The hydraulic system does not need the motor started to work. Sounds like you have something together wrong. I would not try to start it till you figure it out. You may damage something depending on whats wrong. You did blead it?

I hope you went with the GM flywheel bolts. They will come loose if you did not. Any time you have a real short bolt that is torque to yield you cannot replace it with a Grade 8 bolt or any other type bolt. Strength is not the issue. It’s so short the fly wheel heating up and expanding will cause the bolt to stretch beyond its return point. Each time the car is driven more the 15-20 minutes the bolts will get a little longer. Heck I could make a set of bolts out of A2 tool steel and they would come loose.

If you remember old school bolts on manual flywheels the bolts where 1-1/2" long with thick spacers under the heads. That was so the stretching was within the limits of the steel bolt and it always returned to the original size. What I know about bolts does not come from being a former GM mechanic it comes from making bolts as a manufacturing engineer.

BTW: Hardware store Grade 8 bolts are not grade 8 bolts. They are much cheaper bolts with the grade 8 markings. A true grade 8 bolt is made from about the same steel as a snapon socket. I can not even buy the steel need to make a grade 8 bolt for what a hardware store sells a grade 8 bolt for. Since the bolts are not certified and they are imported there is nothing we can do about it.

 

I did not bleed the clutch yet. And for the bolts, I didn't use GM. What do you suggest I do? Is the tranny easy to pull without moving the engine?

 

Removing the tranny is easier then removing the engine. I would not expect the clutch to work until you got the air out of the lines.

 

Oh god I hope so. What is involved in removing the tranny? Should I unbolt it from the bell housing first or no?

 

Today I went to the GM dealer to buy bolts but they only had 2. Could I buy a pack of arp bolts (pack of 6) and use the 2 GM bolts I got?

 

How many does not matter. If you use one ARP bolt it will come loose. It will last a lot longer cause it will not damage anything until it falls into the clutch assemebly.

You should think about a shop manual. I would think it would be easiest to pull it all together, but it is more weight an, going back together it will be easier one pc at a time.

 

are you saying that i shouldnt use arp bolts or that i should use all the same bolts? And i do have a chilton manual that i follow

 

You should only use torque to yield bolts. ANY others will come loose.

 

can you show me a link to some bolts (set of 8 probely). I cant seem to find any

 

I ordered mine from my Dealer. It took them 24 hours to get them. I do not know of a aftermarket source.