2.7 Clutch Chatter

Hey Guys!! I am pretty new here, super stoked to hopefully get some help on this problem!!

So about a year and a half ago I decided to pull my 2.7 and fully rebuild it. While I was there I replaced my clutch along with getting the flywheel resurfaced. Ever since I replaced everything I have a crazy clutch chatter when starting off or clutching with some load, no matter the temperature or weather. Some people were suggestion for me to check for axle wrap, but that would ONLY occur when starting or hard acceleration, but my problem will occur if I am 50% throttle and clutching. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions!! Thank you!!

 

Just what clutch did you go with??

See any oil dripping out the bottom from a rear main seal or the transmission??

Poor use of the clutch can easily take out a clutch in that amount of time.

 

I believe it was a Aisan or LUK, I'm not positive.

No, But I will double check!! Would that cause chatter or just slipping?

The clutch has been chattering since I got it, I've had multiple mechanics drive my truck and say the same thing, I don't believe it is user error haha!!

 

Did you install the clutch or did you have a shop do it? Traditionally clutch chatter is caused by contamination which is why @Wyoming09 recommended looking for oil.

The noise is definitely a chatter? Does the noise translate through the pedal into your foot as something you feel, or is it just something you hear?

 

I installed it, and I was pretty careful to throughly degrease the flywheel and everything, but a leaking main seal would be a great think to check, thank you guys!!

It might not be defined at chatter, it just AGGRESSIVELY shakes the whole truck, even so much to make coins in the cup holder fly around my truck......... giving more gas while I am clutching makes it significantly worse, leaving me to just letting the clutch out with as low RPM's as possible without stalling every time I clutch out of 1st.

Thank you guys!!

 

all of the motor and trans mounts are in good shape?

 

One of my motor mounts is starting to get little cracks from age, I'm sure its super brittle, I could consider replacing that. You think that could effect the crazy chatter?

 

I had a dying trans mount that did that to me

 

I was dealing with clutch chatter for the past year as well. I looked up all the possible causes and determined that pretty much no matter what the trans had to come off so I may as well replace everything inside.

Finally had my friend replace the clutch & flywheel about a month ago. When he pulled the old clutch, he found that the splined collar in the center had a crazy amount of play. The clutch disc itself still had plenty of life left (replaced in 2016 by previous owners) and the flywheel wasn't warped or contaminated with oil, but that damn collar necessitated the whole job.

Bottom line- explore all the other things first (axle wrap, trans mount, carrier bearing, etc), but you'll probably end up having to pull the trans to find the cause of it because that's where most of the magic happens.

 

Thanks for the info RattleTractor (and everyone else), I appreciate it!!

Being that I only have about 10,000 miles I would be surprised if the splined collar would be sloppy, but who knows and thats a great thing to check out once I rule out the other things.

I will jack up my truck this afternoon and inspect engine/trans mounts, as well as seeing if there is oil coming from bell housing from a main seal or tranny.

I will report back what I find!!

 

No leak at all from bell housing, and all the mounts are old and brittle but still in-tact. But not sure if the transmission mount is ok or not, I will attach a picture. Is there supposed to be that gap between the bottom of the "washer" and the top of the rubber mount? I tried to tighten it up, but the threads would just spin in the crossmember. Let me know if this is a problem, or not!! Also, my carrier bearing has about a half inch of play.... that seems like a bit too much haha.

 

How smoothly did the engine mate up to the trans when you installed it?
The engine and trans should mate up easily and smoothly all the way home, bell housing to block. No pulling it together with bolts or pushing it together with pry bars. You have symptoms of a bent clutch disc hub which can happen if the engine or trans goes too far out of square as they are assembled , the input shaft of the trans bends the disc before it gets into the pilot bearing. Check out all other suggestions out of course but it sounds like a bent disc. If it is and you go back in to change it, replace the whole clutch and surface the flywheel again. If you’ve been driving it like this chances are the pressure plate is heat spotted as well as the flywheel. I did this once to my own truck as a teenager trying to bench press the trans in by myself, 40 years ago and I’m smarter now. and have changed out a couple of new clutches at work over the years due to this.

 

I remember it being a little bit of a challenge... I had no idea- I figured if it bolted up it was good to go...
That is so crazy, thank you so much for the info!! I think you nailed it, thank you. I am planning on replacing the trans mount/carrier bearing as they are due, and if that doesn't fix it I'll drop the trans and will inspect the disk and replace everything!!

I have one quick question- when I drop the trans should I replace anything while I am there? My truck has 350,000miles and I am planning on going through it this summer, and wondering if they're is any preventative maintenance on a manual trans? Thank you!!

 

If the trans is not noisy and shifts fine I wouldn’t do anything but change the fluid One trick that I forgot to mention that is very helpful when your doing a clutch on the ground without a proper trans jack is get two 5 or 6 inch bolts with same thread as the trans to engine bolts. Then cut the heads off them and cut a notch in the cut end so you can remove them with a flat head screwdriver. Install them in a accessible place in the block and they act as guides while your installing the trans.
It’s Also very important that you’re new clutch comes with an alignment tool, a plastic replica of the trans input shaft to align the disc with the pilot bearing

 

Ok got it!! That stud idea is super smart. Thanks for the tips!!

 

I've never done this job before, but I have heard of the guide bolt trick. Awesome idea.

 

Maybe the flywheel was poorly resurfaced

 

That happened to me after I got a new clutch job from a my local shop. I didn't have the time to do it myself back then, I was in the middle of moving. They got it done within a day but I ended up dealing with terrible clutch engagement for a few years. Years later the trans broke but this time I had the time and a spare car, so that I could fix it myself. (check out my W59 posts). When I put it back together I put in a better quality clutch. It now clutches like when I bought the truck new from the showroom.

 

I had the same sort of thing and put a new clutch in.
When I did I found that a couple bolts that held the bellhousing on had come out. I think that might have been it, but either way I replaced the clutch and flywheel when I took it out anyways

 

Ok, thats some good info and a good thing to check thank you guys!!