1999 Chevrolet Corvette Head & Exhaust Upgrade - Unlocking The Combination

The bellhousing and pressure plate are removed with a 13mm socket, and finally the flywheel with a 15mm socket. A puller is used to remove the pilot bearing from the crank, which will be replaced by the unit supplied with the new clutch.

The ARP head bolts are removed, as are the heads, before the lifters (and trays) can be pulled from the block with a magnet.

A pulley removal tool is used on the crank pulley to gain access to the timing cover, oil pump, pickup tube, timing set, and cam retainer-all of which require a 10mm socket to remove. Eventually the cam slides right out, and disassembly is pretty much done.

A LuK Pro Gold clutch set (PN 04-903) was chosen for its reputation for near-OEM feel. The single organic disc has proved to hold on most naturally aspirated applications and even quite a few forced induction Gen IIIs. A matched, adjustable pressure plate is also included as is an aluminum flywheel and pilot bearing.

As per LuK's specs, the flywheel is torqued with 75 lb-ft after the stock bolts have been treated with Teflon to prevent oil from leaking onto the clutch. LuK supplied bolts for the flywheel, however, A&A has found that they are the wrong thread for Vettes (though they may be OK for other Gen III applications).

A junked torque tube was used to create A&A's favored alignment tool for the clutch and pressure plate, which is installed and torqued to 55 lb-ft. Once the master cylinder is replaced, all that's left is reinstalling the bellhousing.

COMP Cams hooked us up with this custom-grind hydraulic roller made to A&A's specs that would be not only completely streetable and work with the rest of the combination, but would also keep hydrocarbons and other harmful emissions to a minimum. To achieve this, A&A Proprietor Andy Green had COMP use an LSK intake lobe with 223 degrees of duration at .050 and .637-inch lift, and an XE-R exhaust lobe with 228 degrees of duration at .050 and .571-inch lift. The lobes are separated by 114 degrees for optimum overlap.

After some GM assembly lube, the cam is inserted into the block. The bolts on the cam retainer plate are treated with red Loctite and torqued to 18 lb-ft to make sure these bolts don't walk themselves out as the cam spins furiously.

A special puller tool is used to remove the crank drive gear on the timing set, so that it (and the rest of the timing set) can be replaced by a single-row LS2 timing set purchased by the owner via A&A from Scoggin-Dickey (PN SD7240). The bolts on the cam gear are snugged first in an alternating pattern, then torqued to 18 lb-ft, using plenty of red Loctite. The oil pump is greased and slid onto the pickup tube, and a new main seal is installed for good measure as is a new set of GM lifters.