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2001 Camaro SS Centerforce Clutch - Clutch PayWe Swap The Stock Clutch In An ’01 SS With a New Lightweight System From Centerforce From the March, 2009 issue of Camaro Performers
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Here’s what we will be installing... Here’s what we will be installing in the SS. The Centerforce LM Series is a specifically-designed, low-inertia, SFI-approved performance clutch that dramatically reduces engine rotating mass. Their LM pressure plate (PN LM360010), dual-friction clutch disc (PN 017010), and lightweight aluminum flywheel (PN 900142) are designed to grip hard, yet weigh a lot less than the stock stuff. The flywheel (13-pounds) and pressure plate (16-pounds) combine to knock off some serious pounds.
On a Camaro with a manual transmission the clutch is a critical piece if you want to gain any sort of forward momentum. It’s the crucial item that connects the engine to the transmission, and without it, rowing through the gears of our F-bodies would be virtually impossible. As we ratchet up the output of our engines, the clutch becomes even more important, and the associated parts need to be designed to hold the power and dispatch it properly through the transmission and rear wheels−where all the fun happens.
We at Camaro Performers magazine have a vast interest in high-performance clutch systems, so we contacted the folks at Centerforce to see if there was anything new on their shelves for us to give a try. They were pleased to inform us of their Light Metal (LM) assemblies. According to Will Baty, of Centerforce, “The original intended use of the LM series was for the circle track racers, but as the newer cars started coming with five and six-speed transmissions, and with a low first gear, the LM clutches started really taking off. For the guy who has a large displacement, or blown engine unraveling tons of bottom-end torque, the Light Metal clutch really helps to utilize the engines’ torque potential without smoking the tires. It reduces the inertia, making the car feel like it has a taller, or higher first gear, which in turn, allows the car to accelerate without blowing the tires off as easily. For on-track situations, the LM assembly really shines coming out of a corner. You can really feel the car accelerate quicker as you run through the gears.”
According to Centerforce, their dual-friction LM clutch wasn’t any more difficult to install than any other units. To test this out, we brought Jose DeAnda’s ’01 SS to Don Lee Auto, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, for a little clutch TLC.
With the trans in we were able to re-connect the hydraulic line and various wires. All that was left to do was re-attach the driveshaft and exhaust system. Since we pre-bled the new slave we shouldn’t have to bleed the system, but we did need to top off the clutch fluid. Centerforce recommends a 400-500-mile break in period, so you’ll need to take it easy on the new clutch. This needs to be done around town where you’re actually using the clutch often, so a long cruise on the highway doesn’t count.
The Drill Mod
Centerforce recommends that if you have more than 10-20,000 miles on your clutch master that it be replaced when installing a new high-performance clutch. This is especially true if your clutch fluid is dark and dingy looking. This is a sign that the seals and internals are breaking down. Even if your clutch master is in great shape, you may need to pull it anyway to do the world-renowned “drill mod”. This procedure is done to remove the restriction that GM so cleverly put in the line from your clutch master to your transmission. The restriction was put there to slow the movement of hydraulic fluid and thus the clutch operation. The theory was that this would reduce shock to the driveline, but the cost is poorer clutch operation in performance driving.
This restriction cuts down your line’s inside diameter (I.D.) by about 50-percent, and by drilling it out you can end up with much quicker pedal response. It basically involves removing the steel braided line from your clutch master. By using a 1/8-inch drill bit, slowly remove the obstruction put there by some cruel GM engineer. Just be sure to flush out the line before putting it back on your car. Our understanding is that ’01 and newer clutch masters, like the new one in Jose’s SS, have this obstruction already removed, but if yours has one, drill it out. You can get complete blow-by-blow details on how to do this simple modification over at www.installuniversity.com.
 Under Jose’s Camaro is the...  Under Jose’s Camaro is the ever-popular Tremec T56 transmission. Jose has well over 50,000 miles on his ride, and even with all of the upgrades he’s done, it still relies the original factory clutch.
Before raising the car on... 
Before raising the car on the lift we were sure to disconnect the throttle body from the air intake hose. This is done to relieve stress on the air lid once we tilt the trans and engine back.
First up was pulling the... 
