Clutch Shudder

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:27 pm

Hey guys,

Got a new Exedy Cushion button clutch + New Slave cylinder + New Master cylinder and my clutch shudders and gears sometimes wont go into 1st. originally it was brilliant with the take up point being half way, but somehow it started to go downhill. so i eventually replaced the master cylinder.

Take up point is right at the start of touching the pedal(opp of firewall)

Any tips on how to cure this? should i be using a special fluid( mineral?)

What adjustments should i be making to the mastercylinder, extend or contract?

Thanks guys

Hobbsie · Post by **Hobbsie** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 5:58 pm

how many ks have you had the new clutch in for?

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:10 pm

I've similar issue with mine after replacing both master & slave. It was really weird, the pedal take up was off the firewall like yours. I flushed the fluid (I just used dot 4 brake fluid) and it sorta helped... but then after struggling with it for about a week (had to continually pump the pressure up to use the clutch) it eventually came right. Really weird....

but it been superb ever since.

I dunno, have you checked all the lines going from master to slave? any visible leaks? Also check the fluid level hasnt run to low in the master resevior. Try bleeding the system from the slave as well (you need 2 poeple to do it, 1 to pump, 1 to bleed)

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:59 am

hey guys,

yeah bled system twice with conventional system ( Not pressure bleading)
will have to try that this week.

Using castrol response dot 4 ( synthetic).

during a longer drive, always hard to put into gear and when it does shudder, if i slightly bring back the clutch a bit(towards me), its stops shuddering. wierd.

Does this mean i need to re adjust the master cylinder to shorten the piston movement so that it doesnt shudder?

oldie · Post by **oldie** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:11 pm

Re shudder, when you replaced the clutch did you resurface the flywheel, could also be engine mounts.
It also sounds like the clutch is dragging ( not releasing fully) after pushing the pedal to the floor try selecting reverse if it grates the clutch plate is still spinning, causes can be tight spigiot bearing, clutch plate sticking on splines( did you lubricate splines) or thrust bearing not pressing far enough, excessive free travel or air in system

long distance diagnosis is always a problem but the above gives you something to think about.

JOeJOe · Post by **JOeJOe** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:30 pm

oldie wrote:Re shudder, when you replaced the clutch did you resurface the flywheel, could also be engine mounts.
It also sounds like the clutch is dragging ( not releasing fully) after pushing the pedal to the floor try selecting reverse if it grates the clutch plate is still spinning, causes can be tight spigiot bearing, clutch plate sticking on splines( did you lubricate splines) or thrust bearing not pressing far enough, excessive free travel or air in system long distance diagnosis is always a problem but the above gives you something to think about.

That was a mouthfull

Now in Layman's terms???

Liquidity · Post by **Liquidity** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:15 pm

JOeJOe wrote: That was a mouthfull
Now in Layman's terms???

For you? take it to a mechanic.

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:59 am

hey guys, last night i adjusted the master cylinder to be of a shorter length just for curiosity and now it is not as hard to shift and does not shudder as much.

The only thing now is that the friction point is closer to the firewall but still at the end of the clutch range(opp of firewall) as the range is shortened(via shortening mastercylinder)

will make finer adjustments tonight.

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:59 pm

got my hydraulics properly blead(pressure)
and it still shudders badly when engine is hot. So this must leave air in the lines theory out.

Could this be a pressure plate issue?

oldie · Post by **oldie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:27 pm

Pressure plate or flywheel surfaces may not be flat or have hot spots, these are usually high! can also be eng mounts or eng not runing evenly on each cyl

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:17 pm

Hi guys,

I have had my Pressure plate replaced.

This has now reduced the shuddering/vibration in 1st gear(Standstill) to a bear minimum. - Might still be there

But its still hard to select 1st gear.

Any ideas?

bigpitty1 · Post by **bigpitty1** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:59 pm

Who fitted the pressure plate?... also when the pressure plate was getting fitted to the flywheel was the bolts tighten gradually, eg turning the bolts 3 times and moving to the next usually skipping one and doing the next and keep doing this til they are all tight.

This just allows the pressure plate to be tighten to the flywheel evenly, sometimes if it isn't done like this the fingers in the pressure plate might not be sitting even and will cause it to shudder.

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:24 pm

Hey guys,

Looks like the problem is still the same as before.

I have no idea what it is now.

Could it be a design fault of the clutch?

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:27 pm

Ok guys,

I have changed both north and south engine mounts and the engine revs smoothly in neutral.

There still seems to be the same issue of the engine shaking whilst in 1st gear(only when stopped). It feels like something is grabing the clutch and causing the car/engine to shake back and forwards.

When in 1st gear it also feels like the gear wont go back into neutral as easily as it when in.

Anyone got any ideas on how to cure this?
is this a east west engine mount issue or a engine allignment issue?

SchumieFan · Post by **SchumieFan** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:03 pm

has the vehicle had frontal damage before?

if it revs smothly in neutral it has to be the clutch that is causing the shudder not the engine mount... otherwise it would do it all the time whilst in gear too (correct?)

rebuild clutch and everything to do with

FtoSam · Post by **FtoSam** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:03 pm

take it to joe and ricks mechanical...

tell em sam sent you...

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:00 pm

Ive had a front crash a long long time ago... but it was going like 20kph.
I highly doubt it was that as then i would have this problem ages ago.

The problem is

1. stopped, In 1st Gear, Clutch Depressed.
- Engine sometimes Shake feeling like the clutch is grabing sometimes
- If you rev it whilst shaking, it gets worse.

2. Sometimes, It may be hard to put into 1st,2nd and 3rd when stopped.
- If i cant get it into gear, i put the gear knob just at the gate of 1st gear and roll the car foward which seems to let the gear go in.

I dont get any vibration or shaking whilst driving in any gear 10 - 110kph

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:18 pm

has anyone replaced their east west mounts(transmission??) ?

Just wondering how much are these?

Post by **Bennoz** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:30 pm

Dunno if its mounts

Still sounds like a hydraulic issue... Do you have any problems getting it into other gears? If you have trouble getting it into 1st, does a few pumps of the pedal help?

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:25 pm

no not really, but the interesting thing is that if i let the car roll, it will eventually let the gear engage 1st.

ive replaced master, slave and done pressure bleed, so i wouldnt think it is hydraulics.

Plus, if i rev in 1st gear 10 - 60kph est full thottle i have a lot of traction and torque steer problems. thats why i think its a engine allignment/ engine mount issue.