ok I need some experienced comments on what they think is wrong with the clutch. Here is the scoop:

Clutch job done 1 year ago. Started chattering a month after. new pressure plate, TOB, clutch, flywheel machined, new pilot bushing.

Took it apart today and found:
a bit of oil at the bottom of the bellhousing (not a lot)
Back of block is pretty much dry, back of flywheel is dry,
rear main seal is ok
bell housing seemed to be a bit moist
oil definitely leaking from pass valve cover and a little bit snuck in to bellhousing (but block is mostly dry escept for about a half inch in)
oil pan below rear main seal may be leaking a bit (or oil running over??
Brown coloured ring around the flywheel (about half the surface the clutch touches on).
clutch appears to be dry (at least not wet) but is dark
flywheel bolts and pressureplate bolts tight

So what do you guys think? Is this an oil problem? It just seems like not much is getting in there to cause a problem....

 

pressure plate

 

flywheel.....what is the brown ring????

 

clutch disc

 

looks like it was slipping and the flywheel got burnt, who did the clutch install? it shouldnt have chattered that soon unless something was wrong

 

I did it and there was no slipping. Once it started chattering then it had to be revved higher to get a relatively smooth engagement, but never any slipping.

 

I agree, there has got to be something wrong but I don't know what....bad clutch?.....oil?.....????

So any ideas here?? I am really stumped? Going to all the effort again I definitely want to cure the problem so it doesn't happen again.

thanks

 

Looks like the hydraulics may be faulty. Like the release arm never fully released from the release bearing.
Also, check crankshaft fore-aft play, by using a flat pry-bar. And see that the pressure plate and flywheel are flat. The friction surface is dark from brake dust, not oil. And the brown area of the flywheel should be all brown, as oil dripped onto the spinning disc fans outward. The blue is heat.
Just a guess. I had a manual gearbox in my last car for 20 years, but this was a while ago.

Seth

 

Just out of curiousity, what do you mean by chattering?

I just had my clutch done and I noticed today when I was driving with the windows down and around 2000-2500RPM's that it was kinda making a chirping sound.

Thoughts?

 

By chattering I mean chattering or grabbing when trying to engage into a gear. Once in gear, no problems. The chattering sometimes is to the point that the exhaust bangs on the floor.

I am just curious as I don't know a lot about the hydraulics, but wouldn't grinding when shifting into gears occur if the hydraulics were acting up (clutch not releasing all the way)????

 

Yes, you would probably grind the gears (at least when going into 1st), but I was thinking that the hydraulics were always applying some pressure on the release bearing. Or, the release bearing is the wrong part #. I did suggest other things to check out . Let us know.

Seth