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Previously had a Hays clutch that I loved, but was "rated" at only 350 HP. ....hopefully I'm over that, and even if I'm not, at some I probably WILL be, lol....anyhow, with the new motor I put in a new RAM clutch good for 550 hp. This new clutch requires a good bit more RPMs in first gear or the car really shudders. It's worse when cold, whether it be the car just not warmed up yet, or summer or winter. Needs about 2000 rpms or so. Just cruising to the grocery store, I'm "that guy" revving to take off from a light! Is that the price of a heavier duty clutch, or is it just MY clutch? I get that this isn't a little honda civic, but I don't feel my power level means giving up a nice smooth clutch.
Thoughts? Recommendations? ....not at all against a new clutch if that's what it takes.
From here in my easy chair it sounds more like an engine problem. Maybe when the clutch was changed the engine was dropped too far back and damaged the distributor? Clutch chatter would usually be worse in reverse, worse when hot. Was the flywheel or pressure plate blued in spots?
The flywheel is different. 2pc rms on the new engine. -and it was resurfaced before installation. All clutch parts were new. .....lots of reading pointing to oil contamination. I'll have to look into that as a possibility.
There are gobs of reasons why clutch could chatter. Basically anything that could cause uneven pressure or friction around the clutch disc. Not a fun problem to solve. It could cause serious damage to transmission or engine if left unaddressed.
So does the clutch chatter or are you getting an engine buck at low RPM? I'm guessing this is the same moment when you switched to Holley HP EFI.
Also, was there a clutch setup procedure and did you follow it? I have a Ram RTrack and I had to shim the stand height correctly as part of the install.
One thing we have found is that clutch judder from high performance clutches is dramatically reduced if you lock down the drivetrain with heavy duty mounts. Soft mounts give a rubber-band effect and amplify the judder tremendously. Locking it down reduces this and makes them much easier to engage. Sure you're going to get more vibration but that's the trade off for performance. Either that or you put in a multi-disc so you can get the same power transfer with less overall clamping and less aggressive frictions.
There are gobs of reasons why clutch could chatter. Basically anything that could cause uneven pressure or friction around the clutch disc. Not a fun problem to solve. It could cause serious damage to transmission or engine if left unaddressed.
...yes, I'm finding that in my reading. Lot's of potential causes. ....as for damage, it doesn't actually chatter much, I've gotten so good at driving around it. My foot has just learned to be a little heavier on the gas when the car is cold. The only reason I really noticed is because I took the car out last night because a buddy was helping my with an alignment. It was about 40* and I normally wouldn't have driven it. It took longer to warm up and I felt it start to chatter a few times. When it does, I immediately feather the clutch or gas a little and it does away. I don't let it shake.
So does the clutch chatter or are you getting an engine buck at low RPM? I'm guessing this is the same moment when you switched to Holley HP EFI.
I won't pretend to be an expert, but I really feel this is clutch and not engine related. It's almost always when it's cold, and it's directly related to a partial clutch and light throttle. Yes the Holley was just installed, but so was the engine...fuel system, clutch...TKO....a LOT of new things.
One thing we have found is that clutch judder from high performance clutches...
I guess that's part of my question. Is my set up high performance? I guess I don't think of my combo as really "high" performance, but I guess it ain't no civic either, so maybe. I remember back in the day when the 4th gens were everywhere and guys would all talk about how a few of the various clutches would have more chatter than others. I think the LT4 and some of the Spec clutches were worse than others. It just kinda was what it was. A few of my friends feel like my chatter isn't anything to worry about, others have said maybe it needs a look.
....as for locking it down with better mounts, I will say I AM on all rubber motor and trans mounts to help reduce vibration. I'm not against poly mounts, but I guess I'm more trying to determine if my issue is just a minor woe of a completely hot rodded 30 year old car, and I'm chasing my tail in search of a cadillac ride quality, or there's a genuine problem that needs addressing. -and I know from a computer screen you guys can't necessarily determine that. But I do appreciated the advice and experiences.
Drove it all day today. ...the chatter ain't right. I mean I can drive around it, but it needs to be fixed. *sigh*. ....guess I'll get the car up and check things out. Bleh.
I've had a few that took 2,000 plus miles to get past that and a few that were just bad "grabby" discs. It happens, the hard part is figuring out which you have.
Sooo....I bought a LOT of stuff through Summit that fall....and while I thought I researched everything....apparently I missed this. ....fwiw, I currently have a 3.27, and I've got a new 3.42 rear end almost ready to go. Still not a 3.73. Guess I'll wait to see how it behaves. ...makes me feel a little better though, especially if I decide to swap to a new clutch.
Yeah the puck clutches will do that. But you can reduce it or make it more manageable with better drivetrain mounts. I know it sounds counterintuitive but you want better mounts anyway right? Lot easier than doing a clutch.
Next time just go straight to a multi-disc clutch. Better grip, less pedal effort, and more power holding. Also means less aggressive frictions so no chatter.
Might look into those drivetrain mounts. .....talked to RAM too. They feel that with the 3.42, it should be noticeably better. -and they'll rebuild my clutch to be a little more polite if I should so choose. -but I definitely have more clutch than a I need. Clearly a misjudgement on my part. -But it makes me feel a LOT better about the shuddering. Wasn't looking forward to having to trouble shoot that.
11-16-2018, 07:07 PM
