Clutch Chatter

[Fred K-OR]

Thanks Bill, I do often take off from my "second gear" stops in second gear. But I have not tried to start from a dead stop. Will give it a try.

[johnmi]

I have done everything everybody has suggested when I put in the new clutch. Some thing I forgot to mention was I have a hard time driving slow like 5 to 10 miles per hour without it jerking. Thanks John

[Brianfrench65]

I hope it's okay to jump on this thread?

I have clutch chatter that is getting severe. The flywheel was ground, a new pressure plate and clutch disc in 2007. The car was driven about 70 miles. Then the car sat until December of 2014. I bought the car in January of 2015.

The clutch chattered slightly when I bought the car, however knowing the history (confirmed with receipts) I thought it was corrosion and should smooth out. I have tried taking off in second at idle, and it has a second of violence before releasing the clutch.

In first or reverse, the clutch chatters and rattles the car. I am going to pull the clutch (removing the rear axle), and I am looking for advise on:
Where should I source the clutch disc and pressure plate? Should I consider a flywheel, clutch and pressure plate that has been balanced? If that is the solution, how do you get that assembly, in balance with the engine.

Thank you for any guidance.

I am sorry if I wasn't supposed to add to this thread.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Mark the pressure plate and flywheel to crankshaft so they can go back exactly the same way. Maybe your flywheel cover needs to be dialed in. It's important that the cover have .006" or less of runout when checked at 9, 12, and 3 o'clock.

[Brianfrench65]

Tom; thank you very much.

I I understand your suggestion, your referencing the flywheel to the bell housing?

[Tom Wesenberg]

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Originally Posted by Brianfrench65

Tom; thank you very much.

I I understand your suggestion, your referencing the flywheel to the bell housing?

Yes, normally the shims for the top two bolts will be the same thickness as the flywheel cover gasket, but it's best to dial in the cover to be sure.

[Plainsman30]

When we built our motor 14 years ago, we did not replace the clutch disk. It chattered right away, so I ordered a new clutch disk thinking this might be the problem. Then I learned on old trick that worked for our car. I put the car in high gear, set the emergency brake, speed up the motor to very fast idle, and slip the clutch for just probably 10 seconds. I work the clutch petal in and out to vary the engine speed as it slips. This stopped the chatter every time and usually lasted for weeks if not months before another "treatment" was necessary. We had a very smooth good working clutch for 14 years.
P.S. I finally installed the new clutch disk I bought 14 years ago in 2015 when installing our "new" motor.

[Brianfrench65]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Yes, normally the shims for the top two bolts will be the same thickness as the flywheel cover gasket, but it's best to dial in the cover to be sure.

Thank you very much. I understand, and I will check and adjust as needed.

[Brianfrench65]

Originally Posted by Plainsman30

When we built our motor 14 years ago, we did not replace the clutch disk. It chattered right away, so I ordered a new clutch disk thinking this might be the problem. Then I learned on old trick that worked for our car. I put the car in high gear, set the emergency brake, speed up the motor to very fast idle, and slip the clutch for just probably 10 seconds. I work the clutch petal in and out to vary the engine speed as it slips. This stopped the chatter every time and usually lasted for weeks if not months before another "treatment" was necessary. We had a very smooth good working clutch for 14 years.
P.S. I finally installed the new clutch disk I bought 14 years ago in 2015 when installing our "new" motor.

I have tried this, however it has more chatter than before. Thank you for the suggestion. Once I get it apart, I will find the real problem.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I also tried slipping the clutch, but it was no help. I installed a new disc I found at a swap meet, a good looking swap meet pressure plate, and then I used my 1/4 sheet sander to lightly sand the flywheel. I also dialed in the flywheel cover. I'm not sure which of the 4 steps did the trick, but the clutch is now very smooth.

BTW, the disc I removed was almost new, as the lining wasn't worn to full contact yet.

[ian Simpson]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

I worked part time for a clutch rebuilder, sometimes a disc will cause a chatter until it gets "smoothed" over with a little use. Sometimes there might be a slight thickness discrepancy in a spot on the lining.
Chattering on take off can cause high & low spots on the lining. Minerva chattered BAD in LOW. Second gear take off DIDN'T chatter. For a month, I took off ONLY in second, I "think" that evened out the HIGHS & LOW spots. After that, smooth as glass on LOW gear take offs.
On cars where, after humid storage, the steel "threads" in the disc & the flywheel rusts together & the clutch sticks, like locked up! After breaking it loose, the clutch "might" chatter. I "think" the second gear take off, "might" help smooth out the flywheel & disc surfaces & eliminate chattering.
It's a DAMN site EASIER than puttin' in a new clutch! Clutch chattering is fairly common on Model A's & sometimes, by experimenting, you can learn to take off, "chatter free", like, take off at idle speed, in low, THEN gas her up & GO!!!
I once put a SOLID center disc in my Nailhead powered, '53 Studebaker, DON'T EVER DO THAT------------------MAYBE YES, ON A RACE CAR.
Bill W.

Model As are not the only ones to suffer from clutch chatter. Out at the farm we use a 1954 McCormick W4 and a 1976 Case 990 to rake the hay. Both suffer incredible clutch chatter for the first few days out of the machine shed until we get back to letting the clutch in at idle and then goosing it up to raking speed. It does not matter what gear we start in.

My 1928 Tudor suffers the same way every spring until the stiffness gets out of its joints.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by ian Simpson

Model As are not the only ones to suffer from clutch chatter. Out at the farm we use a 1954 McCormick W4 and a 1976 Case 990 to rake the hay. Both suffer incredible clutch chatter for the first few days out of the machine shed until we get back to letting the clutch in at idle and then goosing it up to raking speed. It does not matter what gear we start in.

My 1928 Tudor suffers the same way every spring until the stiffness gets out of its joints.

When I got up, my JOINTS did their "SONG" The Dog sed, "WHUT'S THET"!!!
Bill W.

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

When I got up, my JOINTS did their "SONG" The Dog sed, "WHUT'S THET"!!!
Bill W.

What ? The dog's not used used to that tune by now ?