So two weeks ago i changed out my clutch and afterwards noticed a vibration @ around 2000 rpm i wasent sure what it was and it worried me i took it back to the lift took everything apart tq everything to spec ensured it was properly aligned and everything. As i am driving home the vibration seems alot less but after a trip to a buddies house the vibration is back. It is somewhat in the steering but mostly felt in the shifter.


Any Ideas?

You know, this is going to sound stupid but the problem is right where you were working. I would go back again and do the job over. Make sure that you replaced your old parts with the CORRECT new parts. Double check everything and take your time. Trouble-shooting 101 says that if you do something and a problem arises, then the problem is obviously what you did. If you have to, get another set of experienced eyes on the work. Someone else may see something that you are missing.

By the way, did you do the work according to the service manual or did you just "wing it"?

So two weeks ago i changed out my clutch and afterwards noticed a vibration @ around 2000 rpm i wasent sure what it was and it worried me i took it back to the lift took everything apart tq everything to spec ensured it was properly aligned and everything. As i am driving home the vibration seems alot less but after a trip to a buddies house the vibration is back. It is somewhat in the steering but mostly felt in the shifter.


Any Ideas?
Darren did you balance the clutch and flywheel assembly? Was the flywheel properly torqued down?

Darren did you balance the clutch and flywheel assembly?

...another set of eyes with a very good question. :thumbsup:

What clutch did you use?? Also I agree the clutch must be out of balance. Did you by a clutch with the flywheel as an assembly?? If it was an assembly they usually mark them and that is the way it must be assembled. Good luck.

bought clutch and flywheel as an assembly. Spec stage 3 plus and aluminum flywheel. Did all maintenance according to the manual including the sequntial tqs and proper tqs. Even use a big oh snap on clutch plate alignment tool "we thought maybe thats where we went wrong last time using the little plastic one spec supplied. althought the vibration is not as great it is still there and driving me crazy. Also had second set of eyes with who was helping me
Also changed out pilot bearing and throwout bearing the only part not changed out was the slave cylinder but have no problems with clutch engagment or shifting. I plan on changing out slave cylinder next time i take it apart also going to replace rubber bushings on the shifter itself and see if that reduces the feel of it a little bit

bought clutch and flywheel as an assembly. Spec stage 3 plus and aluminum flywheel. Did all maintenance according to the manual including the sequntial tqs and proper tqs. Even use a big oh snap on clutch plate alignment tool "we thought maybe thats where we went wrong last time using the little plastic one spec supplied. althought the vibration is not as great it is still there and driving me crazy. Also had second set of eyes with who was helping me
Also changed out pilot bearing and throwout bearing the only part not changed out was the slave cylinder but have no problems with clutch engagment or shifting. I plan on changing out slave cylinder next time i take it apart also going to replace rubber bushings on the shifter itself and see if that reduces the feel of it a little bit Again darren did you balance the clutch and flywheel assembly?i bet this is the problem

It was supposed to have come balanced and everything got but in the way it was balanced. U can see that the flywheel was balanced and the pressure plate can only be bolted to the flywheel one way. Clutch plate was not noved from how it came but i am looking for shops around here that can balance the clutch/ flywheel/ pressure plate just to insure they are perfect

since no conclusion has been reached yet; although I've never owned a manual shift C5 - I have seen numerous reports of this vibration problem happening after a clutch swap. What I seem to remember reading is that the factory clutch is not perfectly balanced to begin with... intentionally. It was to offset some other imbalance somewhere else in the engine/driveline.

There were three or four things needing balanced.

I'll see if I can find the info and post it. Does anyone else remember reading this somewhere; or is my old age memory starting to invent things ? :lol:

It was supposed to have come balanced and everything got but in the way it was balanced. U can see that the flywheel was balanced and the pressure plate can only be bolted to the flywheel one way. Clutch plate was not noved from how it came but i am looking for shops around here that can balance the clutch/ flywheel/ pressure plate just to insure they are perfect I would suggest doing this i have seen some out 13g which isnt a lot but will cause vibration im betting this is your problem once you get it checked let us know.Just because it says its balanced doesnt mean its true theres a lot of work involved here you always want to eliminate any chance of problems down the line, hang in there bro we will get this worked out for you

I hope it's not the clutch again, I know that is not the most fun job to do.

actualy as hard as its supposed to be it really wasent that difficult. took me and a buddy alot less time the second go around completly done in less than 8 hrs and thats with replacing some exhaust bolts and not having a good tool box to work out of at the shop we were at. had to keep running back and forth everytime we needed a tool the box didnt come with

Is there anyone in north carolina that knows where i can get a flywheel clutch and pressure plate balanced. I have been looking like hell and cant find someone who does it. Have to get it done soon so i know if thats the problem or not

Ed’s Corvette Shanty
125 Griffith Plaza Dr.
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
(336) 794-0224

Hope you get to the bottom of this soon.:thumbsup3:

Well got to the bottom of it. After days of trial and error and doing what i could to try to fix the problem i took it to a shop they pulled it out and sent it to the machine shop. The flywheel was the problem. It was not properly balanced and one side had a thicker section than the other causing it to rub just that raised spot. There was also a tolerance problem where the studs for the pressure plate go into the flywheel. I got a new factory flywheel on the way to replace the spec aluminum. There has also been alot of gripes about using aluminum or steel. From reliable sourcers i have gained the knowledge that aluminum will not dampen vibrations as much and not hold up as long as steal.

Also the shop that i took it to reccomended competion clutch sets for any future builds. They said they hold up great and send out a quality product but any clutch and flywheel should have the balanced checked before being installed. It will save you alot of hassle in the long run.


Thanks for everyones advice and a big thanks to blu who helped alot troughout this. Should have my baby back tomorrow when i get off work getting ready to check the weather see if a cruise is possible tomorrow.

Blue nailed it. The guys in this thread were all over this one. Good job and thanks for posting the results Darren. :thumbsup:

You nailed that one Brian.... Im glad we have you here to pick your brain.:thumbsup3: :thumbsup3: :thumbsup3: :cheers: :cheers: