Thanks for reading first of all. I have a 1989 camaro that we built over the course of two years. An original automatic car we pulled all that garbage out and replaced it with a T5 manual transmission. My dad has a 1982 camaro pace car edition with the t10 4 speed and mechanical linkage and we happened to have another mechanical setup availible so we put that in verses the hydraulics. The clutch set up has never worked exactly right and i was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. I have a 305 V8 from a 1985 camaro. The only cars that came with the mechanical linkage were 82 and 83 4 speed cars. I'm trying to use it with a 89 camaro with an 85 motor and a t5 5 speed. It has never worked right and i was curious if anyone had any tips or pointers. all of the linkage is right except the piece that goes to the clutch fork. we made that piece ourself and that could be the problem or it couuld be that the engine bays changed a little or anything like that. just wondering if anyone knows anything about this thanks! I would like to stay with mechanical if possible just because i think its a more manly clutch setup:P

 

Which bellhousing are you using? The '84-'92 V8 bellhousings were all set up for hydraulic linkage. '82 V8 bellhousings were for the T10 4-speed/mechanical linkage, and '83 bellhousings were T5 5-speed/mechanical linkage.

Your issues might be that the clutch fork is in the wrong place, or the pivot ball inside the bellhousing is either too short, or too long.

Let us know which bellhousing you're using, and we can figure it out.

 

the bellhousing is for the 82-84 setup! thanks

 

The 82-83 systems were pretty queer as far as the kinked z-bar and while you can restore them to working right, I wouldn't keep the car mechanically clutched when the hydraulic setup works so well.

Double check your z-bar ballstud, block side ballstud, the slop that may exist there, all the other friction / pivot points, and especially the ballstud in the bellhousing.

There is an 82 bellhousing for a "straight up" trans., and there is an 83 bellhousing for "canted" 17 degrees to the left T5.

You'll likely have problems with the top and lower arms of the z-bar / cross shaft / whatever you call it needing rewelded every once in a while, wearing out the bushing in the clutch pedal, and other wear points. I don't know if anyone makes a rod-end upper & lower pushrod setup for the 82-83 F setup; I know it has been posted about.

Good luck.