FIXED!!Monster clutch. Those that have tracked,question concerning your 1LE's clutch

[cornerspeed92]

Thanks X25

[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by Firefighter

One time when my GY's were about to be replaced I did the only reasonable thing. A series of smokey burn outs ... lol The clutch sank to the floor and didn't respond. I chalked it up to the Traction Control saving the car I was already into third gear and had moved maybe 50'.

I haven't had a problem before or since.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

A couple of others who have experienced failures, described their setups, for the sake of finding a common denominator here, I'm in the process of doing such.

This method proved me well with the Comp Cam issue .

So what is your setup? 100% stock? Dot 4? 3? Separate reservoirs? Did you bleed it yourself? Etc...anything else you can think of.

[Firefighter]

Originally Posted by Camaro Dude

A couple of others who have experienced failures, described their setups, for the sake of finding a common denominator here, I'm in the process of doing such.

This method proved me well with the Comp Cam issue .

So what is your setup? 100% stock? Dot 4? 3? Separate reservoirs? Did you bleed it yourself? Etc...anything else you can think of.

DOT 3/4 Valvoline synthetic with a seperate resivoir and u flush it pretty regularly maybe every 1500 or so.

The car itself is Pfadt LT's, Ported TB and ADM race intake, Formato tune. 432/422 per a DynoJet

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Retro69]

Originally Posted by cornerspeed92

I thought about this too. How would this be done, by that i mean how do i get all the old fluid out in order to put Dot 4 in.

If you end up with the trans being pulled for any reason make sure you get a Tick remote bleeder line installed. Trying to bleed using the OEM bleeder is a PITA!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Originally Posted by Retro69

If you end up with the trans being pulled for any reason make sure you get a Tick remote bleeder line installed. Trying to bleed using the OEM bleeder is a PITA!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

And check if that Slave Bearing Sleeve is effaced and needs to be replaced with Monster Clutch's billet version.

[Orange Crush 1LE]

UPDATE: I'm surprised no one has tried the method suggested in the factory service manual to bleed air from the clutch line, as there's a chance that air is the culprit for some of us. It says to pull a vacuum at the reservoir cap, rather than pressure bleed it. In a nutshell:

1. Fill reservoir
2. Attach a Mityvac metal vacuum pump (this is a hand-held pump) to the reservoir using a cap bleeder adapter.
3. Pull 15 - 20 in Hg vacuum, which will pull any air out of the clutch fluid line.
4. Release vacuum, and refill brake fluid as necessary.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the fluid level is full and no longer drops and air bubbles can no longer be seen in the reservoir.

I went to the auto parts store and bought a Mityvac and hooked it up to my reservoir using a cap bleeder adapter that came with my brake bleeder.

I had interesting results: Although the fluid level didn't drop, which suggests that there were no bubbles, it did pull a couple of inches of fluid out of the reservoir. It's not supposed to do that, so I wonder if something is wrong with my master or slave cylinder, or something else?

I took it for a test drive and the problem didn't surface, but I didn't have an opportunity to get on it at all, and so the problem still may be there when driven hard.

Any thoughts? Anyone else use this method?

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Nice find. It'll be good to see if this helps. I wonder how often this needs to be done.


-CRT

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[h018871]

just guessing here Crush:
I bet the fluid came from the pistons (Brembos) sliding back into the calipers when you put the system in a vacuum

did you check the level after you drove it around a bit? I bet it went down in the reservoir


that said, I have the tick speed bleeder. I use a mityvac to suck the fluid through the system (I have a separate reservoir for the clutch).
I use ATE amber, DOT4 fluid in mine


something else..........once after 2 hard track days at > 100F ambient (August in TX) on Monday morning when I first hopped in the car the clutch was stiffer than normal. I though "that is different", but it went back to normal on the next push in on the pedal, so I blew it off. I've put close to 7k on the car since then without any issues and another track day.
I wonder if something was "melted" and stuck for a moment and then freed up?????
I don't know, but you guys have me spooked now! haha

[Orange Crush 1LE]

Originally Posted by h018871

just guessing here Crush:
I bet the fluid came from the pistons (Brembos) sliding back into the calipers when you put the system in a vacuum

did you check the level after you drove it around a bit? I bet it went down in the reservoir


that said, I have the tick speed bleeder. I use a mityvac to suck the fluid through the system (I have a separate reservoir for the clutch).
I use ATE amber, DOT4 fluid in mine


something else..........once after 2 hard track days at > 100F ambient (August in TX) on Monday morning when I first hopped in the car the clutch was stiffer than normal. I though "that is different", but it went back to normal on the next push in on the pedal, so I blew it off. I've put close to 7k on the car since then without any issues and another track day.
I wonder if something was "melted" and stuck for a moment and then freed up?????
I don't know, but you guys have me spooked now! haha

I was thinking that it could be the brake pistons moving too, and actually it may be because the brake pedal was soft after this procedure, until I pumped it up along with pumping up the clutch pedal. So maybe it is normal for the fluid to come up the vacuum hose. Hopefully I've solved my problem.

