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contaminated clutch fluid

  • Thread starter Thread starter dkrhardy.
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dkrhardy.

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Just picked up my new "left over" '07 last night. Seemed the clutch was grabby (?) or sorta shuddered on takeoff ... especially in reverse. Went back today when service was open and the 'Vette specialist showed me the reservoir filled with dark fluid. He said the factory shipped x number of late '07 and '08's with contaminated fluid. He changed it and it is 90% better. Told me it will need to work through the system before it is 100% The spec on the new fluid is different too. Anyone else have this? I did a search and found nothing similar. ??!!

:confused
 
HI there,
There are NO documents within GM about contaminated clutch fluid from the factory.
If that had truly been the case, we would have been warned about it.
Just remember, clutch fluid will turn a bit blackish over time, that is considered NORMAL. There is a preliminary information about this being NORMAL>
The blackish residue is carbon black from the diaphragm inside the reservoir cap.
Clutch engagement being a bit grabby or pulsating is only because it is new.
Overtime, the engagement will smoothen out, although it should start to grab about 1" off the floor.
When you check the fluid, simply use a flashlight from the side of the reservoir, do NOT open the system as it lets in moisture.
Clutch fluid should be changed every 2 years/24000 per revised service information from GM.
Allthebest, c4c5
 
Thank you for the response. The dealer's Corvette specialist said they had shipped some w/contaminated fluid so I took him at his word. And as I said, it was 90-ish% better after he changed it. Now 4 days later it is about the 99% level, IMO. Strange he told me that, but it is getting better. I have never driven or owned a stick that had such a HORRIBLE shudder, especially when in reverse. He also told me that if I see the fluid turning dark again to take it to my local dealer and ask them to change it again. Oh, he also said quite clearly that it should stay clear like the brake fluid reservoir next to it. But it may darken from the cap? Hmmmm .... who'd a thunk it.
Thanks again!

:)
 
a lot of the dark color comes from the release agent used to make make the rubber parts in the system. my off road bikes and quads have the see thru brake MC and the fluid turns dark after a short period of time. notice how your car tires turn brown and that come from the mold release used during the manufacturing process
 
Thank you also, Motorman! I'm still not 100% happy with the lack of smoothness in this clutch. I've never had a car that had to be slipped this much to be smooth. ??!! I also have NO faith in my local dealer's service dept. and the place I bought it is more than an hour away. Hate to drive that far just to sit in the 1st come 1st served line-up in the morning! There is another dealer about 15 min away, maybe I should just drop in and get a feel for their service.
Otherwise, this 'Vette is 1000 times better than the last one I bought back in the bad old days. That one was a '79 with L82. Best they had but still way down on power and quality control wasn't there either.

Don
 
The clutch resevior(sp) is something that has been covered extensively. The best way to minimumize problems with "stuck pedal" is to change your fluid often. I don't drive my car that hard (but I do have a little fun every now and then,) any way, I have changed it about 15-20 times over the course of 13,000 miles and 2 years. It is too easy to "not do" so I do it.
All you need is some DOT 4 fluid, a syringe (from PetCo) a few rags and about 3 minutes of time. I'd post pics but I got chastised last time for posting pics that are "too big" so I don't post pics anymore.
If you fluid looks like coffee, then it's time to get it out of there.

The cause of the fluid darkening is partially the rubber diaphram, but mostly is caused by heat from the exhaust manifold being so close to the line to the clutch. I think if there was some insulation on the line @ this location, it would help eliminate most of the problem.
 
No one else? Hmmm
Mine was dark and murky looking, so I changed it with DOT 4.
I sucked the old out, put new fluid in, and pumped the clutch about 20 times, or drove it a few miles. Then I repeated sucking it out & replacing, untill the fluid was all clear.

Now, I do this every few thousand miles.
:beer
 
Thanks! I am very happy to say that I DO NOT have the stuck pedal problem. I have what I think is a not smooth clutch engagement. If I'm not at a fairly high RPM and semi-slip the clutch, it shudders. It is much more pronounced in reverse. When they changed the fluid, it got lots better but it is still not smooth. I think I'll test drive a new one at the dealer and compare.
 
