BAD! Violent shuddering and shaking with new clutch HELP!
08-24-2006, 11:53 AM
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BAD! Violent shuddering and shaking with new clutch HELP! I think I screwed up. Yesterday I installed a rebuilt trans, Spec 3+ clutch, Cut stock FW, Ram adj. master, and Ram slave. The install went smoothly, however when I tested the clutch everything went to hell.
In neutral with the clutch out where is no problem, in first with the clutch depressed sometime there is slight vibrations and shuddering. When I start to release the clutch in first all hell break loose. There is pretty violent shuddering and shaking, but when it is fully engaged everything is smooth and perfect and I can shift through all 6 gears easily. The only time that I have shuddering is moving from a stop and if I shift the slightest bit slowly it shudders.
ALSO** when I partially engage the clutch in first from a stop it sounds like its partially contacting, like a quick tapping almost. I’ve driven well over 100,000 miles in a stick and know what it feels like when you don’t start correctly and you shudder and this is completely different, it is MUCH more violent and uneven.
The fact then when partially released it only contacts in certain places seems like something is not spinning correctly, almost lopsided spinning causing the shuddering. I did not have the clutch and PP balanced with the FW because the guy at NAPA’s machine shop told me that ls1’s have internal balancing in the motor and I have to pull the motor to balance the FW and PP with the motor, and if he balanced them then the motor would be all out of wack. Is this true???
PLEASE im close to suicide after all the time and money I have put into this.
What do I do.
In neutral with the clutch out where is no problem, in first with the clutch depressed sometime there is slight vibrations and shuddering. When I start to release the clutch in first all hell break loose. There is pretty violent shuddering and shaking, but when it is fully engaged everything is smooth and perfect and I can shift through all 6 gears easily. The only time that I have shuddering is moving from a stop and if I shift the slightest bit slowly it shudders.
ALSO** when I partially engage the clutch in first from a stop it sounds like its partially contacting, like a quick tapping almost. I’ve driven well over 100,000 miles in a stick and know what it feels like when you don’t start correctly and you shudder and this is completely different, it is MUCH more violent and uneven.
The fact then when partially released it only contacts in certain places seems like something is not spinning correctly, almost lopsided spinning causing the shuddering. I did not have the clutch and PP balanced with the FW because the guy at NAPA’s machine shop told me that ls1’s have internal balancing in the motor and I have to pull the motor to balance the FW and PP with the motor, and if he balanced them then the motor would be all out of wack. Is this true???
PLEASE im close to suicide after all the time and money I have put into this.
What do I do.
08-24-2006, 01:10 PM
#2
First off. Please refrain from killing yourself over a Spec3 clutch....it isnt worth it. don't do it. 
Second: Probably just the chatter of a SPEC-3. I had the same problem. you might actually have a broken spring on the disc as well. that is when it really gets bad. You sure you got everything all lined up? Disc isnt in backwards is it? Alignment tool went in just fine and came out really easy right?
Second: Probably just the chatter of a SPEC-3. I had the same problem. you might actually have a broken spring on the disc as well. that is when it really gets bad. You sure you got everything all lined up? Disc isnt in backwards is it? Alignment tool went in just fine and came out really easy right?
08-24-2006, 01:19 PM
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I aligned everything three times.firsttime it was horrible.I loosened everythine and redid it, still got stock going in on pilot bearing,thirdtime was the charm perfectly went in and out, pulled it out with my pinky and no tugging at all.
I dont think there is a broken spring because i checked it over before install.
im thinking at this point (after calling spec) that it might be because I did not balance the assembly, or because the flywheel is not perfectly flat after getting cut.
im going to postpone suicide for a few hours... maybe
I dont think there is a broken spring because i checked it over before install.
im thinking at this point (after calling spec) that it might be because I did not balance the assembly, or because the flywheel is not perfectly flat after getting cut.
im going to postpone suicide for a few hours... maybe
08-24-2006, 01:22 PM
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Originally Posted by WinSomeLoseNone
I aligned everything three times.firsttime it was horrible.I loosened everythine and redid it, still got stock going in on pilot bearing,thirdtime was the charm perfectly went in and out, pulled it out with my pinky and no tugging at all.
I dont think there is a broken spring because i checked it over before install.
im thinking at this point (after calling spec) that it might be because I did not balance the assembly, or because the flywheel is not perfectly flat after getting cut.
im going to postpone suicide for a few hours... maybe
I dont think there is a broken spring because i checked it over before install.
im thinking at this point (after calling spec) that it might be because I did not balance the assembly, or because the flywheel is not perfectly flat after getting cut.
im going to postpone suicide for a few hours... maybe
08-24-2006, 02:44 PM
#5
The flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate are supposed to be zero balanced as an assembly. Yes the engine is internally balanced. But if the flywheel is out of balance it will vibrate, just like a tire that's not balanced properly. This is why GM sells everything in a kit prebalanced. The spec three will engage violently and chatter pretty bad for the first 100 miles or so. The first time I took mine to the track it slipped pretty bad off the line, but has engaged smoothly and grabbed hard ever since. Guess you gotta even the pads on the disc out!
08-24-2006, 04:05 PM
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everything involved with the clutch is new with the exception of the FW. trans, master, slave, TO bearing, pilot bearing, PP, clutch housing, clutch.
SUICIDE!! not just yet though
SUICIDE!! not just yet though
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08-24-2006, 04:39 PM
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my spec shutters from stop to first too,,not so much after she's warm, but pretty noisy take offs when she's cold,,,just the normal chatter that Specs are known to do.
08-24-2006, 04:46 PM
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I had this exact problem with this exact same clutch. My car would shudder so bad that the exhaust would hit the bottom of the car from a stop.
Once I got past the break in period, it improved a lot, but was still doing it in reverse. I've basically just kept driving it normally and after a couple thousand miles, it does it maybe 1 out of every 50 times I take off.
The shop that installed mine told me to be pretty agressive about slipping the clutch more than I normally would and that would help elimiate the chatter.
Once the chatter went away, I fell in love with the clutch! It will get better!
Once I got past the break in period, it improved a lot, but was still doing it in reverse. I've basically just kept driving it normally and after a couple thousand miles, it does it maybe 1 out of every 50 times I take off.
The shop that installed mine told me to be pretty agressive about slipping the clutch more than I normally would and that would help elimiate the chatter.
Once the chatter went away, I fell in love with the clutch! It will get better!
08-25-2006, 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by 98PaceCar
I had this exact problem with this exact same clutch. My car would shudder so bad that the exhaust would hit the bottom of the car from a stop.
Once I got past the break in period, it improved a lot, but was still doing it in reverse. I've basically just kept driving it normally and after a couple thousand miles, it does it maybe 1 out of every 50 times I take off.
The shop that installed mine told me to be pretty agressive about slipping the clutch more than I normally would and that would help elimiate the chatter.
Once the chatter went away, I fell in love with the clutch! It will get better!
Once I got past the break in period, it improved a lot, but was still doing it in reverse. I've basically just kept driving it normally and after a couple thousand miles, it does it maybe 1 out of every 50 times I take off.
The shop that installed mine told me to be pretty agressive about slipping the clutch more than I normally would and that would help elimiate the chatter.
Once the chatter went away, I fell in love with the clutch! It will get better!
