I have reviewed some of the problems that owners have posted when replacing the hydraulic clutch system.  None of the new parts holding up and having to return the car to the shop over and over for the same problem.  Well, you can now add me to that list.  On my second system in the past 6 months and its bad again.  It was suggested that I take it direct to a Chevy dealer and hope that they can find better replacement parts. Does anyone have any updates on success stories.  This is getting very frustrating.

I am by no means a mechanic.  I do no work on my own.  However when i pushed my clutch to the floor recently I heard a noise.  Went to my place (Corvette Paramedics in Bordentown N.J).  They are specialists.  My mechanic told be that there is not need to go to the floor with the hydraulic clutch.  He also said that this clutch is not longer available on this planet.  There are replacements but no where as good. My point is his advise was do not replace until absolutely necessary because there is nothing out there as good as the original.  This is a long way of saying I guess you are experiencing what he was telling me. 

I have had some that took 4-5 new/reman set-ups to get one to work, period...much less for 6 months. 

I don't know what the problem is, but it prolly has to do with WHERE these things are being made/rebuilt. I have had better luck buying reman cylinders, taking the seals out of those, and just rebuilding the original set-ups.
A lot of some folks issues also has to do with the manner in which the system is bled. These turds are a major pita to bleed, to start with.
The trick is to bleed the master cylinder before installing it, OR...raising the back of the car up.
Bleeding the slave cylinder properly requires unbolting it from the bellhousing, and holding it to where the bleed hole is at the very TOP.

If anyone has found a dependable, quality master/slave set-up, PLEASE post that info for the rest of us.

You know what we used to do with the slave cyl. issue that seemed to work well, when all else failed. If you can leave it mounted, or just hanging, so you can get behind the actuator or dust boot somehow. We would move the boot from the lip enough so you can take a feeler guage (like a .020" blade) or so. Then slide it into the cylinder between the rubber cup  & the cylinder wall. This allows the air to be pushed out of the cylinder that is trapped ahead of the bleeder screw & behind the cup. Be sure to keep the master cylinder full so the maximum fluid weight going down  to the slave cylinder is maintained. You should see some tiny air bubbles appear as it leaks past the cup & the wall. Of course you have to be very gentle inserting the feeler guage & the thickness of the feeler guage is usually figured ( the thinner the better ) so it will curve a little as it slides between the two curved surfaces. Hope this little trick will help some of you get a hard pedal that disengages your clutch properly. BE PATIENT !!!!

HELP!!!! It was time to replace the clutch in my '96 LT4 and Chevy no longer has the dual mass flywheel available. I tried a compromise alum/steel one piece flywheel and it has changed the character of the car (it is my daily driver and GT trips) and the noise from the ZF trans is VERY loud. I've found replacements for '90 to '95 but nothing for the LT4. Talk about a "red-headed step child....". Can anyone help me find the correct dual mass flywheel? Do I have to change to a Tremec 6sp to get my sweet GT ride back?

LUK should have a clutch kit available with dual mass flywheel included. I can check and see. If you replaced the flywheel with a solid one, then the clutch disc MUST have the spring dampers in it. You cannot run a solid flywheel AND solid center clutch disc together....not a good combo.

|UPDATED|12/21/2012 5:48:51 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thanks Adam, I'll check LUK to see what they have. I used an AR clutch with an hydraulic throwout bearing which eliminates the slave cylinder and has an external bleed for the bearing. I understand I'll have to change that to one which will work with the dual mass flywheel. My mechanic (the first one I've ever seen use a tourque wrench on the oil drain plug) is trying to get them to exchange the pressure plate to a dual mass type. We are hopeful! I'll let you know. Dave

I found one.  http://www.3guysautoparts.com/item.wws?sku=V6606S&itempk=2329974&mfr=VALEO&weight=10

$1,565.87 would keep me from purchasing one.

These flywheels have been discontinued in the aftermarket for several years now. The ones that are left are priced commensurate with their availability.

Looks like on my quick search pretty hard to come by.  Did find this replacement option -

http://www.carolinaclutch.com/ShowItem/111078%20C4%20Corvette%20Clutch%20Kit%20And%20Flywheel%20Package.aspx

but says on the page will be noisy... blah

Found this page -

http://www.andysautosport.com/chevrolet/1984_1996_corvette/transmission/flywheels/




|UPDATED|12/21/2012 11:09:23 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

The ZF transmissions have a good deal of inherent roll-over noise, thus the need for the dual mass flywheel set-up. The noise is not harmful to the trans, nor does durability suffer, but it is objectionable for most folks. The replacement, solid flywheel kits should have a spring damper type clutch disc to HELP calm the noise, but it will not eliminate it at all, and they do change the "feel" of the clutch.
Most machine shops will tell you they cannot turn/machine a dual mas flywheel like they can a normal one, but...truth is, it can be done. The two parts of the mechanism simply need to be locked together, and then machined as a normal flywheel. So...if your original dual mass flywheel only needs to be resurfaced, it can be done, then you can re-install that with a new, solid hub disc, as original. IF the springs in the flywheel are damaged/broken, then the flywheel is a boat anchor.