My '07 had a very jurky / rough clutch when I picked the car up new. It was so bad that I thought there might be a problem with it. But I read somewhere that the clutch needs to be broke in the same as the engine. After I had 500 miles on it, it was much better, but still rough. It continued to get better over time. I now have over 6k on it and it is as smooth as any other vehicle I've ever had.

Hecox
 
Thanks! I'm at 1,200 miles, I'll try to be patient!
 
dkrhardy~ If your clutch "shudders" on engagement, then it sounds like someone @ the dealership may have glazed the clutch face. This can/does happen if the driver "slips" the clutch unnecessarily. When @ the stoplight, shift to neutral and let clutch out (be sure you don't "rest" your left foot on the pedal whatsoever.) This will increase clutch life (and the possibility of "unintended motion" if/when the fluid line fails.)


Not that it's ever happened to me (twice) but shifting without the clutch (after the line failure) to get it to a shop REALLY isn't good for the tranny. Shutting down the engine every stop light isn't a holiday for the starter either!

Neither of the above occurances happened in my Corvette, but they DID happen.
 
I do shift to neutral at all stops, 'cause I'm lazy and don't want to hold the danged pedal down!! I also know not to even get close to "riding" the pedal, stopped or moving.
OK, if the clutch face is glazed, what does one do about it? If I took it in, they would of course say it was I that did it. Will this condition improve with age, or is that only true of fine wines?;LOL

Regards,
Don
 
a lot of the dark color comes from the release agent used to make make the rubber parts in the system. my off road bikes and quads have the see thru brake MC and the fluid turns dark after a short period of time. notice how your car tires turn brown and that come from the mold release used during the manufacturing process

I am going to disagree on the walk of the dark color and rubber release agent of the rubber parts decomposing. Because if the rubber did decompose, then the quad ring would also decompose and if that decomposition is going on, then that is a fast rubber eating down to a leak out the caliper tolerance is that rubber loosing seal.

I am going to say it is more oil color change is that burn; caused by the heat from the caliper area. I will also state that maybe the oil boils and you cannot have a vacuum in that boil and now what was in between the res cap and the air you just squished in between or say the water boils and what is in that bubble but vapor. So say the oil is boiled, water is the contaminant. Water is now heaver than oil, settles under the; 'decomposing rubber"; creates a crystal effect (name for wires turning white by the battery sorta look at the same action but in the acid state); then pushes the rubber up against the caliper quad ring (like your quad bike) and hangs up the disc or your brake pads are hanging up if not pulling the piston back from the memory of the Q-ring, but now is dragging on the discs upon release.

So, if I take that theory to the clutch master, could I not use a scenario that the piston in the clutch servo is that piston chatter as it walks forward or back because of all the goop under the rubber quad ring? I doubt very much me thinking about changing a toilet rubber flapper and that rubber is sure decomposing right in my hand does it leave trace like GM Wrench intake manifold sealer in a black tube is the, Rezzz Sea Dew in my fing gears. :chuckle :w
 
I am going to disagree on the walk of the dark color and rubber release agent of the rubber parts decomposing. Because if the rubber did decompose, then the quad ring would also decompose and if that decomposition is going on, then that is a fast rubber eating down to a leak out the caliper tolerance is that rubber loosing seal.

I am going to say it is more oil color change is that burn; caused by the heat from the caliper area. I will also state that maybe the oil boils and you cannot have a vacuum in that boil and now what was in between the res cap and the air you just squished in between or say the water boils and what is in that bubble but vapor. So say the oil is boiled, water is the contaminant. Water is now heaver than oil, settles under the; 'decomposing rubber"; creates a crystal effect (name for wires turning white by the battery sorta look at the same action but in the acid state); then pushes the rubber up against the caliper quad ring (like your quad bike) and hangs up the disc or your brake pads are hanging up if not pulling the piston back from the memory of the Q-ring, but now is dragging on the discs upon release.

