2004 Pontiac GTO Clutch Install - Shifting Stability

Now we are down to the flywheel; note the small dark spots on it. This is not evidence of any real hard use, but in the future with more power, rest assured it will be riddled with blue heat marks.

Take out the six 15mm flywheel bolts and remove the flywheel. This is a two-person job as the flywheel has an interference fit on the crank from the factory and may require someone with a small prybar to push it away from the block. This sucker is quite heavy, so be ready for a jolt when it pops loose. Normally, this would be the step where we would replace the pilot bearing (included in the spec kit) on a higher-mileage Pontiac, but most experts agree that unless the car has over 5,000 miles or so, there really is no need to replace it. Our GTO had only 1,800 miles on it, so we were well within the accepted limit. If you do choose to replace the pilot bearing, be sure it still has sufficient grease on it. You should lube up the input shaft on reassembly anyhow, but it never hurts to put some extra high-temp bearing grease in the bearing cavity as well. Just a little, though-you don't want grease getting all over your brand-new clutch disc.

With all the stock components removed, you can really see the difference between the organic stock clutch and the carbon-metallic S.P.E.C. Stage 3 clutch assembly. Besides the huge improvement in clamping force the S.P.E.C. Stage 3 will provide, it also eliminates quite a bit of rotating mass. The stock clutch/flywheel/ pressure-plate assembly for the '04 GTO weighs in at a hefty 49 pounds-the S.P.E.C. weighs a measly 34. This allows the LS1 to rev up quite a bit faster than before, due to the 15-pound reduction in rotating mass.

When ordered with a flywheel, the S.P.E.C. Stage 3 comes assembled and balanced from the factory. Before disassembling it for installation, make sure you mark the flywheel position relative to the pressure plate, as we did with a paint pen. This simple step ensures a proper balance and will save you the headache of having to tear down the Pontiac again. Reusing the factory bolts and some thread-lock, attach the new spec flywheel to the crankshaft. Torque the bolts in the sequence shown in the diagram to 15 ft-lb on the first pass, 37 ft-lb on the second pass, and 74 ft-lb on the third pass.

Insert the clutch between the pressure plate and flywheel, and start all the included hex-head bolts and lock washers into their respective holes; thread lock is not required but recommended. Using the included pilot tool, line up the clutch and pressure plate so that the pilot tool floats as freely as possible. Leaving the pilot tool in place, torque the pressure plate to 52 ft-lb in the sequence shown in the diagram. Be sure to check the pilot tool movement after each step in the torque sequence to ensure nothing changed.

Remove the stock throwout bearing and replace it with the new included throwout bearing. Removal is as simple as twisting and pulling. Installation is equally as simple by just pressing it into place with your hand and making sure the spring floats freely. The new bearing comes prelubed.

With the engine side of things nearly com-pleted, it's time to replace that stick-in-the-mud-feeling stock shifter with something far more precise. To complete this job, you must first remove the stock shift knob from the stock shifter shaft. This is as simple as pulling the knob away from the shaft while it's retained in a vise.