My challenge is that I don't have any place to get on it hard to test it out in this city. I need to go to a track to see if I've fixed it.

I've posted a new thread specific to my clutch bleeding experience, as it's different than this thread's topic. Hoping I'll get some insights...

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386526

[X25]

Originally Posted by Orange Crush 1LE

I was thinking that it could be the brake pistons moving too, and actually it may be because the brake pedal was soft after this procedure, until I pumped it up along with pumping up the clutch pedal. So maybe it is normal for the fluid to come up the vacuum hose. Hopefully I've solved my problem.

My challenge is that I don't have any place to get on it hard to test it out in this city. I need to go to a track to see if I've fixed it.

I've posted a new thread specific to my clutch bleeding experience, as it's different than this thread's topic. Hoping I'll get some insights...

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386526

Just replied on your new thread. Personally, I am excited to learn about this.

[Steve@SNL/Monster Clutch]

Originally Posted by cornerspeed92

So i had like my 6th or 7th track day in my 1LE Sunday and my clutch pedal acted up. About half way through my 2nd session i started to lose feeling with my clutch pedal. It kinda like felt like i lost pressure/resistance in the pedal. As i started my 3rd session before i even had half a lap in it started again and even felt like it was also sticking and not the normal return. I have the fluid separated, and always change it, so it's not cause of dirty fluid. There was another 1LE that had clutch issues on the way home. Has anyone who has actually put your car through the paces on track experienced anything like this? The drive home it felt completely normal.

My clutch pedal 1st started acting up a month before my track day. In fact i had my service manager drive it, i told him to get on it, he did a little, but he didn't feel what i do. Sometimes when i get on the frwy. i get on it thru 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear at that point im at 100 mph and just shift right into 6the gear, and coast down to the speed limit.That's when i feel the clutch pedal just feels soft, the servive manager said that was probably normal since there wasn't any pressure on the clutch since there was no more acceleration at that point. Obviously something isn't right.

The problems that are being described happen when the clutch system is abused, that is typically indicative of a heat fatigued pressure plate spring, and is not typically the hydraulic system.

The clutch in the Gen5 Camaros (including the 1LE) is the LS7 unit that GM used in the C6Z, when it’s abused in a heavy car it causes the diaphragm spring to over heat and fail to push back against the slave cylinder. So it appears that the hydraulics are failing but it’s in fact the pressure plate spring itself that is failing. So the unfortunate answer is basically, the LS7 clutch that is in the Gen 5 Camaro needs to come out and be replaced with a better unit that can take the abuse and heat.

[Orange Crush 1LE]

Originally Posted by Steve@SNL/Monster Clutch

The problems that are being described happen when the clutch system is abused, that is typically indicative of a heat fatigued pressure plate spring, and is not typically the hydraulic system.

The clutch in the Gen5 Camaros (including the 1LE) is the LS7 unit that GM used in the C6Z, when it’s abused in a heavy car it causes the diaphragm spring to over heat and fail to push back against the slave cylinder. So it appears that the hydraulics are failing but it’s in fact the pressure plate spring itself that is failing. So the unfortunate answer is basically, the LS7 clutch that is in the Gen 5 Camaro needs to come out and be replaced with a better unit that can take the abuse and heat.

This is dizzying, so many possible root causes: air in the line, master cylinder, slave cylinder, diaphragm spring. The challenge is how does one accurately diagnose which one? Air in the line is easy to rule out, with a bleed. What about the others?

[Retro69]

Originally Posted by Orange Crush 1LE

This is dizzying, so many possible root causes: air in the line, master cylinder, slave cylinder, diaphragm spring. The challenge is how does one accurately diagnose which one? Air in the line is easy to rule out, with a bleed. What about the others?

The really sad part is I don't even think GM knows for sure either. These clutch problems have been around since 2010.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[90503]

Originally Posted by Steve@SNL/Monster Clutch

The problems that are being described happen when the clutch system is abused, that is typically indicative of a heat fatigued pressure plate spring, and is not typically the hydraulic system.

The clutch in the Gen5 Camaros (including the 1LE) is the LS7 unit that GM used in the C6Z, when it’s abused in a heavy car it causes the diaphragm spring to over heat and fail to push back against the slave cylinder. So it appears that the hydraulics are failing but it’s in fact the pressure plate spring itself that is failing. So the unfortunate answer is basically, the LS7 clutch that is in the Gen 5 Camaro needs to come out and be replaced with a better unit that can take the abuse and heat.

Sounds plausible....That would perhaps explain why the problem is "intermittent" and why it happens with any combination of fluids, reservoirs, etc....

Probably not enough of a problem to warrant an up-grade from the factory or even warrantied replacements....It would be the classic everything is fine, no problems, when the dealer gets it, and just test drives it on the street....


....Or perhaps the answer, at least temporarily, would be a stronger clutch return spring....(sort of to help out that pressure plate...lol)....

I would think as long as the plates aren't slipping and burning up on each other, then the "pedal to the floor" might not cause and damage, at least until you go to shift....

Man, what a major Gremlin for these cars....Perhaps heavier duty aftermarket is the answer....