1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of comm

[Bob King]

Clutch/flywheel/starter problems: Yesterday afternoon while driving in my hometown of Roseville, CA, I noticed a slight vibration (different from anything I'd felt before) on the clutch pedal, when I put my foot on it. After 15 or so clutch pushes and shifts, while shifting, fairly easily, into 2nd gear (while going up over an interstate overpass bridge) I heard and felt a loud pop from an area below and in front of my position. Then there was a loud grinding and clacking noise from the same area of the car. I was in traffic and was slowing down pretty fast and the engine died, so I popped the clutch in 4th gear and the engine started up again, with the same bad noise, and I made it to a stoplight (in some traffic) and the engine died again. When the traffic started up again, I hit the starter and the engine started but with the same loud grinding and clacking noise. I turned into a closeby driveway and the engine died again. A few minutes later I tried starting the engine again, but the starter was frozen/bound-up and would not turn over. I had the car loaded on a tow truck and taken a short distance to my home, bummer.

Later today I'm going to take off ther bellhousing cover and see what I can see.I enjoy working on and of course driving the Vette (it's Lemans blue and in pretty darn good shape, except, of course, the above noted problem). I'd like to get some good ideas about what I'm up against before I pick out a repair shop. I wish I had a lift so I could pull the trans. out and deal with it myself, but I don't. Thanks alot for your comments, thoughts, ideas, questions, suggestions about what has possibly/probably happened. Bob King

[Craig S.]

Re: 1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of

Bob - It sounds like you may have a problem with your flywheel/ring gear/starter. Since you were successful at drop clutch starting the engine, it sounds like the clutch and linkage is at least working somewhat(I still wouldn't rule out a throwout bearing issue or pressure plate issue). The fact that the starter is now frozen sounds very suspicious that there may have been an issue with the bendix. All of the above can be done on jackstands without a lift, granted, that makes it much more enjoyable. You should quickly be able to determine with the inspection cover off if you have issues in the starter/ring gear area, and, by looking into the bellhousing in the clutch fork area if you remove the rubber boot, you should be able to see the throwout bearing and pressure plate fingers. BTW, if you do take this job to a mechanic, make sure you don't trust the balance on the pressure plate etc, I would ALWAYS recommend a professional machine shop balance including the flywheel. Good luck!....Craig

[Mike McKown]

Re: 1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of

Sounds like you shredded a clutch disc lining and it jammed in the starter drive. That is, if you're lucky. Before you jack it up, put the car in fourth gear and rock it back and forth, both with the clutch in and out. If the starter will unjam and the engine starts, you can check the clutch for operation.

Mike

[Craig S.]

Re: 1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of

Mike - good points, makes more sense than my post and would explain the jam better...Craig

[Bob King]

Re: 1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of

Gentlemen - Thank you for your quick response. The tow truck left the car yesterday on my driveway. So this afternoon I tried starting up and the car started. My driveway into the garage is a little bit steep and it took high revs, at about 1500 -2000 rpm to get the car to move up into the garage, all the while is was making that clacking and banging sound (just like yesterday). It felt the sound/noise through the clutch pedal and the noise sounded like it was coming off the clutch and flywheel area. At least I know the starter is still working. So the car will drive, sort of, and it feels like it shifts the gears. I put the trans. in reverse when I shut the car down.

I jacked the car up and pulled three of the four bolts off of the bellhousing cover and then saw I had to remove the starter, and I decided to stop. I pulled the cover back a little bit to look inside but I could not see much, due to my position under the car and the fact that the cover can not be pulled back more than a half inch or so. I saw a few flywheel gears, that looked OK. Also I pulled the rubber boot off of the clutch fork, but could not see much there either.

What else can I tell you, or do? Thanks alot. Bob King

[Craig S.]

Re: 1969 Corvette coupe 350/300hp, 4-speed out of

Bob - it almost sounds certain per Mike's post you have an issue with the friction disc. This job can be done on with the car on jackstands in a garage, I have done it before. If you have reservations with doing it yourself, or your ability, you will need to find a competent mechanic. Whatever you do, make sure you balance the new parts that are installed by a quality machine shop, including the flywheel, which will probably require resurfacing or replacment. If you want to know for sure this is the problem before taking it somewhere, you will have to remove the starter, remove the dust shield over the flywheel and starter area, they peer in the area where the starter bendix/gear mate with the bellhousing. You should be able to see if there is debris from the friction disc of the clutch. This job is not terribly difficult but it is a tight fit in the corvette body for the transmission and bellhousing....best of luck, however you proceed...Craig