C6 Clutch Engagement

[Silver_2000]

is it normal for the clutch to engage a only in the last 1/2 inch of travel ?

In the old days that was a sign of worn out parts


I know they are hydraulic now but damn...

[WA 2 FST]

I don't know if this applies to the C6, but for the C5 it is recommended to change the hydraulic fluid often.

I typically do this every 3-4k miles or once per year. I don't bleed the system (which is the most effective, but a pain), but I use a syringe to carefully drain the fluid out, but not low enough to allow air to get into the lines. Then refill with DOT3 brake fluid.

Check your reservoir. If its "coffee" brown, the fluid needs to be changed.

The pedal feel and pedal travel is definitely different with these Vette hyd. slave cylinders compared to the old-style, cable-operated setups, but 1/2" off the floor doesn't seem right. Mine's not like that.

[L8 APEX]

I expect engagement about two inches or a third of the way off the floor. To check for a slipping clutch I do a 4th gear clutch up roll on from a lower speed. This puts a lot of leverage against the disc an the RPM's will creep up if it is slipping. It may be hard to do on a stock HP car. Of course if the RPM's won't come back down through spritied up shifting is another sign. They revised the clutch slave cylinder in 02 or so and that should be the current design. The clutch line runs down the firewall right along the exhaust. Some folks got clutch fade from the fluid getting boiled from exhaust heat. We used dot 4 or high temp brake fluid and wrapped that section of clutch line in thermal sleeving. The result of those failures was usually dead pedal stuck to the floor after the 2-3 or 3-4 shift while racing.

We are already flushing Donnie's fluid on his 08 at 6K miles it smells like bacon grease and is real dark.

[Silver_2000]

Its half an inch from the top of pedal travel not the bottom - my error for not being clearer.

I spoke to the dealer and they say there is no adjustment in the clutch and that some are high some are real low. Its going in for other warranty work next week - ill have them check it.

Like Wes I have already flushed the system twice using a bulb to draw out the dirty fluid - drive around the block and repeat till the small bottle is empty

The car makes 374 rwhp - it may just be the pedal position and all the electronic nannies that are making me think their is a problem. I sorta expect neck snapping acceleration. And to easily get the tires to spin into second. They did do that on the track so - maybe im imagining things

Im going to try to make it to the world headquarters after a 6pm conf call

[WA 2 FST]

Doug,

374rwhp is good, and that's a low-12 second car in your hands on street tires (my Z06 ran 12.36 @ 116 at 365rwhp SAE corrected). It just doesn't feel as abrupt as far as acceleration b/c of the way the car is geared and b/c it has a relatively flat TQ curve across the rev-range.

Throw some 3.73s in it and it would boil the tires easily...but I'm not sure that is a good thing.

As far as upshifts, your car plants the tires so well, that tirespin will be minimal. If you powershift it (right foot never leaves the floor), then you will be rewarded with plenty of tirespin, I'm sure. Again, I'm not sure that's worth it or necessary, but that's just my opinion.

The Vette was never meant to be a 1/4 mile brawler, but it is still very, very capable in that regard, and could easily be if you threw more gear at it and a sticky tire.

[Silver_2000]

Well Wes

I wont embarrass myself and tell you what it ran with my behind the wheel on my first runs down the 1/4 mile in a manual trans car. Lets just say there is LOTS of room to go before it will catch my 2000 Lightning. BUT I drove it to Ennis and went right to the staging lanes no weight reduction or other issues.

It spun into both 2nd and 3rd on the track when I turned off the traction control and Ive never come close to shifting without lifting.

Its a Z51 so the gears are short low, the thing that scares the crap out of me is how willing it is on the highway. How urgently it accelerates from 60 to 130+ . Then there is the willingness to corner at any speed with no body roll.

Speaking of cornering, the other thing that scares me about this car is when Im taking an on or off ramp at a very high but comfortable speed and some soccer mom is right behind me in a minivan while on the phone.

Doug

[dboat]

Well Wes

I wont embarrass myself and tell you what it ran with my behind the wheel on my first runs down the 1/4 mile in a manual trans car. Lets just say there is LOTS of room to go before it will catch my 2000 Lightning. BUT I drove it to Ennis and went right to the staging lanes no weight reduction or other issues.

It spun into both 2nd and 3rd on the track when I turned off the traction control and Ive never come close to shifting without lifting.

Its a Z51 so the gears are short low, the thing that scares the crap out of me is how willing it is on the highway. How urgently it accelerates from 60 to 130+ . Then there is the willingness to corner at any speed with no body roll.

Speaking of cornering, the other thing that scares me about this car is when Im taking an on or off ramp at a very high but comfortable speed and some soccer mom is right behind me in a minivan while on the phone.

Doug


Sounds like some driving school time would make all of this a lot more fun.. have you thought about it?

Dana

[Silver_2000]

Sounds like some driving school time would make all of this a lot more fun.. have you thought about it?

Dana

Ive done a few schools - I want to do another - None of the schools I went to did any 1/4 mile work.