Clutch chatter

[zenapup]

Greetings all,

I have been having issues with clutch chatter ONLY when taking off in first. I first replaced the OEM stock clutch (was rather black and burnt) about a year ago with an Exedy 08708 clutch kit while I had the engine removed for resealing and bearing replacement, etc. Anyways, after reassembling the problem had not changed at all. I have put about 10,000 miles on the new clutch and the symptoms have not changed at all. The flywheel WAS resurfaced by a machine shop who did the block work for me, but I do not know if they did it correctly. Any suggestions on what I should check or try to resolve the problem. I do not have any problems shifting to/from any gear combination. If I throttle it to about 2000 and let the clutch out while keeping it at 2000 it does not chatter at all. This scenario was true on the old clutch as well. Any ideas are appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Dr_Snooz]

By "chatter" do you mean that the car shudders? Or something else?

[zenapup]

Yes, it shudders, kind of like an idle vibration but worse. I'm assuming having to throttle it to 2000 to make it a smooth takeoff is not normal, as it even does it when starting on a downhill incline.

[Hauntd ca3]

flywheels are pricks of things when replacing clutches.
lots of machine shops will just spin it in the lathe and skim enough off it to make it flat.
but all that they actually do is machine a spiral into it.
a flywheel has to be machined then stone ground to be perfectly flat .
many say that turning in a lathe is enough, but from experiance, thats crap.
if not done just right, you end up with slip and shudder problems that wont go away

[zenapup]

Well, it does not slip. Would you suggest I get another machine shop to do it or just replace it? I'd prefer to keep the stock one if possible.

[2ndGenGuy]

When you installed the pressure plate, did you do the "star" pattern, just a couple of turns at a time? I heard that not doing that properly can warp the pressure plate and cause shudder. I've had it happen to me twice, after putting in new clutches, I assumed I did the torque sequence improperly... but I suppose the machine work could have been to blame.

[HelpMeHonda]

The bearings, hydraulics, all that replaced? Did you need to shim the slave?

[zenapup]

I did, with a torque wrench even, in two steps, first to 9 then to 19 lb-ft spec according to the surface manual. I used a t-handle and tightened them two turns at a time in a star pattern until flush then used the torque wrench. I feel it's related to the flywheel since it was the only thing not replaced.

[zenapup]

The bearings, hydraulics, all that replaced? Did you need to shim the slave?
These cars use a clutch cable, there are no hydraulics. Release bearing was replaced as it was included in the kit, but the A20 engine does not have a pilot bearing/bushing.