So, if I take that theory to the clutch master, could I not use a scenario that the piston in the clutch servo is that piston chatter as it walks forward or back because of all the goop under the rubber quad ring? I doubt very much me thinking about changing a toilet rubber flapper and that rubber is sure decomposing right in my hand does it leave trace like GM Wrench intake manifold sealer in a black tube is the, Rezzz Sea Dew in my fing gears. :chuckle :w
why do tires turn brown ???
 
Thanks! I am very happy to say that I DO NOT have the stuck pedal problem. I have what I think is a not smooth clutch engagement. If I'm not at a fairly high RPM and semi-slip the clutch, it shudders. It is much more pronounced in reverse. When they changed the fluid, it got lots better but it is still not smooth. I think I'll test drive a new one at the dealer and compare.
my 08 is my first newer corvette with a stick shift and the clutch did shudder when new. i though it was me since i had not had a stick shift corvette since my new 66 427-450 HP but it has smoothed out and now it seems very smooth on starts
 
Thanks motorman. I'm at 1,800 miles right now, how long did it take yours to get smoother?

cntrhub .. could you give me the theory in easy terms? I get lost very easy when it comes to technical things. I presume you are saying the rubber should be OK and that the whole discoloration is due to heat being built up in the clutch area and then being transmitted up through the whole hydraulics in the clutch system. Am I even close? :confused

I think I'll try the baster method of changing the fluid, and it sounds like I can use any old DOT4 brake fluid and I just need to be careful to not completely empty the reservoir. Remember please that I am mech challenged!
 
Tires brown in the sun like your skin if you were out in the sun all day you would peel off that brown stuff you are taking about. YOu throwing in trick questions?
 
cntrhub .. could you give me the theory in easy terms? I get lost very easy when it comes to technical things. I presume you are saying the rubber should be OK and that the whole discoloration is due to heat being built up in the clutch area and then being transmitted up through the whole hydraulics in the clutch system. Am I even close? :confused


WATT is dare to repeat? You want me to repeat what you just said? I'm pulling no punches here. It walks or nail me on it. It is basic and you keep telling yourself you are not following what I say to the T in the Tech Knee Cal Eye Tee? :boogie

Just open the the bleed screw, pour the new in and watch the old come out until it matches the same color fluid you are pouring in.
Ear me one more time. What are we about to do with the neglected owner and his (speaking in the generic) never bleed/service as pre service intervals? What about that chemical crystal reaction like electrical in the atmosphere is still in the water table, sorta speak. So you may have clean oil, but say you still have that chatter? Say new clutch with new flywheel, new arm, ball, throw out all the variables and you have everythinkg new except that chatter is still dare is that variable and.... Does it apply or is it for a different day, because you have that air in the line variable. You have the other tests to do way before you chase another part that might be a wrapped plate is the chatter? Rivet is pulled? Doubt it off the friction plate, but say the flywheel was never cut or there is a high spot or the face is just worn and that friction face hit on the fly is being slap chattered in the high spot of the wave in the flywheel?

So many variables and you just read the same tech as before like you do know what I am discussing...? What did you not understand working that chatter? I'm'm'm' justtttttaaaaa Chatttttt tat atttttating away ear.:W
 
Thanks motorman. I'm at 1,800 miles right now, how long did it take yours to get smoother?

cntrhub .. could you give me the theory in easy terms? I get lost very easy when it comes to technical things. I presume you are saying the rubber should be OK and that the whole discoloration is due to heat being built up in the clutch area and then being transmitted up through the whole hydraulics in the clutch system. Am I even close? :confused

I think I'll try the baster method of changing the fluid, and it sounds like I can use any old DOT4 brake fluid and I just need to be careful to not completely empty the reservoir. Remember please that I am mech challenged!
don't get any fluid on your paint because it will screw it up so be careful. my clutch smoothed out at 1,000 or so miles
 

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