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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:16 pm Post subject: Transmission part duex |
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So for those not in the know, I just installed a "freshly rebuilt" WCT5 in my car. After the dyno gathering the car broke down in Vancouver. the Torque arm bolt fell out, and within a few blocks i could not shift the car into gear anymore. when we got it home and rolled it off the flatbed i was able to put it into gear and drive it into the garage, once in the garage i tried shifting it a second time and it fought me.
well, I put the car in the air today, expecting to find leaking clutch hydraulics, or worst yet, a cracked tail housing and an empty transmission. Much to my happy surprise I found neither of these things.
The hydraulics are fine, and the transmission is full of beautiful red fluid.
so why the hell won't it shift? anyone have any thing for me to try? i have never tried to diagnose a broken tranny before. i'm not even sure it is broken. |
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Al Hasse Member

Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 4379 Location: Bremerton, WA
1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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I had a broken clutch disc on my V6 do pretty much the same thing you're describing. New clutch and I was good to go. _________________ 92 Camaro
89 Camaro
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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| broken clutch disc... interesting. how does that happen? |
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Twilightoptics Hardcore (12sec Club)

Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 9191 Location: Auburn , WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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Just does.
Check fork travel.
When you mean it wont shift, explain more. _________________ A redline a day keeps the carbon away! |
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| you can not physically move the stick forward into gear. when the car is off it transverses the gears just fine. |
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chevymad Master B
Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 5476
1987 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| When you start it with the car in gear, does it try to move? |
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| yes. |
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chevymad Master B
Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 5476
1987 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like the clutch or the clutch hydraulics are fubar. |
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RK82 Member

Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 168 Location: vancouver B.C
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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what kind of clutch?
if its a centerforce this could be your problem, due to the rubber line connecting the clutch master to the slave. When revved up the centrifugal weights require extra pressure to disengage the clutch and instead of the clutch disengaging the rubber line expands. The clutch only partly disengages making it hard to shift gears and blowing up transmissions _________________
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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It IS a centerforce clutch. My next will be a spec.
So what would the solution be to the expanding rubber? Are there after market clutch hydraulics that are better?
My next steps to try and resolve this issue are as follows, rebelled clutch hydraulics, test. If problem is not resolved I will remove the transmission in order to inspect the clutch. if it's broken it will be replaced with a spec, I have one on the v6 car and I love it.
Thanks for the tips guys! _________________ 86' firebird (Junked in 2015). 88' GTA (sold in 2020).
| aaron_sK wrote: | | Hell, Tony drove his GTA to Cows a few years back with the pickup coil that came out in pieces. |
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RK82 Member

Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 168 Location: vancouver B.C
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| Xophertony wrote: | It IS a centerforce clutch. My next will be a spec.
So what would the solution be to the expanding rubber? Are there after market clutch hydraulics that are better?
My next steps to try and resolve this issue are as follows, rebelled clutch hydraulics, test. If problem is not resolved I will remove the transmission in order to inspect the clutch. if it's broken it will be replaced with a spec, I have one on the v6 car and I love it.
Thanks for the tips guys! |
I think you can use -4 steel braided hose and adapter fittings.
Last edited by RK82 on Sun Mar 20, 2011 3:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Al Hasse Member

Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 4379 Location: Bremerton, WA
1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| RK82 wrote: | | Xophertony wrote: | It IS a centerforce clutch. My next will be a spec.
So what would the solution be to the expanding rubber? Are there after market clutch hydraulics that are better?
My next steps to try and resolve this issue are as follows, rebelled clutch hydraulics, test. If problem is not resolved I will remove the transmission in order to inspect the clutch. if it's broken it will be replaced with a spec, I have one on the v6 car and I love it.
Thanks for the tips guys! |
I think you can use -4 steel braided hose and I think they make adapter fittings. |
Have a hydraulic hose shop or similar make them up.
We have a shop here in Belfair (Belfair Hose) that specializes in making hydraulic lines and hoses. Just bring the piece in, or specs of the piece, and they'll make it while you wait. I had my rear brake flex lines made there. |
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:31 am Post subject: |
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Oil Filter Service in Portland does similar. I have an extra set of hydraulics I could bring them as an example as well.
thanks for the input guys. |
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RK82 Member

Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 168 Location: vancouver B.C
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Al Hasse wrote: | | RK82 wrote: | | Xophertony wrote: | It IS a centerforce clutch. My next will be a spec.
So what would the solution be to the expanding rubber? Are there after market clutch hydraulics that are better?
My next steps to try and resolve this issue are as follows, rebelled clutch hydraulics, test. If problem is not resolved I will remove the transmission in order to inspect the clutch. if it's broken it will be replaced with a spec, I have one on the v6 car and I love it.
Thanks for the tips guys! |
I think you can use -4 steel braided hose and I think they make adapter fittings. |
Have a hydraulic hose shop or similar make them up.
We have a shop here in Belfair (Belfair Hose) that specializes in making hydraulic lines and hoses. Just bring the piece in, or specs of the piece, and they'll make it while you wait. I had my rear brake flex lines made there. |
that will work or I just found out 4th gens use a steel braided line for the clutch but you might need the rest of the hydraulics for that _________________
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Quasi-Traction "I have petals"

Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 3873 Location: stumptown
1986 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| RK82 wrote: |
that will work or I just found out 4th gens use a steel braided line for the clutch but you might need the rest of the hydraulics for that |
Don't some actually have a Hydraulic TOB? _________________
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RK82 Member

Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 168 Location: vancouver B.C
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Quasi-Traction wrote: | | RK82 wrote: |
that will work or I just found out 4th gens use a steel braided line for the clutch but you might need the rest of the hydraulics for that |
Don't some actually have a Hydraulic TOB? |
I down know much about 4th gens but I think the LS1 cars use a hydraulic TOB. _________________
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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LT1 hydros have factory SS braided lines. Slave is backwards but otherwise normal. LS1 is hydro TOB.
I'd check for fork travel like Paul said long before shelling out the dough to have SS lines custom built. Cart before the horse here IMHO. |
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Twilightoptics Hardcore (12sec Club)

Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 9191 Location: Auburn , WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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Your line isn't rubber, it's plastic. Hard plastic. Can't imagine it expanding enough to cause the pressure plate to not fully engage.
If you don't have 5/8" fork movement at the slave, it wont disengage the clutch. _________________ A redline a day keeps the carbon away! |
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Xophertony Rodeo Queen

Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 5306 Location: Portland, Oregon.
1988 Pontiac GTA
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Paul, that is something I can measure. Prety busy this week, but I should be able to crawl under the car and check on that tonight.
I'll post my findings. _________________ 86' firebird (Junked in 2015). 88' GTA (sold in 2020).
| aaron_sK wrote: | | Hell, Tony drove his GTA to Cows a few years back with the pickup coil that came out in pieces. |
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fiveoformula Member

Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 1799 Location: OR
1988 Pontiac Formula
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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Had a similar problem when I first put my T5 in, ended up that the slave had much less travel than the master, I had to stuff my foot thru the firewall to shift without grinding, and it wouldn't shift into reverse at all withoutt shutting the engine off. New slave made it shift amazing. _________________
'88 FORMULA |
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