bolt plug that covers fork mount bolt.

25) Loosen fork mount bolt. (pivot)

26) Remove bolts and remove bell housing. You must turn the throw out bearing inside of fork to remove housing. (Square throw out bearing.)

27) Mark flywheel to match yellow dot on pressure plate. (Maintain balance and to match new pressure plate.)

28) Place alignment pin in center of clutch plate.

29) Remove pressure plate. A few turns on each bolt until plate in removed. Do not remove them one at a time.

  1. Remove clutch plate and pin. Throw out bearing is attached to pressure plate.

31) Remove flywheel. DO NOT RESURFACE FLYWHEEL. TO DO THIS IS A BAD THING.

32) Remove old pilot bushing.

33) Install new pilot bushing. NO GREASE.

34) Pry out rear main seal using screwdriver at the 3 notches.

35) Coat new seal with oil and tap in evenly around all sides.

  

REAR BEARINGS AND UNIVERSALS

  1. Remove rear wheels.

  2. Remove ABS sensor (10 MM bolt) from housing. If you don’t, you will damage the sensor when you pull out the half shaft.

  3. Remove caliper assembly.

  4. Remove disk.

  5. Remove cotter pin, nut, (36 MM SOCKET) and washer from center of each hub assembly.

  6. Mark each yoke in relationship to half shaft and mark half shaft in relationship to differential. Use something that wont come off.

  7. Remove each half shaft. A thin washer will either be with each shaft or stuck inside the bearing You need this, don’t lose it. It only goes back on 1 way, take a look at it.

  8. Remove 3 bolts securing each bearing to the housing. (55 torx bit) Bearing and rear caliper mount will fall off in your hand.

  9. Remove lock clips from each universal and press out caps.

  10. Install zerk fittings in universals and lube prior to installation.

  11. Install new universal with grease fittings towards yokes, NOT towards shafts.

  12. Press in caps, make sure needle bearing do not fall down. Clips will not fit if this happens. Problems up the road.

NOTE

You can either do the bearings first or the half shafts. With the bearings out you have a little more play area but not much.

  1. Install half shafts with 2 caps off. Once you get it in, place caps on universal and install retaining brackets.

  2. Check thin washers on spline area of halfshaft. Make sure it fits up flush to the inside. If there's a gap, its installed backwards. Put a little grease on both sides of it. It mates against the bearing.

    3. NOTE

    A long 55 torx bit from Auto Zone works great. $14.00 for a set. The short ones work but are to fat to fit in the area you need.

  3. Place caliper mount and bearing on trailing arm. Install the three torx bolts and torque to 66 ft lbs.

  4. Install washer, nut, torque to 166 ft lbs. and install cotter pin.

  5. Install disk.

  6. Install caliper. Torque to 166 ft lbs.

  7. Install ABS sensor.

  8. Install wheel.

  

CLUTCH INSTALLATION

1. Install flywheel, torque bolts to 74 ft lbs.

2. Place clutch plate on flywheel using alignment pin. Clutch is marked flywheel side for installation.

3. Install pressure plate. Align yellow dot on plate with the mark you should have put on the flywheel.

4. Partially install bolts a few turns. Tighten each bolt 2 or 3 turns until all are tight. Torque bolts to 30 ft lbs. in a star pattern. Do not tighten one at a time, you will warp the pressure plate.

5. Remove alignment pin..

6. Install bell housing and the left and right converter brackets, Don’t forget the left side bolt with the wire connectors. Torque bolts to 37 ft lbs..

7. Tighten fork bolt pivot and install Allen head plug.

8. Rotate the throw out bearing to get the fork into position.

9. Put a little grease on transmission shaft were the throw out bearing will ride.

10. Now is the time to loosen your fill plug on the side of the transmission. It’s a big plug, a size 12 MM allen wrench if you have one. If not, weld a nut on a 12MM bolt and go for it.

11. Place transmission in position under car.

12. Lower engine as far down as you can go without hurting anything.

13. Angle transmission with the front tilted up.

14. Slowly (not that you could do it quickly) raise the transmission into position going up and forward at the same time. While you do this, guide the shifter into the console with out tearing the boot. Do all of this while missing the beam.

15. During the last inch you will engage the pilot bushing.

16. If you get the transmission close, you can start the bolts and pull the transmission in to place. Do not use just one bolt and tighten the thing down. You may break off an ear on the tranny. This is bad. Use all the bolts, an slowly and evenly pull the tranny into place. Torque bolts to 37 ft lbs.

17. Using your official hammer, drive the beam forward in to position on transmission.

18. Install 2 forward bolts on transmission with washers and nuts on top. Torque to 37 ft lbs.

19. Install 2 aft bolts on differential with washers and nuts on top. Torque to 59 ft lbs.

20. Connect 3 connectors on left side of transmission. 2 with CAGS disconnected.

21. Put grease on end of fork that contacts slave cylinder rod.

22. Install clutch slave cylinder.

23. Install metal plate on front of bell housing.

24. Install left converter to bracket with 2 studs and exhaust manifold using 3 nuts. Connect electrical sensor connector.

25. Remove right converter from the exhaust.

26. Install right converter on bracket with 2 bolts and to exhaust manifold with 3 nuts. Connect 2 electrical sensor connectors,

27. Place exhaust under car on floor jack.

28. Roll in to position and raise up.

29. Guide in to left (nuts and bolt) and right (slip joint) forward exhaust sections.

30. Loosely install 2 nuts and bolt on left forward exhaust just behind converter.

31. Raise exhaust up and connect middle hanger with 2 bolts.

32. Connect aft hanger with 2 bolts.

33. Install bolts in rear section of mufflers.

34. Install starter.

35. Connect upper and lower radiator hoses.

36. Fill radiator.

37. Connect rubber intake to air cleaner.

38. Check all yours bolts and connectors just to make sure you got it all tight..

39. Install 4 acorn nuts to top of transmission.

40. Install console.

41. Install shift knob

42. Install metal wedge. (Hammer time)

43. Install button.

44. Install glove box door.

45. Pump up clutch, it will act kind of strange at first but it will be ok.

46. Shift through gears to make sure nothing was hurt.

47 Remove fill plug and top off transmission to overflow. Install plug.

48. Connect battery.

NOTE

No burn outs on jack stands. This is just a quick just prior to down jacking.

49. Place car in neutral and start car. Place in first gear and slowly engage clutch. Press in clutch and make sure it disengages,

50. Set parking brake and remove car from jackstands.

51. Top off radiator.

52. Take it for a test drive.

The procedure above items had a price quote from dealer of $2,400 to $2,800. This was done by 2 people for about $500 in parts. If you’re not mechanically inclined, don’t even think about it, pay the money. If you are, have the tools and equipment. Go for it.

This was not a 1 day job, more like 2-3 days.

Good luck from Skip and Andy.