88irocz28

I swapped a T-5 into my formerly automatic 88 IROC. Everyhting pretty much went without a hitch until i got to the clutch. First of all the only pilot bearing that i could find for it was a piece of crap bushing from Autozone. As I drove the bearing into the crankshaft (all greased up of course), I noticed the edges were deforming and decided to quit banging on it. I didn't just drive it in with a hammer - I used a plug socket that was just the right diameter. About a quarter inch of the bearing was left protruding outside the recess in the crankshaft. Taking my chances I bolted the tranny up and it went in smooth and flush with the bellhousing without any problem. After reattaching the driveshaft, etc, I bled the clutch and started her up to see if it would go into gear, but no amount of bleeding the cltuch did any good. The clutch feel slowly improved as I bled it countless times, but I finally gave up on it and went to bed. The clutch went from completely soft to like it was switching something. Now the car is at a mechanic's place and I described the problem to him. He thinks the clutch just needs to be bled again properly. What does properly mean? I first gravity bled it, then got a friend to pump it while I got under the car and exorcised air from it. There's no bleed nipple on it to bleed it with a length of hose and jar of fluid - at least I would know that way whether there was air in there or not.

I was thinking that the tranny's input shaft might be hanging up on the pilot bearing, but the ease with which the tranny went in makes me doubt that. The mechinic also doubts that is the case.

I know the clutch isn't adjustable so the placement of the master cylinder is critical. I'm pretty sure i got the master cylinder just right because the guide brackets on the pedal assembly lined up perfectly with the holes I drilled.

So my question basically is, what could it be that's causing this trouble? I need to fix this thing ASAP. If I miss any more days at work, I'm a jobless man then.

Another thing too - the tranny I got is out of a 91 Z. Now the torque arm mounting holes on the T-5 are completely different from the torque arm mount that came of my 88. What gives? I was told everything is a direct bolt-in.

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'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Throttle body bypass
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.

bhaas

Did you get the roller pilot bearing? And did you clean it up around the hole where you messed it up a bit? If not the shaft will hang and the tranny will still turn like the clutch is engaged and it will be hard to get into first/reverse from what I hear. There is a bleeder screw on the slave cylinder. It takes an allen head wrench and it's still a bitch to bleed. I'm about to do this swap myself, and everything I've said is from what I've read, except for the bleeder screw. I tried to bleed mine in a vise. Didn't happen. Gonna have to wait till I get it in the car I guess. Hope this helps.

Brad...


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1986 SC Camaro
Mods: Threw 2.8 in garbage, put in rebuilt
350 .060 over, XE268H Comp cam, Edlebrock
Performer Intake and Edlebrock 600 CFM Carb,
Pete Jackson noisy GearDrive (which sounded
cool for about 5 minutes, now I'm sick of it)
Rebuilt TH350, 3.42 Rear Gears. LCA RLB's.
B&M Mega Shifter.
Soon to be T5 YES!!!