I have bought a T-56 to replace a blown auto. I don't understand how this clutch works. I have done searches for pictures on how it is set up and haven't found any good ones. I had an old style clutch in a 67 Camaro. I believe they called it a pusher style clutch. Where the throw bearing is "pushed" into the pressure plate. I understand the LT-1 style is called a puller style clutch where the throw out bearing is "pulled" into the pressure plate. Since the cutch fork is mounted to the Trans housing and not the bell housing it appears to me that it still is a pusher style except the cylinder to me is on the wrong side. I am missing something in my understanding. Also is there any reason why I cannot just use a hydraulic throw out bearing in place of a slave and clutch fork? Does anyone have a picture of this Trans with the bell housing in place and the salve set up on it? Also does anyone have a picture of the stock pressure plate, throw out bearing, and clutch disk? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

This needs to be posted in the Drivetrain section.

There are plenty of pictures of the clutch plate in the clutch/flywheel options sticky thread at the top of the drivetrain section.

The slave cylinder is the black item to the right and front of the tranny(left front if you reference from sitting in the driver's seat).



The slave cylinder mounts to the bellhousing. There are two bolts that thread into the bellhousing, a spacer is slide over the bolts, then the slave cylinder is installed over the bolts with two nuts clamping it all together.

The clutch fork is mounted to the transmission, so when the slave cylinder pushes forward(towards front of the car)....the fork pivots on the T-stud(there is no pivot ball for the fork), then other end pulls the clutch plate back.

 

Couple more pics from an internet search(google.com) and a quick search in the drivetrain forum.



Fork pushed "up" when installed.....


Fork pulled "down" for tranny removal....

 

The slave pushes one end of the fork forward. The other end of the fork PULLS the T/O bearing backwards. Even though the slave cylinder is "pushing" the the fork, the fork is "pulling" backwards on the T/O bearing.... just the opposite of a conventional system that pushes the T/O bearing forward to release the clutch.

The LS1 version of the T56 has a conventional "pusher" clutch, with a hydraulic T/O bearing mounted on the front cover plate of the trans.

Front view of LT1 T56:

 

Thanks to you all for the information. It helped out greatly!