Clutch Chatter solution ?

midnightdriver

midnightdriver

Active Member
Jan 3, 2010
443
2
27
Northern California
#1
So I have put around 1500 miles on my fidanza 2.1 clutch and all I can say is it is way better then stock. It holds the power great, similar stock pedal feel and does not really chatter except for reverse. In reverse it begins out fine and then starts to chatter after a few seconds of being semi-slipped, you know feels like the clutch is trying to grab but its not fully engaged so it slips at the same time, making my car shake. I also get a slight burn smell when I reverse if I don't let the clutch fully engage.

Am I doing any damage to my drive train or does chatter come about when you have a racing clutch ?

Thanks
 

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#3
#4
trinity_gt said:
If the pic from American Muscle is accurate:

View attachment 207959

Fidanza 2.1 Mustang Clutch (01-04 GT, 99-04 Cobra, Bullitt, Mach 1) at AmericanMuscle.com - Discontinued

I wouldn't call this a "racing clutch." With a spring hub and (presumably) a Marcel spring between the clutch linings, it shouldn't be prone to chatter like, say, a solid-hub puck-style clutch would be.

Q: Did you have the flywheel re-surfaced when the clutch was replaced?
Click to expand...

I bought the one for the T45 trans but year its the same one. I wonder why its discontinued, that could be bad. The flywheel was resurfaced when I replaced everything. I know its not a true "racing" clutch but it holds 520ft/lbs so the pressure plate I presume is different then stock as well as clutch material.

Only chatters in reverse after its been slipped for a couple of seconds. It's fine if I let it out without throttle too but it has to be let out all the way, doesn't like to be slipped. It really doesn't bother me all that much and has gotten less and less as I drive it. Just want to make sure i am not doing any damage or if there's a simple solution
 
#5
my old spec stage 2 did the same thing...it would shake the car so bad sometimes that the car would pop every now and then...turned out the pp was warped a little bit from the good ole spec factory...supposedly doing a couple nice burn outs will fix the issue but i never had any luck... maybe your pp isnt fully sealing :shrug:
 
#6
Night Shifter said:
my old spec stage 2 did the same thing...it would shake the car so bad sometimes that the car would pop every now and then...turned out the pp was warped a little bit from the good ole spec factory...supposedly doing a couple nice burn outs will fix the issue but i never had any luck... maybe your pp isnt fully sealing :shrug:
Click to expand...

It really doesn't shake the whole car that bad, and I thought maybe there was something wrong with the clutch kit by I don't understand why just reverse is bad. I have tested the hold capacity, hehe and it chirps 2nd and 3rd gear so I know its locking up.

I think it might be the nature of the clutch, because on more note, it chatters a little if I downshift and let the clutch slip a tad, but when I just let it out quickly, not chatter. :shrug:

I might try you burnout method at the track
 
#7
Sooo

I tried letting out the clutch out at high rpm and it seem to cure all the clutch chatter problems, but now every time I park the car and get out of it I have a distinct burnt clutch smell as if I was slipping the hell out of it.

Is this normal of a new clutch, with say 1500 or so miles on it. With my revised footwork and rpm increase the car drives a lot better and hardly has any chatter at all but I car smell the clutch.

Any thoughts ?
 
#8
You need to find your friction point and practice engaging. Your clutch is functioining properly if its shaking like that. Just learn how to drive that paticular clutch. Took me a while to learn mine, in fact I went through the same thing your going through, which why I suspect someone put an aftermarket clutch in my Stang.
 
#9
midnightdriver said:
Sooo

I tried letting out the clutch out at high rpm and it seem to cure all the clutch chatter problems, but now every time I park the car and get out of it I have a distinct burnt clutch smell as if I was slipping the hell out of it.

Is this normal of a new clutch, with say 1500 or so miles on it. With my revised footwork and rpm increase the car drives a lot better and hardly has any chatter at all but I car smell the clutch.

Any thoughts ?
Click to expand...

Break in sometimes takes a while. Nothing works that clutch down than everyday stop & go driving. My theory is that a little chatter and a little grind, especially in the first 1k-2k are pretty common. I wasn't too worried about it, it is just the clutch and flywheel having some extra contact time. Mine never had chatter but was making a "grinding noise" at idle. Now about 3k later it is good to go.

My thoughts: Drive hard occasionally but driving hard will not cure the problem. It will take time and doing the every day stop and go driving that will get your clutch where it needs to be. If your clutch is still chattering by 3k-5k consider taking it back to the place that originally installed it / if you did it yourself consider double checking your work.

Lastly did you replace your clutch cable and quadrant when you did the swap? Did you replace your pilot bearing?
 
#10
+1 on above. Sounds like the clutch isn't fully disengaging, aftermarket cable/quadrant adjuster? Or stock cable? Trying adjusting the clutch by pulling up on the pedal and pushing up on it a few times, should click for you each time after pushing it down.
 
#11
joshjwc9 said:
+1 on above. Sounds like the clutch isn't fully disengaging, aftermarket cable/quadrant adjuster? Or stock cable? Trying adjusting the clutch by pulling up on the pedal and pushing up on it a few times, should click for you each time after pushing it down.
Click to expand...

