Club 80-90 Forums

Has anyone come across this before? If we have a lot of rain during the night, and the air is damp, I sometimes get a bit of clutch judder when moving off. It lasts just a couple of seconds, and doesn't hang around for long - within five or ten minutes it's completely disappeared, and doesn't come back. It doesn't always happen either - today was the first time for months. Damp weather clutch shudder?

Could it be that in the damp your engine is not running as well due to ignition problems, which could give te impression of juddering as you pull away ?

condensation on the flywheel and on the pressure plate will cause this.
oil from a leaky crankshaft seal..
to name a few

It is a common symptom to all clutches, usually when they are a few years old but not necessarily worn out. First couple of engagements in 1st pulling away but then once slightly warm all is fine. If this is regular behavior at this time of year I would suggest a few more revs for those first couple of pull offs.
Martin

California Dreamin wrote:It is a common symptom to all clutches, usually when they are a few years old but not necessarily worn out. First couple of engagements in 1st pulling away but then once slightly warm all is fine. If this is regular behavior at this time of year I would suggest a few more revs for those first couple of pull offs.
Martin

If a new car was made with this "feature", it would never sell would it.
How things have changed.
Didnt see "juddering clutch" in the VW sales literature for theT25.

Changing the clutch is the answer really isnt it
Giving it a few more revs is the workaround.
On the other hand, about 80% of Morris Marinas had clutch judder when new.
Which is strange because nothing was actually new on he Marina enginering wise, it had all been used in the Minor or the MGB.
Standards have improved generally.
Individuality has declined.

our camper suffers from this every now and then, every 2 or 3 months or so. just give it the beans 3000rpm or so, clutch down put your foot on the break, put it in to 3rd and lift the clutch peddle a couple of times until it bites. it will clean the friction plate of any oil or other crap that has managed to find it's way in to it.

neil

judder is also a symptom of engine mount/gearbox nose mount failure

vanisveryrusty wrote:

California Dreamin wrote:It is a common symptom to all clutches, usually when they are a few years old but not necessarily worn out. First couple of engagements in 1st pulling away but then once slightly warm all is fine. If this is regular behavior at this time of year I would suggest a few more revs for those first couple of pull offs.
Martin

If a new car was made with this "feature", it would never sell would it.
How things have changed.
Didnt see "juddering clutch" in the VW sales literature for theT25.

Changing the clutch is the answer really isnt it
Giving it a few more revs is the workaround

As I said... usually when they are a few years old but as I also said but not necessarily worn out so you can fit new at £300 - £350 or you can adapt your driving style for the 3 - 4 times from cold and get another 40K out of the clutch.
I've changed loads over the years for this reason only to find a clutch less than half worn with plenty of life left.
Of course it's the owners choice and I suggest very much based on the severity of the problem, as I'm certainly not suggesting reving the nuts off it and slipping the clutch for 5 seconds just to avoid the judder.

As Kev points out....there might be other underlying issues and an engine mounting check is a must before making any decisions about the clutch.

Martin

if a clutch is very new should you smell a clutch smell every time you change gear when not used for a while that wears off after a hundred miles?

xpress wrote:if a clutch is very new should you smell a clutch smell every time you change gear when not used for a while that wears off after a hundred miles?

I have driven many cars and vans over the years fitted with new clutches.
I have never experienced what you describe.

vanisveryrusty wrote:

xpress wrote:if a clutch is very new should you smell a clutch smell every time you change gear when not used for a while that wears off after a hundred miles?

I have driven many cars and vans over the years fitted with new clutches.
I have never experienced what you describe.

Nope, me neither.

Ian

the changing gear smell has stopped now. maybe lasted for 20 miles. new clutch. can only have a couple hundred miles on it. there are no problems with gear changes or the clutch sticking or not operating as it should.

I'd like to see how you change gears/pull away..is it foot down and F1 launch?

I have never ever heard of that or smelt it either

Re clutch shudder. Our newer van did it sometimes when we first got it. Then one day Gill went to drive it across a show ground camp site, just about 1/4 of a mile. When she arrived I noticed a clutch smell and on enquiring she said "yes, I was having trouble getting it moving, it must be because it is on long / muddy / wet grass" Gill is not good at understanding "man stuff" Turns out she had been trying to move off and drive (at 10mph) in 3rd gear I was not best pleased, but on testing no harm seemed to have been done (except a few K miles worn off the centre plate no doubt).

The good news was that since that day (over a year ago) it has not once juddered when moving off

(Oh, and no, I don't see any signs of oil leaks from around the bell-housing)

ghost123uk wrote:The good news was that since that day (over a year ago) it has not once juddered when moving off

So technically speaking she fixed it yes?