Where can I find a new Z-bar for my 82 Z-28, I tried adjusting the linkage, but a guy came over to my car and pointed out the rod under my brake booster that is attached to my clutch linkage and said the bushings are gone and the bar is bent, and from what I've researched it is called a Z bar? Any idea's?

 

I highly doubt you can buy a new one. Those haven't been made for many years, and i'd guess this part is specific to 3rd gens
I removed my z-bar a few weeks ago, to put in a hydraulic throw out bearing... I have yet to get this setup to work (it's a bit of a bear...) but i'd still recommend this, if you know what you're doing. The other alternative, is that I do have some mechanical clutch parts sitting around collecting dust. Got a picture of which parts you need?

 

I can easily take a pic of it got an e-mail addy?

 

you can just throw it on here. probably easiest, that way other people can see it too

 

There are no bushings and the bar is supposed to have a bit of a S-curve in it. Thats normal.

If adjusting it seems to make no difference, its more likely tearing the weld on one of the two levers on that bar. It can be welded and used again, but it will eventually tear again.

 

Well I have a part number for the Z bar, the tubing itself tore, I welded it back together and it tore again so I'm just going to order one, and there is two nylon bushings inside the bar, they cup the rotator *****

 

HEY IM LOOKING FOR ONE TO ALL PARTS ARE DISSCONTINUED CALLED EVERY DEALER EVEN YEAR ONE DOESN'T CARRY THEM THEY REFERRED ME TO HEMMINGS NO LUCK THERE EITHER IF I FIND A SOURCE I'LL LET YOU KNOW GOOD LUCK

 

I was looking up parts for my other car (1985 monte carlo) the other day. They had a brand new factory z-bar for sale. I have a hard time believing the z-bar setup is different across different mid '80's GM's, so I imagine you could use one meant for that type of vehicle.
Broaden your search, see if you can find a new one.
Or better yet - go hydraulic

 

about 10 yrs or so ago my Z bar on my 83 was beat and when i had the eng shops do my motor swap, they didnt tell me my bell cranks were broke and bad. so i replaced everything and when i pulled everything apart (i have the knowledge, tools and place to do this now) i made sure everything was baggied and put in one place because i knew finding this stuff new again would be a merf.

i do recall seeing one in AMES which is a pontiac resto parts supplier. at the time i called and called and called and c alled and each time the # was busy so i gave up and went to the dealer. i cant say i got it but the guy said the one i got was the only one he could find and our dealer is a well connected and old dealer.

whats worse is the arms broke off at opposite times and i had them re welded. after that it was all good. you could try the hydro setup that the later cars like my 89 uses but your going to have to change bell housings to use it.

 

The 78-81 A body z-bar has a ridiculous S-curve. The 82-83 F body is more ridiculously curved and does not interchange.

The solution for most of these is welding. Mine has been welded.

 

one thing i thought about is making a replacement if needed. go by a metal fab shop and give the old Z to them and say make this for me in every way. one way to save a lil is have the arms cut off and used on the new pipe.

 

So I went to my exceptional parts man at the local GM dealer, and he found me one !

part # 14036151

He said whomever the vintage parts company that bought all the old GM parts has ~120 of these bars for a '82 Z28 4 speed ...

Spendy though about $130 last one I bought in '04 was $80 !

~DaVe

 

For that price, if I needed one for this 83 I have, I'd be converting to hydraulics.

Oh wait... I already did that... in about 86. Haven't missed the old Stone Age stuff a bit.

 

I did this too, when I had the 350/T10 setup (used a scattershield with provisions for hydraulics and 4-spd bolt pattern). Its WELL worth it. The pedal feels lighter, it doesn't bind up, and its WAY more reliable.

 

I wish someone would outline more of what is needed to convert to hydraulic ... I'm considering it as an option BUT will just beef up a Z bar this month to get the car back running

~DaVe

 

The way I did it is as follows:

- Remove transmission. Remove TO bearing, and install aftermarket hydraulic TO bearing (Howe racing I believe. Purchase based on your tranny and clutch).

- Install flexible hydraulic lines. One to bleed area, and one to engine bay area.

- Install master cylinder. Howe racing specified what size I needed, I think it was 3/4" bore and 1" throw? I bolted mine onto the engine bay "frame rail", just forward and below the brake booster.

- Connect hydraulic hose from TO bearing to clutch master cylinder.

- Connect clutch pedal to the clutch master cylinder. This involves a bit of creative engineering, since you have to connect your existing firewall-piercing rod (whatever it's called), with a 5/16" end with a cotter pin hole, to a 5/16"NF threaded rod on the master cylinder.

What I did, is rig up a bell crank mechanism, and bolt it on just below the brake booster. This involved two pieces of angle iron, a few nylon washers, and a piece of 1/8" steel plate. The clutch firewall-piercing rod goes into the plate (with a few nylon washers and a cotter pin), and an extension is installed on the master cylinder to reach to this bell crank. This is a piece of threaded rod with rod ends on each end, basically. I think I used midwest control products for the bits and pieces.

It works flawlessly, but took a bit of backyard engineering and time. Once you realize you "can't push rope", you'll end up doing something similar (bell crank setup).

 

In my case it was even easier. Seems like the engine was out at the time which made it beyond easy, maybe even all the way to falling off a log. I doubt it took a whole afternoon. In fact I'm sure it didn't as I look back on it.

