2001 v6 Camaro
Do you have to remove the Tranny to replace the master and slave cylinder for a hydroulic clutch?
How do you check the clutch fluids and where? is the filler and drain plug located

 

yes. the tranny needs to be dropped. I would highly suggest letting a shop take care of it. it may be expensive, but there are alot of things that can go wrong during the install that you wont want to have to break back in there to get to

 

thanks so were is the filler and drain plug located?

 

look next to your brake fluid reservoir. There's a little one on the driver side of the car. You use dot 3 brake fluid in it. If it's empty, you should bleed the clutch. That's where my info runs short, someone else should chime in about how to do that.

 

thanks I will look
anyone else?

 

Replacing the master cylinder is easy as all get out. There is a panel under the dash that you will need to remove. From there find the linkage on the pedal to the m/c and pop it off with a screw driver but make sure to save that little clip. The bolts holding the master to the firewall are 13mm, and its actually a U-bolt. Once youve got it unbolted, just kinda shove it forward as best you can. Your going to have to raise the car up enough to get you arm up the that area from under the drivers side of the engine. To get the master out tilt the front of it further down and towards the passenger side, then pull, it will take some finagling to get out. Then the only thing holding the hydraulic line to the m/c is a roll pin, theres more than one way to get it out, but I used vice grips to push one end further out then grabbed that end. Installing the new one is the reverse of that, no special tricks or nothing to make it easier, sorry. Then the bleeder screw is the bronze thing sticking out of your trans above the hydraulic line. Both of those are attached directly to the slave cylinder. The bleeder screw should be an 11mm wrench and it will take a little bit before you start to get fluid. However, before you begin bleeding using the peddle, gravity bleed ALL of the old clutch fluid out. Mine was pitch black, dont know what yours looks like. Once that is done, close the bleeder screw and pump the clutch pedal, preferably by hand, until it starts to firm up. Once it firms up bleed it just like you would brakes, until the fluid runs clear and the pedal resistance is uniform between bleeding.

I dont have many pics, but I gotta go to bed now, Ill get some tommorow for you. Only took me about an hour to change out and bleed. One last thing, dont get too frustrated, it is located in an absolutely retarded spot, youre going to be pulling it out blind and installing the master cylinder blind due to the brake booster's location. Just feel around and have a buddy help.

Hope this helps!

 

What are the signs of the fluid being low or needing to be bled/changed? I know I sometimes have troubles getting into 1st 2nd or Reverse. I wasn't sure if something is wrong with the clutch/tranny or if it's just sometimes takes letting out the clutch some to catch and get it into gear. (both 1st and Rev, if it's not going in I let the clutch about halfway out and it slides into gear.)

Am I crazy or does this sound like I should look into it?

 

mine does the same thing, once in a while (notreal often) I have to let the clutch out a little to get it into 1st or rev. I wouldn't really worry about it if I were you. As long as there is no grinding. Reverse and i believe first don't have a synchronizer so the teeth may get in a bind and not mesh so you have to move the geara littleto get them to engage (when you let the clutch out a little). Someone please correct me if I am wrong.