Do you think that the car needs a separate Clutch Fluid reservoir
 

So like the Title said do you think that the Camaro needs a separate Clutch Fluid reservoir, Like the C6 and the G8 or are you happy with it the way it is?.

I am curious why you think it does? Is it not working properly? It's an idea that's way overdue in my opinion. Fewer components are cheaper to make and maintain. Till it fails I don't see why it would be an issue.

I for one do not like the mix of brake and Clutch Fluid in one reservoir, Think of the ABS on your car and if you drive it all the time what is going to happen to you big $ brakes, this pic is after 1 week in the brake and Clutch reservoir for the Fluid.

Looks normal. With the dark background hard to tell.

The fluid system is sealed dust from the clutch won't get into the juice unless there is a defect. And if your temps are nominal for eng and tranny you should be fine.

So why do C6 and G8 come with a separate reservoir for those car but us Camaro guy's don't get one, and here you go.
This is what it will look like.

Yes

I'm satisfied with a common reservior, one less component to fail.

I would like to see the aftermarket offer this option.
Clutch dust can't be a good thing for the ABS to deal with IMO

i really dont care

Clutch dust cannot get in the fluid no more than brake dust can. Its a sealed system and the discoloration you see is completely normal. I have no issue with the combined system, works good lasts a long time.

I don't think it would be too hard to separate the reservoirs, like other LSx-powered cars. For a car that's tracked, it would probably be a worthwhile investment.

Read this

Clutch dust does get into the clutch fluid system in Corvettes and I see no reason why it won't happen on the same type of system in the Camaro. You will end up with clutch dust in your brake fluid if this system is like the Corvette's. This is a bad design.

Look for Chevy to change this soon because it appears to be a cost cutting measure.

You ma be right, But for $22.00 and 1 1/2 hour of my time it's insurance.

who do you think i sent an e-mail to:

Upgrading to a DOT4 fluid sounds like a good idea. GM now is recommending DOT4 for all Corvettes, including those whose owner's manuals state DOT3.

There is a list of good DOT4 fluids on my website’s clutch care page. I use two different fluids interchangeably.
(1) GM Super DOT4 expensive and hard to find
(2) Prestone DOT4 cheaper, widely available, including Walmart

Only brand to avoid is Valvoline. It leeches to black almost immediately.

Good luck with your car.

Ranger

Hi i have been looking at your post's for a long time now on this forum, But I got the new camaro last month and noticed that the brake and clutch reservoir is combined into the brake reservoir. I am planning to split the two apart and give the clutch its own reservoir but am wondering if I can upgrade the fluid in the clutch to dot 4 instead of dot 3. Do you think that this would be a problem.

And i did this yesterday like i said in 1 1/2 hours and all the parts are $22.00

parts you need are:

#1 new reservoir from a GTO a Holden part # 92065790 list $19.33 but can get for $15.00

#2 a hose clamp, Range 1/4-5/8" less than $1.00
#3 a rubber plug for the brake master cylinder reservoir. $ 0.75
#4 2 self tapping metal screws for the new reservoir. $ 0.50
#5 And this is the end Dot 4 Brake fluid "Prestone" . $ 2.75

And that is it.

Clutch dust getting into the fluid is a well known issue with the LS motors and manual transmissions.

Has been happening on C6 corvettes from some time - only on the C6 you can cycle the fluid with fresh stuff given the separate tank.

Not sure why they did this on the Camaro - I like being able to cycle out my fluid periodically with fresh DOT4. Easy process, only take a few minutes and I can have clean fluid.

Check your fluid after about 10k and you won't believe how black it looks. Definately clutch dust getting by.

I did at 4500 mi and was so mad, That i did the redesign and add the new reservoir yesterday, And now i an going to L.V. to get parts for my new tail lights, This will be the test drive on the new reservoir.

This is fantastic information. I never would have believed that the clutch dust would get into the fluid, but this video is proof positive. After seeing this, I'm going to watch the combined reservoir like a hawk. The second I see any signs of clutch dust contamination, I'm going to get the separate reservoir for the clutch. It's bad enough to miss a shift, but I don't want my brakes failing because of clutch dust. Thanks very much for the info. Man this website is great! Learn something new every day.:thumbsup:

How much fluid does the clutch require? Is that reservoir big enough?

