Hello all. I have a 1990 GTA with a 5 spd. Very rare car. The OEM clutch is extremely heavy. I have some pretty bad nerve damage in my lower back and more and more my left leg shakes...including when seated in a car. The shaking is making it hard and a bit dangerous to drive my GTA for obvious reasons. I won't convert a rare car to auto (one of just 78 built). An assisted clutch which is much lighter might help. Any inputs suggested.

 

A smaller diameter clutch master cylinder will decrease pedal effort but it will also make the pedal stroke longer. You'll need a longer push rod at the pedal to compensate for the extra throw (pedal will sit higher in rest position).

I don't know who makes the hardware to do this for a 3rd gen. Several places like Hawks Motorsports and Tick Performance have kits for the 4th gen LS1 cars. Those kits use a Tilton master cylinder of which Tilton has different sizes available if you ask. The other hardware would be the same other than 3rd gen uses a different rod end at the pedal and a different actuator at the clutch. Maybe a place like Hawks can put together a custom kit for you.

Other option is to research whether it's possible to do a hydraulic slave cylinder on the transmission input shaft like the LS1 cars. Tilton are the people you want to talk to for anything custom like that.

 

Honestly if you need an auto trans to enjoy the car then do it. Your enjoyment driving the car is far more important than the car itself. Just keep all the original parts organized on a shelf and you still have a five-speed car, it's just a matter of putting it back in.

 

I hear there are some sort of pneumatic clutches or some such thing but I can't find any info. Yes, I've used Hawks before. The tradeoff for living close to the beach is a smallllllllll house so no room to store an old transmission. But all information is good information. A guy on one of the GTA Facebook sites actually PM'd me to see if I would sell. We'll see. Just sucks to have this leg issue.

 

Hawks has a kit. https://www.hawksmotorsports.com/198...-cylinder-kit/

Now don't take the kit as-is and don't bother talking it over with Hawks at first. Call Tilton first and talk through what can be done. Then turn around and tell Hawks what p/n master cylinder you want with your kit. There are limits to how small the cylinder can be before it runs out of stroke and can't send enough fluid to operate the clutch.

I'm not even sure this will work for you. It's not like the changes in pedal effort are massive, maybe around 15%.

 

This would be much safer and probably more compliant/ legal with State DMV regulations, to look at a Hydraulic Actuator that uses an Inert and Non-Flamable Fluid.

 

Hell, don't swap it, trade me. I've got a nice low mile (51K) RS 5.0 auto Camaro that I want to swap to a 5 speed. My car is in nicer shape than about 95% of the other third gens on the road and is currrently undergoing a major maintenance and upgrade session, nicer stereo and wheels and tires, for the power tour. I'll be doing the Hot Rod power tour in a couple of months and will be in the neighborhood so to speak. And yea, I'm at least a little serious.

 

If I let this baby go it's for to get a sapphire black (dark blue) on silver (what my 86 had). Unfortunately, I don't care for the Gen III camaros.....but boy those Gen II"s are awesome! Remember the car Jefferson drove in Fast Times at Ridgemont High??

 

(I would fix/buy a new leg, B4 I would put in an automatic. But hey....that's just me)

 

LOL that's too funny! I like the idea but if the problem is my L5-S1 (which aren't in alignment) plus stenosis I'd have to replace a whole lot of the lumbar vertebrae. That's really risky!

 

Ya, I hear ya. The medical industry has made enormous advances in the past 20-30 years, but the spine is still sensitive territory. Lots of people with that condition.
Worked with an older gentleman years ago, who had a problem in his lower neck, and compensated the pain by walking with a limp. Dr's told him if they operated on him, he "may" not walk afterwards. One dr. asked him, "are you in pain?". He answered, "Not so much when I limp". So he was told, "When the pain gets severe enuff to walk, then we'll operate". He ended up driving one of them golf carts in work, B4 retiring.
Anyway, best of luck with your injury. And I hope you can find a clutch assist for your car. Sorry I can't help. Not familiar with those devices.

 

Thank you. I'm not having any luck with finding some sort of lighter clutch. Sigh.

 

No. Myself I don't really get worked up much about how these cars look. I prefer camaros but they all look good to me. Since I did the swap suggestion, I've been regretting the idea so I'm good with your refusal of it. I'll eventually get around to my own manual trans conversion unless some easier way presents itself. Good luck with getting your situation resolved.

 

Thanks, you as well.