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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Nasty clutch chatter

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Nasty clutch chatter -- page: 1 2     supereal 08-23-2017 @ 2:30 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The reason the engine movement and the effect on the linkage contributes to the shudder is that it interferes with a smooth grip by the pressure plate on the clutch disk as the pedal is raised until the release is completed. That is why quickly engaging the clutch reduces the problem. The geometry of the linkage allows the release bearing to move the pressure plate by leverage, making the critical point of gripping important. Being sure that the clutch adjustment is correct will usually lessen, but not eliminate, the shudder problem. It is built into our old Fords. sarahcecelia 08-22-2017 @ 9:10 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1190 Joined: Mar 2013 TomO, I now of the "clutch things" that can cause chatter, because when I worked for VW I did many clutch jobs; especially in the winter when people tried to get unstuck in the snow. But without crawling under the car, I remembered those radias rods and thought they were what you were referring to. That was a little dumb on my part, because now I realize that nothing on them connects to any part of the trans, bell housing, or any entity to do with the clutch. Please look at my reply, about your reply to a member, about motor mounts and chatter, and answer it. Thanks. Regards, Steve Lee cliftford 08-22-2017 @ 7:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 Suprereal, I like your explanation of clutch chatter. Your knowledge of flathead v8s exceeds mine. but I'm wondering, why does this back and forth movement of the engine and trans. cause uneven contact between the disc and pressure plate assuming the clutch fingers are adjusted properly? I appreciate all the info. you post on this site. supereal 08-22-2017 @ 1:57 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The pedal shaft is mounted to the frame and connected to the release lever on the engine clutch housing by an adjustable link. As the engine moves back and forth on its mounts, the adjustment is affected. As the clutch pedal is released and the engine is connected to the driveline, the contact between the pressure plate and the disk becomes uneven, contributing to the chatter. That is why proper adjustment of the motor mounts, fore and aft, affects the problem. TomO 08-22-2017 @ 6:56 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7252 Joined: Oct 2009 You will get the best clutch action with the freeplay adjusted to specs, 3/4" -1" and should be at least 3/4" at high speeds (2,000 RPM and higher). The high speed check is to make sure that there is enough clearance between the throwout bearing and the clutch fingers when the centrifugal force of the counter weights forces the release fingers toward the bearing. Tom flatheadfan 08-21-2017 @ 5:23 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 450 Joined: Oct 2009 Supereal- I think" I understand the driveline push against the engine mounting as the root cause of clutch chatter, However, what I still don't understand is how the clutch linkage magnifies the movement. Would alternating the clutch freeplay lessen this effect? As usual, thanks for the help. Tom supereal 08-21-2017 @ 2:41 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Starting off in second gear when in level areas is an old trick most of us learned long ago. Engaging the clutch while increasing engine speed, when done properly, is preferable to the usual shudder. This problem has been around for decades, and many "fixes" have been tried. I have severable in my collection, such as a brace that was commonly sold in auto parts places. In most cases, the design of the drive train that endured from the Model T days until 1949 is the reason. The transverse spring allows the driving axle to move against the engine mounts. In turn, the clutch linkage magnifies the movement, setting up the shudder. Kenneth M. 08-21-2017 @ 12:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 86 Joined: Oct 2009 I had clutch chatter pretty bad in my 40. I pulled the tranny and clean the flywheel and in stalled a new clutch and pressure plate. The old pressure was weak. That solve my problem with clutch chatter. Kenneth M. Stewart TomO 08-21-2017 @ 7:57 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7252 Joined: Oct 2009 Steve, The technique that you described is how most of us drive our cars. The radius rods from the front axle are there to help keep the front axle from twisting and changing the camber. The chatter rods are the ones that are attached to the bell housing and go back to the frame. The idea behind them was to keep the engine from moving forward when the clutch was engaged. There are many reasons for clutch chatter. The most common is the reproduction motor mount cushions allowing the transmission or motor to move. Other causes are: warped pressure plate cover, release fingers incorrectly adjusted, grease on the flywheel, clutch pressure plate surface, flywheel surface and I am sure that this list is not complete. Tom sarahcecelia 08-20-2017 @ 9:01 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1190 Joined: Mar 2013 Tom, A lot about the '40 cars is new to me. Mine chatters when I pull away in 1st gear, unless I let the clutch out at idle and don't give it any gas until it moves a little. Is this just "the nature of the Beast? " The "Radius rods" ( from either side of the front axle to the center at the trans.) which I think are what you call "chatter rods," are tight and secure. You posted to a guy about motor mounts that are soft, or the adverse-hard, could be the problem, among others. Mine are like new and not soft at all; very new looking and firm. Is that the problem, that they may be too firm? If so, I suspect they should be loosened just a little to help the chatter. Your comments please. Regards, Steve Lee

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