First up was pulling the driveshaft. Unless you want a big mess, make sure you have the appropriate plug for the back of the tranny.
 Next, we removed the factory...  Next, we removed the factory torque arm. To take pressure off the arm we used a pole jack to lift the pan hard rod. With the torque arm gone we’re then able to remove the forward section of the exhaust system.
 Using a special tool we disconnected...  Using a special tool we disconnected the hydraulic line from the transmission. If you don’t have a tool you can use a flat blade screwdriver, but it generally gouges up the fitting unless you’re real careful. From there we disconnected the rest of the wiring going to the T56.
 With the trans supported by...  With the trans supported by a tranny jack, we lowered it down a bit. This let us access the bolts that hold the shifter to the trans. This way we didn’t need to disassemble anything inside the car.
Because the transmission... 
Because the transmission is angled down a bit, we were able to get to the top bolts using a very long extension bar and a swivel socket.
With the transmission unbolted... 
With the transmission unbolted from the bellhousing, we were able to get our first glimpse of the factory clutch.
 Now that the bellhousing and...  Now that the bellhousing and clutch disc were out of the way we were able to inspect the flywheel. Looks like Jose doesn’t baby his Camaro much, since the flywheel looks like toast.
The new flywheel is bolted... 
The new flywheel is bolted in place using the factory-style bolts supplied by Centerforce. Once in place we torqued it to spec. According to Centerforce’s Will Batey, “When coupled with our LM pressure plate the rotating mass is reduced by 16 pounds, and that is just the static weight. The clutch and flywheel are bolted to the crank, which makes it dynamic weight, not static. The location of weight on the radius has a huge effect on how light or heavy the assembly is, and how the engine responds.”
Using a GM 26-spline installation... 
Using a GM 26-spline installation tool we then put the dual-friction disc in place. Baty stated, “We also use a stronger disc hub on our dual-friction disc with organic material on both sides. This drastically increases the PSI factor on the entire assembly. I have an analogy that I like to use when describing the puc-style disc. Imagine a 100-pound woman standing on your chest with walking shoes on. Now have her put her high heels on and stand on your chest again. Her weight is now concentrated to the small part of her heel increasing the pressure you feel (PSI). This is the same concept with the dual friction & LM disc. Instead of a solid or full-face friction facing, we’re now squeezing on small points of friction (woman in heels) increasing the PSI for more holding force.”
 With the disc in place we...  With the disc in place we were able to install the LM pressure plate. Baty explained to Camaro Performers, “The Light Metal Assembly has many advantages over the OE Pressure plate. The LM (Light Metal) pressure plate is about five pounds lighter than the OE pressure plate with over double the clamp load/pressure compared to OE. The release rate (amount of travel to release the disc) on the LM is faster than OE as well. The stock hydraulics have enough issues already, so having a quicker release rate is a bonus.” 
Here’s a hot tip: Before... 
Here’s a hot tip: Before putting the bellhousing back in place, be sure to coat the pins with a generous amount of bearing grease. This will make your job much easier if you ever have to pull it back apart again.
 We were sure to inspect our...  We were sure to inspect our pilot bushing for wear. This is the time to replace it if it’s worn. Ours was in great shape so we just gave it a liberal coating of bearing grease.
We were also sure to use... 
We were also sure to use blue thread locker on the flywheel and pressure plate bolts. Having them back out would definitely fall into the “bad” category.
 Unless the throw out bearing...  Unless the throw out bearing and slave cylinder are nearly new you should replace them. The part is only around $150 and you certainly don’t want to pull the trans back out anytime soon if you don’t have to.
 Our slave cylinder didn’t...  Our slave cylinder didn’t come pre-bled so we needed to do this. The easiest way was by hooking it to the hydraulic lines, opening the bleeder valve (with it pointing up), then pumping the slave until fluid flowed from the breather. Once bled, we closed the bleeder valve, disconnected the slave from the hydraulic line, and installed it onto the T56.
 We could now stab the Tremec...  We could now stab the Tremec back under the Camaro and bolt it back in place. It took some persuading to get the splined shaft back in, but some patience and wiggling of the tranny did the trick. If it doesn’t come close to fitting, double check that you’ve removed the alignment tool. Hey, we’ve seen it happen.
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