Hey guys. I got a problem with my 91' RS (T-5). Ever since I got the car in 2006, it has an extremely aggravating slop in the drivetrain. Eventually I learned to just deal with it but ever since I purchased my 02' SS, I'm determined to figure out what's causing this slop after I witnessed how tight the drivetrain is in that car (I know its comparing apples to oranges in terms of performance but it's driving me insane). The 91' has a Zoom clutch; It has a 96' or 97' f-body rear end in it with a new Auburn unit installed with 0.008" backlash, and I just replaced the U-Joints and yoke shaft last week hoping that would fix the problem. I'm clueless where to look now. When you give the car throttle, your slammed into the back of your seat (and I'm not speaking in terms of power, trust me), as you let off the throttle, you can feel the whole vehicle shift forward. It's almost impossible to shift smoothly from 1st thru 3rd gear. I also checked the motor mounts with a curb check to see if the engine tilts, it seemed fine. It also has a poly urethane transmission mount. I have a 6.0/T56 swap planned in the future, but I want to make the car somewhat enjoyable to drive untill then. Can anyone throw me anything else to check? Also, I forgot to mention, this might help pinpoint something for someone: it has also had a chattering problem with the clutch, even after we installed the zoom clutch, resurfaced the flywheel, and replaced the slave cylinder. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Bump

 

Two things:
Car stopped, clutch pedal to the floor, shifter in 1st or reverse, engine revved to 3000rpm.
Does the car move?
If yes, fix clutch release, since that's a major factor with regard to "impossible to shift smoothly."

As for the jerky on/off throttle behaviour, the way you describe it makes it sound like a solid hub or stiffly sprung clutch hub. Post the PN if you have it.

The transmission is splined to the hub of the clutch disc. The engine is friction attached to the rest of the disc. What should happen is the engine torquing the disc should compress springs that soften the torque to the hub.

It's theoretically possible for a clutch to have a disc installed backwards (not likely due to clearances but worth mentioning.) It's possible for a solid hub disc to be installed (not ideal for the street but they're out there.) And it's possible for a stiffly sprung hub or one designed to be tight is what you have.

Did it chatter before the zoom?
Was the zoom installed with a freshly machined flywheel or was it installed, then things were pulled and the flywheel machined?

 

Thanks for the reply! Will definitely attempt to see if it moves at 3k tomorrow when I go to work. I think I might have the receipt back home in NC, I'll see if my dad can dig it out so I can get you the part number. The flywheel was machined at the time the new clutch was installed. The car has had the chatter problem since I got the car.