I need some help plzzz

[Camaroroller_3.9]

Ok my camaro has been acting up once again first time I had to replace the water pump so anyway this is my new prob. every time I push on th clutch to slow down my camaro dies on me it only does it every now and then...one of my dads friends said ir sounds like it mite be a release bearing in the motor do camaro have release bearings in the motor..........I'm new to workin on camaros and I really need some info if yeah know any info about this so called release bearing in the motor or is it b.s....plzz help me out someone

[fenderman]

The release bearing is in the clutch/flywheel assembly which is between the engine and transmission, not in the engine itself.

I have a very hard time believing that the release bearing is to blame. If it were the case I would think you'd notice a significant change in other things like the ease of shifting.

When your car dies, does the engine simply die or does it feel like it is struggling? In other words, do you feel a hesitation or pull before the engine dies or does it simply cut out? If anything in the clutch assembly is going to cause the motor to die, the motor WILL fight you and when the motor does die the car will come to a violent stop. Even if the release bearing is only partially disengaged the motor will still struggle to keep running as it dies and would be something you would notice.

I'm also not clear on the problem, as first you state that this happens every time and then in the very same sentence you state that it only does it now and again. Which one is it?

Next time you are on the highway and get up to speed push the clutch pedal all the way in and let the car coast. If the release bearing is functioning the engine RPMs will drop and level off to around 750 (or whatever your car idles at normally) while you are coasting. If the release bearing or something else with the clutch is malfunctioning the engine speed will not decrease much if at all. If you push the clutch in at anything above 1000 RPMs and the engine dies immediately then I would suspect something other than the release bearing/clutch assembly.