Clutch chatter

1994gt

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
115
Reaction score
0
First off, I'd like to apologize if this is too long. Car is a 94 gt vert. 5.0 with stock T5. Put a new clutch in about 7-8 months ago. Had quite the ordeal with the clutch replacement. I bought a stock replacement clutch and flywheel from autozone and installed it with no problems, until I drove it. Had bad vibrations and after looking in inspection cover I could tell the flywheel was warped. 2 weeks later I took that clutch out and back. I then bought a stock replacement clutch from Oreilly and used the old ford flywheel but the clutch fork had 2 flat spots worn in where it appeared the throw out bearing seized on it. It was the weekend and it's my dd so I couldnt afford the time to let it sit while I ordered a new one, so I ground on the fork just enough to get it round again. This worked well and reinstalled everything. So after all this, I had a new pilot bearing, new clutch, new throw out bearing, stock ford flywheel, ground on clutch fork, and stock pivot ball. Also upgraded to MM clutch cable, firewall adjuster, and aluminum qiuadrant. After all this, the clutch worked perfect. No issues.

This brings me to today. I'm having similar symptoms but not exact. Getting chatter from the clutch, pretty sure that were its coming from, going from a dead stop in first gear and going in reverse. If I start downhill in first or I'm rolling it doesn't do it. After I get going, it's totally fine. No vibrations or chatter. I tried starting in second gear and it didn't fo it either. It doesn't do it when the car is cold. After it is driven for a bit it will start to do it and come and go. Sometimes not too bad and others pretty bad. Car is loved now with all new shocks and struts, even new quad shocks. Replaced the rear upper and lower control arms as well. Fyi...it was doing this before I replaced the rear suspension.

Question is, would a worn out clutch fork and pivot ball stud and maybe a throw out bearing be causing this or would it be the clutch and flywheel itself? Cruising around going through the gears, it's fine. No problems. Tried seeing if the clutch was slipping, and it's not. My thoughts are, if it were the flywheel, wouldn't it vibrate/chatter all the time? And I don't think the clutch is bad either. Any input or ideas would be great. Thanks for reading all this for me and I hope someone can help lend me some insight on what's going on here.
 

CC'S95GT

Post Whore
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
10,738
Reaction score
178
Location
Hampton ,Ga.
First off, I'd like to apologize if this is too long. Car is a 94 gt vert. 5.0 with stock T5. Put a new clutch in about 7-8 months ago. Had quite the ordeal with the clutch replacement. I bought a stock replacement clutch and flywheel from autozone and installed it with no problems, until I drove it. Had bad vibrations and after looking in inspection cover I could tell the flywheel was warped. 2 weeks later I took that clutch out and back. I then bought a stock replacement clutch from Oreilly and used the old ford flywheel but the clutch fork had 2 flat spots worn in where it appeared the throw out bearing seized on it. It was the weekend and it's my dd so I couldnt afford the time to let it sit while I ordered a new one, so I ground on the fork just enough to get it round again. This worked well and reinstalled everything. So after all this, I had a new pilot bearing, new clutch, new throw out bearing, stock ford flywheel, ground on clutch fork, and stock pivot ball. Also upgraded to MM clutch cable, firewall adjuster, and aluminum qiuadrant. After all this, the clutch worked perfect. No issues.

This brings me to today. I'm having similar symptoms but not exact. Getting chatter from the clutch, pretty sure that were its coming from, going from a dead stop in first gear and going in reverse. If I start downhill in first or I'm rolling it doesn't do it. After I get going, it's totally fine. No vibrations or chatter. I tried starting in second gear and it didn't fo it either. It doesn't do it when the car is cold. After it is driven for a bit it will start to do it and come and go. Sometimes not too bad and others pretty bad. Car is loved now with all new shocks and struts, even new quad shocks. Replaced the rear upper and lower control arms as well. Fyi...it was doing this before I replaced the rear suspension.

Question is, would a worn out clutch fork and pivot ball stud and maybe a throw out bearing be causing this or would it be the clutch and flywheel itself? Cruising around going through the gears, it's fine. No problems. Tried seeing if the clutch was slipping, and it's not. My thoughts are, if it were the flywheel, wouldn't it vibrate/chatter all the time? And I don't think the clutch is bad either. Any input or ideas would be great. Thanks for reading all this for me and I hope someone can help lend me some insight on what's going on here.

Did you have the flywheel surface turned?
 
OP
OP
1994gt

1994gt

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
115
Reaction score
0
No I didn't. But it has been fine like this up til a few weeks ago.
 

CC'S95GT

Post Whore
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
10,738
Reaction score
178
Location
Hampton ,Ga.
I'm thinking the flywheel has some hot spots causing the chatter.
It wasn't noticeable when the clutch was new but now that it has worn in, it's starting to stick instead of slip during engagement.
 

V8RUMBL

Active Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
268
Reaction score
3
Location
SRQ
Is the noise or chatter also with a noticeable vibration now? Is the clutch engaged when it's happening or not? The throw out bearing might have shit out on you but you probably won't hear it if you are depressing the clutch pedal. If it's vibrating as well I'd say its time to take it out again and have a look.
 

kb1982

Active Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
591
Reaction score
4
Location
Kentucky
Always machine the flywheel!!! Too much work to risk a bad outcome. Highspots on the surface of it will "catch" causing an uneven engagement of the clutch disk. All the pressure from the pressure plate is forcing a little surface area to carry a high load on a small portion of the clutch disk when it hits the high spot.
 
OP
OP
1994gt

1994gt

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
115
Reaction score
0
Update. Replaced the clutch, flywheel, throw out bearing, clutch fork, and pivot ball stud with all for racing parts. Problem is solved and feels amazing!
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,435
Messages
1,502,106
Members
14,917
Latest member
virocanah

Members online

No members online now.
Top