Clutch engagement problem?

[hondacbx]

I test drove a 92 NSX last week , what a super nice car. It has a new oem clutch with only 1100 mi. installed by a factory honda dealer service dept. I have a copy of the paper work. It just does not engage smoothly ? All my cars have been stick so I dont think it is me. Anyone had this problem with a new clutch? I know it is a double disk , does that make it feal different?

 

[EdinKali]

Can you give us a little more info? ie. Does it chatter or shudder? or is it engaging like an on/off switch?

 

[hondacbx]

Can you give us a little more info? ie. Does it chatter or shudder? or is it engaging like an on/off switch?

Yes I guess you could call it shudder.

 

[EdinKali]

Here are the common causes for shudder:

Clutch disc contaminated A contaminated clutch disc can cause the clutch to grab, shudder, or even slip. Check for oil and coolant leaks around the back of the engine. Look for signs of oil or coolant coming out of the bottom of the clutch housing. Replace clutch disc if there are signs of contamination.

Driver induced shudder. Sometimes the way a car is driven can cause the clutch to be grabby or induce the shudder. There are basically two different types of drivers with regards to clutch operation. Those who feather the clutch and those who jab the clutch. Those who jab the clutch get on and off the clutch pedal very quickly when changing gears. Over time, this will tend the make the clutch grabby. Someone who feathers the clutch engages and disengages the clutch slowly. So, if you're one who normally feathers the clutch and you get in a car that's normally driven by someone who jabs the clutch, you'll likely notice a shudder when you engage the clutch. The advantage to gettting on and off the clutch quickly is that it normally extends the life of the clutch by reducing the amount of wear.

Warped pressure plate or flywheel. There's really no way to check for this without disassembling the clutch and inspecting the pressure plate and flywheel.

Worn splines on clutch disc. There's really no way to check for this without disassembling the clutch and inspecting the clutch disc.

 

[tbromley]

Hey Guys,

I had my clutch replaced right after I bought it. Barney told me that when he put the new clutch in it would take a while for it to settle in and I experienced a certain amount of "shudder" when I was breaking in the new clutch. The more I drove it the more it settled in. Now the pedal engages kind of out at the end - which normally it would kind of make one think the clutch is on it's way out. It works fine. Barney was right - it settled in and is operating as it should. Both Larry B and Eiffel agreed on that.

So point is that maybe it just hasn't been broken in - it may not have enough street miles or intown miles on it to have settled properly. Even a new clutch has a bit of chatter - just a little. I believe a certain amount of that is normal - any others have an idea on that - I'd love to hear more.

Thanks, hope this helps a little.

 

[hondacbx]

Owner called me yesterday, and clutch had developed a noise. He took it back to the honda dealer and they took it apart. It had a problem and it is getting a new clutch again. I will post when I find out what was the problem.

 

[hondacbx]

It was not a OEM clutch , it is a aftermarket!!!! Which my mechanic thinks it was instaled wrong?

 

[aaronkamloops]

So what is shudder and what is chatter? Is one on the upshift and one on the downshift? I find on the upshift my clutch makes a noise/vibration that could be described as either. I've been told it could be clutch residue on the flywheel. My car is a '96 with 100,000 miles and a stock clutch. Please throw me any thoughts/ideas you may have.

thanks guys!!

 

[dirtbag]

You have 100,000 miles on a stock clutch? You must be doing something right.


Shutter is something you usually feel, like a wobbly pulsation. Similar to an uneven acceleration in a hydraulic elevator.

Chatter is something you normally hear (similar to the sound of a hockey puck skipping across the ice, or clay poker chips clacking together), but not necessarily feel. Most dual friction clutches have some level of chatter.

High RPM engagement/disengagements on a heavily worn clutch could be slightly out of balance causing some level of vibration since all aspects don't wear perfectly even.

 

[RyanR317]

I changed my slave cylinder this past weekend and the clutch engages much more smoothly. Cost me less about $70.