How to install a clutch in a C5 Corvette

2000 Centerforce Corvette Clutch Installed at Integrity Motorsports Prescott Valley AZ

- Remove Center console to disconnect the shifter linkage
- – Remove the 4 nuts holding the dust cover on
- – Remove the four bolts holding the shifter on
- – The shifter pulls out as one assembly
Remove the Center exhaust section
- – 14 bolts total to remove
- Spray Lubricant on bolts to help loosen
– Disconnect the O2 sensor connections before removing exhaust
- The sensors will come out with the exhaust
- - 10 bolts on the exhaust, and 4 on the hangers front and back
– Remove the rear wheels
- Remove the rear break line brackets from the body
– Remove Rear upper A-arms at the ball joint
– Disconnect the rear E-Brake Connection on both sides
– Remove the lower connection for each rear shock
– On this Vette we needed to remove the headers in order to remove the bell housing. If you have the factory short tube headers you shouldn’t need to.
– Remove the torque tube cover with the 36 bolts that need to be removed
– Disconnect the two break line connections above the transaxle
- The connections are not dry, the brake lines will need to be bled
– Before removing the Bell-housing you must remove the wire harness located on top. There is a bolt holding the harness in place on the bell housing.
There are five bolts connecting the torque tube to the bell-housing that need to be removed
– There is a dry disconnect for the clutch hydraulics that needs to be disconnected on the drivers side
– Use a peg leg stand or jack to hold the front of the car up. If you don’t when you remove the transaxle assembly the car might want to tilt forward off of the lift.
– Using a transmission jack locate the center area of the transaxle/transmission assemble and support the assembly. Remember to strap down the entire transaxle/transmission assembly incase you did not get perfectly center.
– Make sure when removing the transaxle and the transmission you disconnect all of the electronics and brake lines
– Rotate the clutch assembly in order to remove all of the bolts fro the pressure plate.
- – You will need to loosen the bell housing in order to pull the pressure plate from the flywheel because of the alignment dowel pins.
- – After you remove the pressure plate you can then remove the bell housing from the block.
– Now you can remove the flywheel.
- – Remember to resurface the flywheel or replace it with a new one Centerforce Part numbers 700142 for steel or 900142 for aluminum.
– Using the proper tool remove the pilot bearing from the end of the crank shaft
– Using the closest size socket or punch slowly tap the new pilot bearing making sure that the bearing stays aligned.
Remember when putting the flywheel on use a small dab of lock tight on the flywheel bolts to ensure they do not back out.
– When using the torque wrench to tighten down the flywheel it is recommended to step it from 15 ft/lbs to 35 ft/lbs to 74 ft/lbs.
Make sure to wipe down the flywheel friction surface and the pressure plate friction surface with acetone or break clean. This ensures that there is no grease or residue that might affect the performance or life of the clutch assembly.
– Using an alignment tool if available put the clutch disc onto the clutch surface. Make sure that the clutch disc is facing the correct direction with the sticker that says flywheel side faces the flywheel. Put the clutch on the dowel pins then lightly snug the bolts into placing making sure that you can move the disc into its center position. Then torque the pressure plate to 30-35 ft/lbs using a star pattern similar to a wheel installation.
– When reinstalling the bell housing, making sure that the wire harness is out of the way may be the hardest part. Also make sure that the two brackets for the wire harness are on their bolts before you put the bolts back into the bell housing When the bell-housing is snug in place make sure that you do not have anything caught.
– Remove the old throw-out-bearing from the collar. Then clean the area with just a rag. Make sure when putting the new throw-out-bearing on make sure that the slots on the bearing are in the correct position.
– This would be a good time to put a little dry lubricant on the input spline and the spline of the disc. If you do not have any dry lubricant please use a light layer of grease instead.
– Now you can carefully move the rear end, transmission and torque tube back into place. This would be a good time to make sure that the wire harness is in place and that you reconnect the break lines that were disconnected during the removal of the transaxle.
– If you brought down the exhaust system with the transaxle make sure it is also in place on the exhaust hangers before tightening the four nuts that hold everything in place.
– Make sure that everything is back into place before bolting the torque tube back onto the bell housing. You could damage something if everything is not aligned properly.
– Bolt on the lower bell-housing inspection cover and reconnect the hydraulic connection to the driver’s side of the bell housing. You can also secure the wire harness back into place on the passenger side of the bell housing.
– If you had to move your long tube headers now would be a good time to bolt the back into place.
– Now go around the transaxle and reconnect all of the electrical connections, make sure not to miss any ground wire connections.
– Reinstall the torque tube cover back under the body with those 36 bolts.
– Bolt the lower suspension together on to the lower A-arms. Reconnecting the break lines and sensors connections back on the body and on the suspension. Then reconnect the ball joints to complete putting the rear suspension back together.
– Reinstall the exhaust onto the hangers and bolt the exhaust in place. Reconnect the O2 sensors connections and make sure the harness is back in place.
– Take your time and walk around under the car making sure that everything is back in place and tight. Put the rear tires back on the car and you should be done under that car.
– Lower the car down and start putting the center console back together. First, bolt the shifter and the shifter dust cover back in place.
– Reconnect all of the sensors that you can before putting the console cover in place. Snap the console cover in place and then you can reconnect the rest of the connectors and screws in place to finish installing the center console.
- You will need to bleed the brakes and then make sure the clutch hydraulics work properly. You should not have to bleed the clutch hydraulics because it has the dry connection. Push the clutch pedal in checking to make sure the clutch pedal feels correct. If everything feels OK then start the car and put it in gear, checking that the clutch releases and engages properly.
If everything is good up until this point take the car out for a spin. Remember if you do not allow for the proper break in procedure you could destroy the clutch assembly.