Clutch Pedal Adjustment

Pasky · 04-26-2003, 06:21 PM

Anyone know how to adjust the clutch pedal on a 91 camaro RS? Currently the clutch engages at the very top of release on the pedal and I have no play on the clutch, just raised the car and dont see an adjustment bolt on it, anyone know where to do it?

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Smooothie119 · 04-27-2003, 02:27 AM

I could be wrong, but the clutch on your car is a hydraulic one which means it should self-adjust. If its catching really high, I would guess that maybe you're low on fluid or maybe the clutch system needs to be bled for air bubbles. I hope this helps

TheGreatJ · 04-27-2003, 07:06 PM

The hydraulic clutch isn't adjustable according to GM. In reality it IS possible to adjust the clutch, but it takes a little fabrication. Buy a piece of steel pipe (size and length elude me,) thread the inside of both ends, insert grade 8 carriage bolts with locknuts and put this assembly in place of the slave cylinder actuator rod. Screw the carriage bolts in to lower the catchpoint and screw them out to raise it.

Jim85IROC · 04-28-2003, 07:52 AM

I'm not sure how good that will work. I've shimmed my slave cylinder rod before and it hasn't really helped. The slave cylinder is designed to have a maximum stroke of 15mm. Even if you reposition the rod, it still only moves 15mm, so your clutch fork isn't going to know the difference. Adjusting the rod so that it's longer just winds up pushing more fluid into the reservoir.

TheGreatJ · 04-28-2003, 09:05 PM

Sure it still moves 15mm, but if it starts with the throwout bearing farther from the clutch fingers then it will go through more of that 15mm throw before the clutch begins to release, which means the pedal will have gone farther down before the clutch releases.

It works. I've done it.

fbird95 · 04-29-2003, 01:01 AM

The Borg Warner clutches on the trannys T-5 and T-56 are not meant to be adjustable. I would leave them alone.

Jim85IROC · 04-29-2003, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheGreatJ
Sure it still moves 15mm, but if it starts with the throwout bearing farther from the clutch fingers then it will go through more of that 15mm throw before the clutch begins to release, which means the pedal will have gone farther down before the clutch releases.

It works. I've done it.

If it did what you're saying, your clutch would slip all the time. If the clutch fork is positioned the extra distance of that shim, your clutch will slip. If it worked for you, my guess is because your master/slave system was never bled properly, and by having the shim it compressed some of the air in the line and reduced the amount of play on the rod.

TheGreatJ · 04-29-2003, 08:07 PM

When you buy new T-56 hydros from GM they come filled and bled from the factory. There is no air in the hydros, and my clutch doesn't slip a hair. If you adjust the rod too far out, then yes it would slip constantly. Mine is not adjusted too far out. It's actually slightly SHORTER than the stock rod, so that the clutch catches closer to the floor than it did when I first installed the 6-speed. It seems that the Centerforce flywheel wasn't quite as thick as it should have been, which caused my clutch to catch about 3/4" from the top of the throw. It was much easier to fabricate adjustable hydros than to pull the tranny out again to shim the flywheel.

And I haven't had a problem with it in almost 2 years.

jmd · 04-30-2003, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fbird95
The Borg Warner clutches on the trannys T-5 and T-56 are not meant to be adjustable. I would leave them alone.

Other than minor and I mean minor differnences, the 83 T5 used the same clutch as an 84. The 83 had mechanical linkage that was adjustable.

So... yeah. Let's not bring blanket statements into the fray.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim85IROC

Quote:

Originally posted by TheGreatJ
Sure it still moves 15mm, but if it starts with the throwout bearing farther from the clutch fingers then it will go through more of that 15mm throw before the clutch begins to release, which means the pedal will have gone farther down before the clutch releases.
It works. I've done it.

If it did what you're saying, your clutch would slip all the time. If the clutch fork is positioned the extra distance of that shim, your clutch will slip. If it worked for you, my guess is because your master/slave system was never bled properly, and by having the shim it compressed some of the air in the line and reduced the amount of play on the rod.

Jim, I've shimmed the master from the firewall to adjust mine and what you're saying isn't true. What he is saying would result in the gap from throwout bearing to diaphragm fingers being larger. Nothing about that would cause clutch slippage.

The opposite of that, closing or eliminating that gap can be done by bleeding the master while shimmed from the firewall, then removing said shim. This also, I've found results in no clutch slippage.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheGreatJ
It seems that the Centerforce flywheel wasn't quite as thick as it should have been

Hmm. Is this an 86-92 T5 V8 application 153 tooth wheel? Got the dimensions from it?

Smooothie119 · 04-30-2003, 12:19 PM

while we're on the topic of clutches, how exactly do u bleed the clutch system? I have an '87 IROC & it's difficult to shift into 1st while the car is running (when it's off, I can work the shifter through all the gears like butter) & sometimes when shifting from 1st to 2nd it doesnt do so smoothly and feels like there's a little resistance (it doesnt grind and make a noise). I was told that maybe I need to bleed my hydro system for the clutch & if that doesnt work, it might be shift forks.

Jim85IROC · 04-30-2003, 02:43 PM

bleeding them is a pain in the ***. There's an allen plug on the top of the slave cylinder. You have to reach up with the allen key, and bleed it similar to brakes. Have somebody apply pressure to the clutch, and open the plug. Once the pedal bleeds down, tighten the plug and release the pedal. Rince, repeat.

TheGreatJ · 05-01-2003, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jmd
Hmm. Is this an 86-92 T5 V8 application 153 tooth wheel? Got the dimensions from it?

No, it's a pre-86 V8 153-tooth flywheel for a T-56 pull-style clutch. I don't have the dimensions, but it's Centerforce part #700100 (I think) and I got it not long after they started making them for this particular application (T-56 behind an early-model engine.) It was the only flywheel I could find that would fit it.

Smoothie your problem sounds more like worn synchros than anything else, but bleeding the clutch can't hurt and it might just help.