Bob King

Today, while driving my blue 69', I noticed a vibration from the clutch pedal tahy was unusal and different. After about 10 - 15 clutch pushes, while shifting fairly easily into 2nd, I heard and felt a pretty loud pop and then it sounded like the engine or transmission or flywheel was grinding or clacking. The engine died, but since I was going doing hill, I popped the clutch (I was in traffic), and the grinding clacking started up again. I had to stopped for a stoplight and traffic and the car died again. Once the traffic started moving again I hit the starter and the car started but with the same grinding and clacking noise. I immediately pulled into a driveway and stopped. I tried to start the motor again but the starter would not turn over, like the starter gear was frozen/locked/bound-up. I had the beautiful Lemans blue Vette loaded on a tow truck and brought a short distance home.

I'm thinking the clutch throw-out bearing is gone, the flywheel is busted and/or gear teeth are stripped and maybe the starter motor is messed up too.

Any comments, questions, ideas are gratefully appreciated. I want to get some kind of idea before I start looking for a repair shop. I wish I could fix this one, I possibly could, but I think it's pretty serious damage and I really enjoy driving the car. I do not believe the flywheel has ever been replaced; I was told when I bought the car that the transmission had been rebuilt, but I have no paperwork on this (I have paperwork on the engine rebuild). I believe the starter motor is original, but I have not checked the numbers. The car has alot of original parts and I want to keep it as original as possible.

Thanks again. Bob King

A C

You could have broken a clutch disc, but it's hard to say. It could be a lot of things. If anything in the drivetrain locked up, it would stop your starter from turning the car over. I would start by unbolting the bellhousing and seeing what it looks like underneath.

AC

74 vert

First post? Welcome to the forum.