Help!! Clutch shudder/bounce..worried

Hi everyone. I have a question which is playing in the back of my mind that i would like to sort (one way or another) before we head north.

I live in Perth and the last couple of times I have driven back from Margaret River (approx 300kms or three hours of freeway driving) I get a significant juddering or bouncing from the front when I pull away in first gear (and only in first) at the last couple of traffic lights in the journey.

It goes if I slip the clutch heavily but I realise that is not the solution. Every day driving, cold start, to and from work etc it never happens.

Any suggestions? the nav has done 180K.
Clutch plate? bearing? new (thicker) clutch oil needed? flywheel warped/need machining? F**ked?

Any recommendations, who to go to in Perth?



Will

It's entirely possible that it's due to an over-worn clutch that is slipping ever-so-slightly.

While it's relatively cool, it grips as you'd expect. After significant driving (and with more-than-the-usual load, perhaps) the minor slips combine with the extra heat and you start to get bounce. It may actually be happening in higher gears but isn't noticed because the taller gearing dampens the effect.

So, given the mileage, it's possible that it's just a worn clutch and/or a pressure plate with springs that just don't hold as well as they used to. There's the obvious chance that it may be wear in the flywheel itself.

It's a difficult thing to assess in text, because I can't click my mouse and separate the bell housing and inspect it, which is what it needs.

If it were mine, I'd save the coin for a new flywheel/clutch/pressure plate combination and I'd probably look in Exedy's direction.

Thanks Tony, sound advice and very clearly explained, unfortunately just as I suspected!!

Does anyone have any idea how many hours/days work is involved in a clutch change?

Will

No idea mate.

But ring a clutch place, they do it so they will have an idea.

Info for anyone interested.... Just called Xspeed, my local Exedy Performance Auto centre in Perth, they recon after a "phone diagnostic" that Tony's advice was probably correct but would need to see it in action.

Anyway cost of a new Exedy heavy duty clutch + plate 800$ and their "book" says nine hours work including flywheel work. Not much change from $2000 all done.

Better start saving, and stick to short journeys!!!

did mine with two mates last year took us two days had the gearbox, drive shafts clutch plate, torsion bars, all out the first day, then ....lots of beers that night, then the next morning started putting it all back in, i then did a hilux clutch changeover on a mates truck, and from go to whoa it took us five hours, the biggest difference was the torsion bars and crossmembers, in a nav you HAVE to take them all out to get the trans out, in a hilux it all sits above, looking back upgrading to a heavy duty was one of the best things i did. hope this helps.
cheers rick.

grumpy d22 said:

looking back upgrading to a heavy duty was one of the best things i did.
cheers rick.

Click to expand...

sounds like you had a good time doing that Grumpy!! im not convinced my mech skills are quite up to the job and i think i would rather pay someone to take on the responsibility not that i wouldn't enjoy the challenge (and save 1200$ labour) what "special" tools do you need? !!

Hmmm i could also use the opportunity to tighten up/replace my torsion bars..... there is a thought

Thanks Grumpy, did you use exedy HD or another make? Was it one of the best things you did -as in it was good fun doing or because you can tell a difference in the clutch action?

if the latter what differences do you notice?

i put in an . xtreme heavy duty clutch, they are here in adelaide, the main thing was the clutch pressure and the friction point allows for zero slip even when it gets hot, i use my nav for work and i tow a 12x5 tandem trailer all day every day with massive roller doors on it, so the factory clutch after 30000km was just not up to it, so now i have a lot of confidence in my driveline.
if you do it yourself you need a spiggot which is model specific you can get it from nissan pretty cheap which lines up the input shaft that was the only specific tool required, i know 4wd action recently have done a vague 'howto' on clutch replacement.

one thing often over looked is the rear main seal on the engine, it's very likely that this could be leaking ever so slighty during your trip (three hours of driving with no real clutch use) and when you go to use it it's slipping and then grabbing and shuddering because of the film of oil...... that said, to get to the rear main you need to pull the gearbox anyways so doing a clutch while your there would probably save you money instead of going back in later.....

Thanks slidedriver, interesting thought, funnily enough just did another trip down south with four passengers and no problems!! I am however about to book her in for an Exedy hd because I don't want it to fail when I need it most and I will get them to look at the seal when they are underneath it. Thanks for your advice,

Will

haha that's alright, rule of thumb is that if your going to do a clutch you change the rear main at the same time..... food for thought, let us know how you go!