rngilliland

You don't have to remove the transmission. The slave is bolted to the bottom of the bell housing on the drivers side. You just remove two nuts and it will slide out.

97 6SPEED Z

I guess it's time to throw my two cents in here, before you get sold too far "down the river" by some very well intentioned board members.

If your clutch pedal is NOT coming back UP from the floorboad ...... it most likely is NOT a problem with your clutch hydraulics. As you can see from the posts I quoted below, the F-Body clutch system is indeed a unique "pull" type clutch. When you take your foot OFF the clutch pedal, the hydraulic line pressure collapses, and .... the pressure plate spring "fingers" are what returns your clutch pedal to the UP position.

It would be VERY rare for the clutch hydraulics to "fail" with line pressure still being applied to the system. Most likely, if your clutch pedal is staying "on the floor" ....... it's a problem with either your throwout bearing, or clutch fork.

Bingo!

There is NO separate clutch return spring in the system. Again, when the slave cylinder is de-pressurized, the pressure plate spring "fingers" return the clutch pedal "up".

Again, if the clutch pedal is not coming "up" ........ don't ASSume the problem is with the clutch hydraulics.

Chimera96

OP

from this side of the internet it sounded like from your descriptions (fluid black, pedal not coming back and I think you said the fluid was replaced but did not resolve the problem) the responses you got were where to get and how to install new hydraulics

97 points out the clutch PP and or TO bearing could also cause your problem. You would need to pull the transmission to replace clutch & TO bearing if one or both are the problem. Do you hear any noise coming from the bell housing area when you push in the clutch?

if you did "replace" the fluid in your existing hydraulics (not sure by what method) you could still have some air in the system or one of the 2 components (MC or slave) could be bad. Bleeding the sealed LT1 system can be difficult but it can be done.

Replacing the hydraulics can be done without pulling the transmission...but as 97 suggests may not be your problem. You can chose to try replacing first as that is certainly easier than replacing clutch...but if the hydraulics are not your problem...you will need to pull tranny and look at clutch assembly.

ACE1252

There is still a chance that master cylinder, slave cylinder, reservoir, hose, etc could be leaking fluid. If so, that would cause engagement/disengagement issues.

The new one "should" be pre-bled, so don't open it to check the fluid(I know the GM units are pre-bled and filled).

Most people may not be aware of this, but the clutch system is self bleeding to a point. You know that little diaphragm that goes in the clutch reservior(if someone has not already thrown it out)? That will pull a negative pressure on the system which will help bleed it of air bubbles, but it has to be in good condition(no holes) and the lid to the reservoir must be tightened with the slave cylinder pushed almost all the way in...(if I recall correctly...I need to look it up to verify....).

When it moves out, and the pressure in the system goes negative(the lid has a hole in it to allow atmospheric pressure on the back of the diaphragm) and any air bubbles "should" work it's way to the top of the reservoir when you bleed the system by pushing the slave cylinder in and out with the back end of it to the sky(vertical). Also, when it's installed on the car, the pressure will still be negative(because it does not go all the way in when installed).....this helps air bubbles to stay out of the fluid.

That said, it also could be pressure plate/clutch, throw out bearing, or fork issues as well.

JakeRobb

FWIW, this is not the case with my 2002. The transmission has to come off the bellhousing and out completely; the slave is integrated with the throwout bearing, which is bolted to the front of the trans and has to slide off the input shaft once unbolted. Does anyone know when this changed? I'd assume '98 with the LS1, but would be interested to know for sure.

Injuneer

The T56 trans configuration changed in 1998 w/ the LS1 engine. The trans input shaft is longer, the bell housing is different, and as you noted, the slave is bolted to the front cover of the trans case. The slave is a modified design to return to the conventional "pusher" clutch, as opposed to the pull-back design of the LT1 clutch.

Another significant difference with the slave is the absence of a bleeder valve on the LT1 slave cylinder. The LS1 slave has the hex-head bleeder sticking just barely out of the bell housing.... nothing on the LT1 slave.

TrybalRage

I had the slave fail in my '97, I was sitting at a stop light with the pedal down and all of a sudden it felt like the clutch was starting to engage.

When I took my foot off the pedal, it sat on the floor.. or more exact, it 'hung' loosely.

The slave was simple enough to replace, the biggest problem is the room with the brake booster in the way since that was where the new reservoir went. Two bolts, if I remember right, and it just comes off the side of the bellhousing.

Getting the U-bolt for where it connects to the firewall is the PIA.

Injuneer

A friend with really long, really skinny arms become a major asset.

Mir Hussain

I have not don't it yet.
I wonder is there any video on you tube; which shows how to do in LT1 F-body.

Mir Hussain

Yesterday me and my friend took the old one out.
It was a task on Master cylinder.
Does any body know what is the easiest way to install it specially the reservoir and Master cylinder (Clutch side)
All the help is appreciated.

Mir Hussain

Installed it.
Putting a reservoir back on its hanging place was a serious Task. There was no room fish through, behind the Brake Booster. Had to open the clamps for wiring harness to slip through.
Putting a Master Cylinder was a also serious task. This cannot be done by one person.
You have to have two people. One person try to put a U bolt and other person to guide through from clutch pedal side. (inside the driver side of the car)
Slave cylinder was a walk a park. Two bolts and done deal. (2 mins )
After installing shifting become smooth as a butter.
I think mine was going bad prob at 40K miles. The reason I believe that because, I noticing it was getting harder go into reverse ........... then I notice at 70K miles it has starting grinds when goes into other gears, it likes syncros are going bad. Now at 98K miles Clutch pedal wouldn't come back and couldn't stand still with clutch pressed in.
With new hydraulic clutch actuator it has become smooth as butter.
Chimera96 , Injuneer , Thanks for suggestion to get a kit.
One more thing I lost the clip with holds master cylinder rod I lost it. It flew up some where; now I have to get a new one $3!

Injuneer

Glad it worked out!

TrybalRage

It's funny, I recently dropped the engine/K member out of my car with hopes to rebuild it, and now I can clearly see what I struggled so much to get attached, scratches all over the firewall from me fumbling around trying to get behind the booster.

So there you go - drop the engine, it's suddenly a 15-minute fix

Glad to see you finally got it fixed.

ACE1252

It can be replaced by one person. I've done it three times by myself. I do have skinny arms and the most painful part is putting the U-bolt in....followed very closely by getting the reservoir in position without pulling the pre-bled assembly apart.

This last time my slave cylinder blew out the seals. First one I've had do that... Pedal was almost to the floor and was hard to get into gear. I thought I had a more serious problem with the clutch until I pushed the rod into the slave to test it and had fluid squirt out all over the place.