Clutch chatter... 1st & R

87 XJ, BA 10... just put in a new clutch M/C... previous owner supposedly had a clutch done 1 year before the MC went south.

This is my $150 XJ... just a beater for now... sorting out issues I find as they arise.

Still working on the wiper issue, though it apears that the 5.5 amp circut breaker for the wipers in the fuse panel is absent.. and the panel has a nice coat of DOT 3 on it.

Anyfoo.... I'm getting some chatter in 1st, and R... sure, a few things it could be... the clutch job was done poorly... the flywheel has badspots... the plate has oil contamination cause I would not be surprised if this needed a rear main, considering the exxon valdeeze look of the underside and tranny...

Also, on the BA 10... when I installed the MC, and was bleeding it... the entire assemble (slave and bleeder) seemed loose in the bellhousing. Is this normal?

So, my chatter concerns... possibilities? Besides the flywhell, and oil contamination, is the lose slave assembly a possible culprit? Could it be that I didn't bleed the system well enough?

Also going from 1st to second sounds as if the clutch is only partially disengaged... get the "missed shift grind", like a new tractor trailer driver, trying for his first time to shift without double clutching... I assume syncros are probably on their way out, but maybe an adjustment issue? Any adjustment in here? The clutch does seem to be almost totally engaging upon immediate release of the pedal... more of an on/off switch as opposed to a smooth release/engagement.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

-Steve

PA Jeeps Website Director

The slave hydraulic lines have room to move and that is normal. They can generally move in and out of the bellhousing about 1" or sometimes more.

If they did do clutch work only a year ago they probably only replaced the clutch disc itself or they were lying to you completely.

I had chatter years back which was caused by a partially work clutch disc in combination with some weak pressure plate springs and a few hot spots on the flywheel.....this clutch was used though...about 80K miles on it.

If you've got the tools the only way to really fix it is to drop the tranny and take a look for yourself. A whole new clutch is only about $150, or maybe less, if I recall correctly.

The '88 MJ I bought used a few years ago has chattered since the day I got it. I'm sure the previous owner's grandson hot-spotted the flywheel, and I doubt they fixed that when they threw in a clutch. I have owned the truck for 5 years and put maybe 20,000 miles on it. The chatter hasn't gotten any worse nor any better, and on a good day I can get so it hardly chatters at all by careful feathering of the throttle.

In a $150 beater I would NOT throw any money at trying to fix it.