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MG MGB Technical - clutch shutter

Any ideas besides replacing the clutch and throw out bearing;which are new; Would help;; Clutch will shutter in traffic when it gets hot it shutters the worse; It will shutter in reverse always and first gear sometimes;
Rear main seal is not leaking; took out rubber boot and checked no oil; cleaned the clutch plate with brake cleaner; no help; have a new slave cylinder I,m going install and see if it makes a difference; don,t think it will but will try anything before pulling engine again; had the engine out so many times installing the new overdrive you can yell BOO and the motor will jump out on the floor; Any ideas would help;;;
E Broome

Who knows if it will actually help, but I think your clutch disc is glazed. Like your brake pads if you only use them lightly, the clutch disc can get a smooth, kind of sticky surface that causes "judder". Maybe your handbrake is strong enough to hold the car back when you put it in gear and let the clutch slip a while to burn off the glazing. No real scientific method, you could pull up to a solid object to hold you back, too.

Worth a try, eh? Like brakes that have a little squeal, you stop real hard a few times and it wears them to a fresh material. I find that starting out at the lowest revs possible helps with the clutch shudder.
Tom

Hello,

It could be oil on clutch disk also...

Cheers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

Mine started shuddering with a new clutch. Using it and the revs in particular ways makes it happen and others ways avoids it, so I just avoid it.
Paul Hunt 2

It's worth checking that the engine mountings are OK and haven't gone soft as this seems to be about the only thing that you havent checked.
Iain MacKintosh

Paul, that reminds me of something my father used to tell me when I was a little kid and I would complain to him "doing this hurts". He'd simply say "well, stop doing that"!

The clutch in my GT went through a phase of shuddering and making grinding noises once but it ended up going away by itself. Never noticed any other problems with it. Could it be something other than the clutch itself? Flywheel maybe?
Simon Jansen

I think my clutch stuttering is oil and motor mounts. Bothers me about as much as the engine running on when it's shut down hot. I just put it in gear and let the clutch out. I hear Miatas don't do that as much, but I'm not ready for that kind of sportscar yet.
Tom

Thanks everyone for your great advice; This morning I jacked up the rear end and sat her down on jack stands; What followed is dangerious but I did it anyway when your in the garage with no room to stop if you suddenly go forward; Handbrake and brake pedal locked down and first gear engaged and smoked the clutch real good;; Hope this will help will check it out later we are going on a drive this evening;
Thanks again; And I will check the motor mounts to see they are tight,as well as tranny mounts;
EBroome

This thread was discussed between 25/10/2006 and 28/10/2006

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