Unfortunately, I am talking about some of the noises C3 Corvettes tend to make at one point or another.
I hate creaks, squeaks, groans, and rattles emanating from vehicles, and my '76 Stingray made a lot of unwanted sounds when I first got it.
Slowly I've been chasing all those noises trying to get to the source of each and everyone in order to eliminate them, a process that takes time, but worth the effort in my opinion.
One of the most obnoxious rattles manifested itself after I had the engine rebuilt.
I am not sure if the shop that did the motor removal and reinstall failed to use the factory clutch anti-rattle spring, but the clutch pedal rattling started shortly thereafter.
I assume that vibrations from the motor and/or transmission traveled through the rods and Z-bar all the way into the cabin, ending at the clutch and brake pedal assembly, which caused a loud rattle right at the clutch pedal. If I pressed slightly on the pedal, the rattle would go away, but that's hardly a solution to such a problem, so this missing spring had to be the answer.
There are two springs that connect to the rod that moves the clutch fork. One attaches from the middle of the clutch release rod to the Z-bar. The other from the same rod to the clutch fork itself. This second spring was missing.
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| Above: This image by Willcox Corvette clearly shows the location of the clutch anti-rattle springs. |
Two shops tried to solve the mystery, but eventually, both failed in their attempt, so I turned to the Internet to see if I could figure out where that annoying rattle was coming from.
Fortunately, there were a few forum posts on the matter with the best answer provided by Willcox Corvette, and the image above explains how to solve a problem that seems to afflict manual transmission Corvettes from 1956 through 1981.
Best of all, this is a very easy repair that most DIY home mechanics can perform in a matter of minutes with the right parts and tools.
In my case, I tried to crawl under my Vette but there was no way for me to fit my body under it without lifting the car. And even if I was able to somehow squeeze under it, there's no room to get anything done.
Fortunately, I had recently ordered a set of RhinoRamps from Amazon, which gave me enough room to crawl under my Corvette in order to install the missing clutch anti-rattle spring.
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| Above: You will need car ramps or a jack in order to be able to install the clutch anti-rattle spring. |
With my Stingray sitting securely on the new ramps, I crawled under it and located the spots where the anti-rattle spring connected. One in the clutch rod, and the other in the clutch fork itself.
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| Above: I first connected the anti-rattle spring to the clutch release rod. |
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| Above: Then I hooked the other end to the clutch fork by stretching the spring with needle-nose pliers. |
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| Above: Fortunately, the clutch fork has a slot that allows you to hook the anti-rattle spring to it. |
The clutch rod on my car had eye hooks for the springs. Apparently, older Corvettes had holes drilled into the rod. Not sure if that's the case but if true it would probably make hooking the springs a bit harder.
Since installing the missing clutch anti-rattle spring, I've driven my car for about an hour in both street and interstate traffic, and I am happy to report that the annoying clutch rattle is no longer there so this inexpensive spring may have solved the mystery and also fixed the problem.
Thanks for following my '76 Vette Blog!
Product Links... (#sponsored)
• Rhino Ramps (12,000 pounds)
• 1956-1981 Corvette Clutch Fork Anti-Rattle Spring