Well it's good info, the vette info, and I would eat the crow plate. But still want to see proof that this system is getting contaminated. What does the service schedule say for refreshing the brake fluid?

I have gone to L.V. to go get parts for my next thing to do on the car, I did not look at how much fluid does the clutch requires, This is from a GTO that had a LS2 in it so that i think is good for the LS3. ( P.S. it looks like this is fine drove the car 270 mi in 105 temp and no problems )

Do you have your car at this time? and do you daily drive it, If you do you will see the color go from gold to brown in no time.

Well I wound not cause I am Mr Automatic anyways. :)

And won't have one for a couple years.

Yes I do, clutch fluid always gets dirtier faster.

Change it when it gets dirty.

Google brake fluid though and educate yourself.

DOT 3 and DOT 4 are compatible and are both hydroscopic, which means it is able to absorb moisture. Some of the discoloration is water in the fluid which it is designed to change to a darker color the more moisture it absorbs.

DOT 3, and DOT 4 Brake fluid will just turn dark from sitting around with the cap off, thats why the instructions always tell you to add only fluid from a sealed container, preferrably new stuff. So don't go to the parts store and buy the big bottle to just top off your system.

It absorbs moisture from the air, and condensation from heat.

I still think they should have seperate reservoirs as a failure on one system could cause both brakes and clutch to fail.

The fluid would need a more scientific analysis. As well as long term testing of the system as a total. Right now saying it's gonna fail early is just an assumption based on what appears to be dirty fluid. When it could be a non issue if the maint schedule is followed. That's why I asked what the interval is?

I trust the engineers that it's good for the job. When it actually fails or a scientific fluid test can show some problem then there is a basis for a mechanical issue outside normal maint.

They should have separated them and had different reservoirs. My guess is it is cost cutting.

Crowley

Less parts means less to break. Now saying that I dont have mine yet. When I do maybe my opinion will change but I like to think it was thought out buy guys smarter than me.

The new one takes 1 1/2 oz

that is right, But the only thing that can break is a plastic reservoir, that is all i did.

2SSRS, Is this Holden part available in the US from Chevrolet dealers ?
Thanks

In a word Yes that is how i got it.

+1000

Anybody think a slightly larger resevoir will help with cooling. Finding a way to keep the brake fluid more cool will be next!

The reason I have seen to do this is to try and keep some heat out of the system...

Good point, I know that the color if the brake fluid is not getting dark like when it was combined.

I'll be changing to steel-braided brake lines; those help a little in dissipating heat plus give a more solid feel to the brakes. If you're doing that much braking (i.e. HPDE or autocrossing) you might want to look into brake ducts for cooling and/or 2-piece brake rotors. I'm trying to find rotors but so far nobody is saying they have one yet for this car. Everything is "in development" lol.

Another note added to my build list. Thanks for the info guys.

- SK

Brembo already has a Big Brake Kit for the camaro.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32767

So my car has around 7000 miles on it. I just checked the resevoir today and the fluid is a "Killians Red" color. It was a clear golden color not to long ago.

My cap also leaks.

I'm going to take it into the dealership and have them take a look... I may try this separate reservoir fix though.

Yeah they do make a big brake kit and it's got big break-you prices. Racing Brake now has a 2-piece front rotor for the SS that they're selling to Camaro5 members for 25% off. We have a group buy in progress:

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40428

Just need 5 more people to get the deal. We'll get the rotors for $322 each and they are 4.5 lbs lighter than the stock rotors and do a MUCH better job of dissipating the heat.

Nice find Doc, signed up for it for a friend of mine who bought an SS also.

- SK

sweet doc. thanks

Doing this will not fix the "Killians Red" color of you Fluid, But it dos stop the leaks on your cap, And that Fluid is not in you brakes, I still change my fluid in the new Reservoir all the time but not in the brakes.

Not true this issue has been a proven problem on vettes for a long time. Look it up. My dad has no problems on his vette as long as he fushes the brake flluid after he runs the car hard. I would greatly help to do a redesign. I don't know if that means seperating the two or not.

What about changing to a Corvette ZO6 master and slave cylinder? Anyone tried that yet? I know it'll be a lot more expensive, but looking at some aftermarket clutches, some of them tell you to get a corvette slave cylinder anyways, so prepare for the future...
Also, does anyone know if there's a difference between the ZO6 and standard corvette master and slave cylinders?