Sleonard65 Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Looking for a garage in the Harrisburg Pa. area that can install a clutch in a 1963 corvette convertible with a 327 hp engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Typical GM 10 spline disc. Nothing special there. Most any older transmission shop will have experience. But you want a shop that will take care of the car too.👍 Any local Corvette club? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 I like Centerforce clutches. Much easier on the left foot than stock. ps 327 is a displacement rather than a hp. Used to tell which engine by the redline on the tach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 4 hours ago, Sleonard65 said: Looking for a garage in the Harrisburg Pa. area that can install a clutch in a 1963 corvette convertible with a 327 hp engine. I never used him but a good friend of mine who lived in Hummelstown PA (who has since passed away) always spoke highly of Rick Hoover in Middletown PA (717) 944 0656. Good Luck in your search 3 hours ago, padgett said: I like Centerforce clutches. Much easier on the left foot than stock. ps 327 is a displacement rather than a hp. Used to tell which engine by the redline on the tach. Mr P always good to see you helping out an OP with your knowledge on the specific question when asked, and not taking the subject off the rails. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 You are quite welcome. Herr John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Lancaster county PA has a very active corvette club, might want to check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, padgett said: You are quite welcome. Herr John. Mr P I was not complimenting you........ Edited February 22, 2020 by John348 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleonard65 Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 I visited Rick Hoover's shop today. Rick was not there but it looks like a nice shop. Not the easiest to find but I did. I will let you know how it works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 1 minute ago, Sleonard65 said: I visited Rick Hoover's shop today. Rick was not there but it looks like a nice shop. Not the easiest to find but I did. I will let you know how it works out. Please do, my friends name was Ron Flory. Rick might remember him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Like I care but good to see the glee club is back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezestaak2000 Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 not a real easy job, you gotta take the tranny and bell housing out as a unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Misinformation is going to overwhelm all of us if we do not correct errors when we see them. Some very beautiful and expensive "Coffee Table Books" that are available today contain many many errors. Another site I am on has three identical pictures of old motorcycles in three different places. One says " William Harley and Arthur Davidson" one says "1914 Old photo of Harley Davidson Motorcycle" and the third one gives the riders different names. 3 minutes ago, cheezestaak2000 said: not a real easy job, you gotta take the tranny and bell housing out as a unit Not easy but many cars have the transmission bolted to the bell housing from the inside. If I were being paid by the hour why would I care. More time is more money in my pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Guess when I bought my split window in '70 it already had the HD (large shaft) Muncie. I don't remember doing anything odd to replace the clutch. Since it had been a race car since new it is not really surprising, the early Stingray trannys were pretty weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 in the early 1980s, I did mechanical repairs in a corvette restoration shop, it was my experience that changing the clutch in small block corvettes was harder than the big block corvettes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capngrog Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Clutch repair/change in a '63 'Vette is not overly complicated as I recall. Drop the drive shaft (easy-breezy), disconnect the shift linkage and clutch linkage, brace the engine (the rear motor mounts are on the transmission)' unbolt the transmission from the bell housing, unbolt the bell housing and voila, there you are. Unbolt the pressure plate assembly from the flywheel and if the flywheel face is O.K., install a new clutch disc and pressure plate. If the flywheel face is scored or glazed, remove the flywheel and have it re-surfaced or acquire a new one. That is the process as I remember it, but it has been a long time ago since I wrenched on my '64 'Vette. I raced it (time trials mostly) which afforded me ample opportunity for correcting "problems" (usually caused by me). It isn't that big of a deal. Cheers, Grog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gray Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 7 hours ago, capngrog said: Clutch repair/change in a '63 'Vette is not overly complicated as I recall. Drop the drive shaft (easy-breezy), disconnect the shift linkage and clutch linkage, brace the engine (the rear motor mounts are on the transmission)' unbolt the transmission from the bell housing, unbolt the bell housing and voila, there you are. Unbolt the pressure plate assembly from the flywheel and if the flywheel face is O.K., install a new clutch disc and pressure plate. If the flywheel face is scored or glazed, remove the flywheel and have it re-surfaced or acquire a new one. That is the process as I remember it, but it has been a long time ago since I wrenched on my '64 'Vette. I raced it (time trials mostly) which afforded me ample opportunity for correcting "problems" (usually caused by me). It isn't that big of a deal. Cheers, Grog This is about right. Not a very tough job. If the car is still equipped with an underneath exhaust system, this can be as time consuming to remove than the actual clutch job. Small block and big blocks are no different in difficulty. I have done many of these jobs on midyears and it is not that complicated, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh9222 Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 I replaced my several years ago by myself in my garage. I remember I had a hard time replacing the pilot bearing because of some sizing issue. I used two or three jacks to help me lift and align the transmission the to engine, largely because I was alone. I'm never in any hurry so it took me quite a while but I did a lot of scraping (a prior owner sprayed undergoing everywhere), cleaning and painting. I still haven't got the fiberglass as white as I'd like but it's much better. I also had my u-joints replaced and my drive shaft balanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Pilot bearing: did you use the grease and hammer method ? It works. My most primitive clutch job was for my 70 GS: on an oak tree root. Youth is wasted on the young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 11 minutes ago, padgett said: ..... My most primitive clutch job was for my 70 GS: on an oak tree root. Youth is wasted on the young. I didn’t waste mine. I had fun! A little crazy but fun ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter J.Heizmann Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 On 2/22/2020 at 6:48 PM, John348 said: Please do, my friends name was Ron Flory. Rick might remember him. Hi, John. You hit the nail on the head. Rick is a great guy. Extremely talented and is very upfront if the job fits his facilities or not. p.s. Hard to believe it has been almost 13 years since Ron Flory passed away on 3/30/07. FYI to those who did not know Ron he had no less than "2" identically restored 1960 Chevy Sport Coupes both top award winners. When he and his wife Judy drove them onto the show field people would look twice if you will. Regards bud. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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