Have a brand new MM quadrant, new MM cable and firewall adjuster and I have check the adjustment several times, and the clutch is definitely fully disengaged. I have it set so the clutch pedal for disengagement and engagement is about 2/3 from the floor on clutch pedal travel. Or in math terms, I have about 1/8 inch slack between the firewall adjuster and clutch cable support when pulling on the clutch cable, per MM directions.
 
#12
Dark04GT said:
Break in sometimes takes a while. Nothing works that clutch down than everyday stop & go driving. My theory is that a little chatter and a little grind, especially in the first 1k-2k are pretty common. I wasn't too worried about it, it is just the clutch and flywheel having some extra contact time. Mine never had chatter but was making a "grinding noise" at idle. Now about 3k later it is good to go.

My thoughts: Drive hard occasionally but driving hard will not cure the problem. It will take time and doing the every day stop and go driving that will get your clutch where it needs to be. If your clutch is still chattering by 3k-5k consider taking it back to the place that originally installed it / if you did it yourself consider double checking your work.

Lastly did you replace your clutch cable and quadrant when you did the swap? Did you replace your pilot bearing?
Click to expand...


Really, 3 to 5k, damn. Well I have to go to the shop tomorrow, my rear brake calipers need to have the slid pins greased, they are sticking on me. When I am over there, I already talked to a local performance shop who I have to say was very nice and said he would ride along and perform a test drive to double check the clutch, all for free and he didn't do the install. I had a shop up in the bay area do the install, because I had too much work. When I talked to him today, he thought that maybe the clutch had gotten glazed over some how. So we shall see.

I did call Fidanza and what a waste of time. Talk about terrible customer service, the guy answered right away said he was on another call and was going to call me back. That was at 10am, and still no call. Thats the last time I buy from them.

During your 3 to 5k break in did you get a burnt clutch smell when you slipped the clutch for reverse ?
 
#13
Clutches chatter because of their type (e.g. puck style, unsprung hubs, aggressive friction materials etc) or because they have issues such as:

  • warped friction surfaces on the flywheel or pressure plate
  • contaminated facings from careless handling during installation or leaking oil seals
  • failure to clean anti-corrosion coatings off flywheels and/or pressure plates
  • glazing
  • heat-checks on the flywheel or pressure plate caused by excess slippage etc
  • misalignment caused by omitting flywheel dowels during assembly or due to bell-housing to crankshaft misalignment

If the chatter is not gone very soon I'd begin to suspect it never will disappear...
 
#17
trinity_gt said:
Clutches chatter because of their type (e.g. puck style, unsprung hubs, aggressive friction materials etc) or because they have issues such as:

  • warped friction surfaces on the flywheel or pressure plate
  • contaminated facings from careless handling during installation or leaking oil seals
  • failure to clean anti-corrosion coatings off flywheels and/or pressure plates
  • glazing
  • heat-checks on the flywheel or pressure plate caused by excess slippage etc
  • misalignment caused by omitting flywheel dowels during assembly or due to bell-housing to crankshaft misalignment


If the chatter is not gone very soon I'd begin to suspect it never will disappear...
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the information and I have to report what the trans shop said.

Was for one, my clutch was way too tight and I was riding the throwout bearing. He said I needed about a 1/4 inch of free pedal play and before I had no pedal play. So after I adjusted it correctly, its easier to drive. Huh who would have thought.

Secondly, according to the owner who test drove my car, I went with him and we drove a couple of miles of stop and go traffic. The reason for the chatter is...

Wait for it...


Bad springs in the sprung hub. He said that the springs are too loose or installed wrong and it is causing the clutch not to engage the flywheel correctly resulting in chatter and premature clutch wear (ie burnt clutch smell).


Now, is this even possible? He seemed like an honest guy but I don't want to be taken advantage of, the shop I usually use is 4 hrs away.

He wants $500 for labor plus parts, and the part he suggested was a Luk Premium Gold clutch. Said he has installed several on Kenne Bell cobras, Z06's and no one has come back. Any opinions on this brand ?

And thank you all for your help :cheers:
 
#19
Interesting new development, I just got home and on the way home, I decided to take my anger out on the clutch. I aggressively slipped it at all stoplights and when parking, I ran around to several places. At first I got a strong clutch burnt smell but I didn't care and kept abusing the clutch. Now the clutch hardly chatters in any gear, like i had to look for it and if i slip the clutch, no more burnt smell. What gives, I mean was the clutch not broke in ? It still holds power really well, was able to chirp 2nd and 3rd, I am confused now.
 
#20
midnightdriver said:
Interesting new development, I just got home and on the way home, I decided to take my anger out on the clutch. I aggressively slipped it at all stoplights and when parking, I ran around to several places. At first I got a strong clutch burnt smell but I didn't care and kept abusing the clutch. Now the clutch hardly chatters in any gear, like i had to look for it and if i slip the clutch, no more burnt smell. What gives, I mean was the clutch not broke in ? It still holds power really well, was able to chirp 2nd and 3rd, I am confused now.
Click to expand...
:nice:
 
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