1. Remove transmission. Remove bell housing. Remove linkage. Remove entire pedal assembly; brake & clutch pedals, bracket they mount in, switches, through-bolt, etc.

2. Enlarge push rod hole in firewall slightly; seems like it mostly needed enlarged downwards and inwards (toward the center of the car) but it's been .... a long time since then (86ish), my memory could have got a bit fuzzy in the last 25 years.

3. Drill holes for master cyl U-bolt using firewall gasket as template

4. Install BH, pedal ***'y including brackets for stiffening pedals to firewall (CRITICAL), complete hydraulic ***'y from out of newer car.

5. Put transmission back.

(somewhere in here I must have put the engine back, hell, I can't even remember what it was out for that particular time, it was out for a whole weekend though I think instead of just the usual couple of hours like if it had needed something quick like another crankshaft, must have been serious, must have needed to make a parts store run or a beer run or something)

6. Heave HUGE sugh of relief as all of the crappy Stone Age crap that the crappy Z-bar crap had done in this car, same as every other stick-shift car I'd had for decades before had had; engine shifting on mounts, body shifting on frame mounts (not an issue in this chassis), firewall flexing, weidr little "catches" in the clutch pedal, stuff breaking or falling out, etc. Did I mention how much of a PIECE OF CRAP the crappy Z-bar crap was? Mang I was so glad to be rid of that crap.

7. ENJOY!! ever since. Never look back.

8. Throw Z-bar crap in the trash in about 2000 or so because I got sick of looking at a bunch of stupid crap I hated taking up my valuable space and just generally being ugly and worthless.

 

hmmm .. Hydraulics are sounding better and better ...

NOOB question: How do you adjust how far off the floor the clutch starts to engage with a hydraulic setup ?

I've never owned a vehicle with a hydraulic clutch

~DaVe

 

You don't. No need. Don't have to.

 

 

So no control on where I hold the clutch pedal on a hill / launch / etc. ?

~DaVe

 

Sure, you have that... you let the pedal out until the force pushing the car up the hill equals the force of gravity making it go down the hill. It's actually easier, because you don't have a whole bunch of friction from all that archaic mechanical crap all binding and sticking.

Same for launching: you learn how the car wants to be launched. "Adjustment" doesn't enter into the picture. Never has, never will, won't affect the situation if the system handles it for you and is always the same without you feeling obligated to dink with it periodically.

What does ANY of that have to do with "adjustment"?

In all the decades that I had stick shift cars before hydraulic clutches came out, all I ever did to "adjust" them, was to put the minimal slack back into the system that the clutch disc wearing out, takes out. It's not a "tuning" thing; all it does, is put stuff back to the right place as the parts wear down. Like brakes. Ever had drum brakes? Do you like "adjusting" them? Ever have disc brakes? Isn't it nice that they just WORK? Ever feel like you just had to get out there and "adjust" your discs? Same deal. Works the EXACT same way.

Been to the track lately? Camaro and Firebird manual cars have had hydraulic clutches since 1984. Notice any of the LT1 or LS1 guys, or even the TPI guys, having any kind of trouble that "adjustment" was the cure for? Me either.

Do the swap. Get rid of the Neanderthal crap. You'll be glad you did.

 

Its a self-adjusting system, so to speak. On the street when driving, it acts the same way as it did before, just better in every way. Just bolt up the system and go.

 

I'm sorry for being leery about the hydraulic clutch setup, I guess I'm too old to believe "new and improved" is always better ...

Most of the cars with stick shifts at the 1/4 mile tracks around here, are still using mechanical setups (ie: "old" cars) and running ET's much quicker than TPI, LT1, and LS1 cars ... we are a little behind the time in this area !

Anyone know the bore size of the 1984-1992 F-body clutch master cylinder ? looks like I need to match it up to the slave cylinder, OR hydraulic throw-out bearing assemblies ...

THANKS ! ~DaVe

 

The hydraulic clutch system works in the exact same way as the brake system does. Exactly the same way. Even uses the same fluid. Its a far more reliable system than any mechanical linkage, especially the factory one.

 

! I found this ! and I really like the idea of a slave cylinder rather than a hydraulic T/O bearing mounted on the trans ...

http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_hcrc.htm

Now I just need to come up with a sanitary way of mounting a master cylinder / and the linkage.



~DaVe

 

DAVE: HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME, I NEED THAT BELLCRANK BUT MY LOCAL PARTS DEALER SAID THAT PART NUMBER WAS DISCONTINUED YEARS AGO WHERE DID YOU ORDER FROM CAN YOU FIND ME ONE PLEASE..IVE LOOKED UNTILL MY EYEBALLS WERE SORE LOL

 

I can probably get you one .. BUT it won't be cheap .. I'm guessing upwards of $175 ish ... Let men know if you want me to pursue it.

~DaVe

 

Do you still have your Zbar ? I have a 1982 Z28 camaro and would be interested in purchasing yours, and if you have the brackets for the frame, those also, My email is tomflorkowski@aol.com , I bought 2 on ebay, BUT, they are Zbars for 4 cyclender and shorter the the small block. On the you cluctch, a 82 clutch with the gas pedal and brake will not work. You have to have a 1985 pedal, clutch and brake all in one to connect to the rod. Let me know, OK.