What is is with kids and cars. I swear my Daughter's Camaro is going to drive me to start drinking. Over the Thanksgiving weekend we changed the oil in it. She was putting the drain plug back in and it stripped out. Not her fault, her arms are as big as my thumbs. Obviously stripped by the previous owner or the Jiffy Jerks. We are lucky it hadn't come loose. Since we were doing this at my parents house the closest parts store was 45 minutes away. We get to the parts house and discover that the plug that was in it is already two sizes larger than stock. Great. 
I picked up an assortment of possible fixes and we head back to the parents. After sticking my finger in the hole I discover there isn't enough material to tap it again without ripping the bung out of the pan. Great. 
She had to leave for college the next morning so dropping the pan for a permanent repair was out. I ended up sticking one of the rubber expanding plugs in it. 
On the way back to school she calls me. Dad, the car went bang and now it's rattling. The first thought that goes through my head is that damn rubber plug. It's fallen out and blown the engine. She had already checked the oil and it was still full. All the belts and hoses were still on it. I told her to drive it to the closest gas station. It won't move. Apparently the clutch has come apart. Naturally it was two hours from home on the side of I-95. AAA towed it to an aunts house and I got to spend last Saturday going to get it...again.
She got home from college Thursday and I put her to work tracking down the parts. She called me Friday and told me Rock Auto has four kits for that car and she isn't sure which one to get. Prices are $150-$190. She is the one paying for the parts, but she isn't sure if the cheapest one is the best one to get. Three of them are companies I have never heard of and the most expensive is AC Delco. I told her that if it was my car I would probably get the Delco one but any of them should work fine. She needed to look at her finances and make a decision. She actually bought the expensive one. She says she doesn't ever want to have to replace it again. Now she is deciding whether she wants to pay someone $300 to change it or if she wants me to help her do it herself. I'm waiting that decision with trepidation. I really don't want to do a Camaro clutch.
It is kind off sad that my little girl is growing up. It is also very cool at the same time. It's a good feeling watching them make decisions like a responsible adult. She's got a good head on her shoulders. I'm glad of it. 
Sorry for the epistle.
If it's a V6, those aren't too bad to put a clutch in. Well V8's require child slave labor to do correctly.
But still. It could ALWAYS be worse.
Well my pappy always said, "son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin if you don't stop drivin that hot rod lincoln"
EvanB wrote:
Well my pappy always said, "son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin if you don't stop drivin that hot rod lincoln"
as soon as i started reading the original post i knew it would just be a matter of time before somebody made a johhny cash reference
In reply to grimmelshanks:
Charlie Ryan and the Timberline Riders. The original.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MS9fk1u6kA
Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. The most well known.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QpDvhshOQ
This is Johnny Cash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X18mtr1nFsM
Just for fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4W7oZBhAJg
Had one of this body style a lo-o-ong time ago. Mine had an OHV 6-cyl. If it would have had the Nash seats I might still have it today.
Sorry but the link button isn't working.
I learned a lot about cars growing up from my parents. I always keep my Dad in the loop on what I'm doing, and I can tell he gets a kick out of the fact that the car gene has been passed on to another generation. I'm looking forward to teaching my sons how to work on cars. You definitely learn a lot of life lessons through it...
http://www.deadmilkmen.com/lyrics/bitchin_camaro.html
That sucks. Pic of her w/ the car for reference? 
What year and drivetrain is this Camaro? I am guessing it is a 93-98 V6 car, if so you are correct in not wanting to do the trans before looking at it. The cowl looks like it interferes with a lot of working space. It isn't as bad as it looks.
Look at this way, since her car isn't perfect she is learning the lesson that not taking good care of it will seriously impact her finances. My sister got a flat tire one night when she had my Mom's car out for a drive somewheres. She didn't know how to fix it so she drove it home (we lived a few miles from town) and my parents tell the story that they could hear her coming down the road for 10 or 15 minutes. My Dad made her change the tire before going to bed that night. The car in question? A '51 Plymouth.
In reply to John Brown:
It's a 95. The entire back half of the engine is under the windshield.
Good thing the daughter has skinny arms. 
In reply to integraguy:
Oh yes, she is learning all kinds of important lessons. I may be an alcoholic before she finishes, but they will stand her in good stead for a long time. I'm pretty sure it's worth it. Ask me about half way through the clutch change and I will let you know.
Update: She has decided that paying to have it replaced isn't in her budget. Looks like we will be learning all about Camaro clutch replacement. Hopefully it won't be too bad. I guess I can take care of the oil pan while we are in there.
I'm in the middle of doing a clutch on SWMBO's '01 V8. Haynes manual says to pull the bellhousing out in one piece with the transmission, but Mcleod Clutch Install How-To says to take the transmission out first, then the bellhousing. After getting the trans out, it makes accessing the bellhousing bolts MUCH easier. A swivel-joint and looooong extensions are a must.
College girl who works on her own car!? Thats pretty awesome.
The clutch is successfully changed. 
Took under 5 hours to change the pressure plate, disk, throw out bearing, pilot bushing and flywheel. Probably one of the easiest ones I have ever done. With the V6 and the smaller 5 speed there is a ton of room in the transmission tunnel.
The old disk exploded into a pile of dust and metal fragments. Parts of it stuck in the pressure plate and started machining a groove in the bellhousing. I have never seen one come apart like that. It had obviously been slipping rather badly. The pressure plate and flywheel were badly discolored. Almost blue in places. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and change the flywheel. It was only $70, and it was going to cost $60 to get it turned.
Done.
Five hours doesn't sound bad at all. Nice work.
I'm not looking forward to doing a clutch on my v8/t56 car, but its still gripping good now at 92k.
Five hours? Alldata pays something like 3.8. You best hustle if you want to make some money.
