New clutch installed & getting bad vibration!!!

SPD-101

SPD-101

Forum Member
If anyone could give me insight or point me in the right direction I greatly appreciate it.
Also if this is in the wrong section sorry mods

Car is a 1999 mustang gt

My cousin installed a new clutch disk, new pressure plate, new throw out bearing, new pilot bearing, and had the flywheel resurfaced. FYI he has done this 4times on 99-04 Stangs.

I only have put 35 miles on it since the install this Monday. I know new clutches have a break in period but when I am in reverse or in 1st gear and I start to engage he clutch I get a really bad vibration (I mean the whole car shakes) until fully engaed and moving.

Reverse is extremely bad, and 1st is very rough too, and I get it in 2nd 3rd 4th gear also but they are much less then reverse & 1st.

Also the trans shift as smoothly as before and when actually driving its totally fine.

I has heard of chatter after new clutches being installed but this is much more of a violent vibration.

One more thing, before the new clutch the car/clutch would grab/engage towards the bottom (which I really like) but after the new clutch it grabs/engages at the very very top (which I don't like). Why would that be? I already checked the clutch adjustment and it was on the factory tooth/setting before the install and now after the install its on the same factory tooth so the adjustment hasnt changed. I am confused as why this would happen. Is this just from the clutch being different than before?

Again thanks for any help and please school me on this if you know it.
 
Pull all the way up on the clutch pedal and open the adjuster, should feel like a sprin you're pulling against. Then push and release the clutch a few times. THis is the way it is on older stangs, not sure if it's the same for yours (quadrant?) The bad shakin could be from an improper pilot bearing, or miss installment.

For future reference, we have a tech area in the forum list.

Edit, i looked it up, your car has a adjustable quadrant. Just pull by hand the pedal all the way up, it will feel like you're pulling against a spring. That open teh adjuster pawl on the pedal, get in and cycle clutch pedal as normal a few times. Should reset engagement height. If that doesn't cure your chatter, i'm guessing back to the pilot bearing. Did it chatter that badly befor the clutch install?
 
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Thanks Billy

I did not chatter before, and i have pulled up the adjustable quadrant and it was on the same setting before and after the install, i messed with it last night just to be sure and its at the factory setting. I dont believe this would cause it to shake like it does.

Billydroveit said:
Pull all the way up on the clutch pedal and open the adjuster, should feel like a sprin you're pulling against. Then push and release the clutch a few times. THis is the way it is on older stangs, not sure if it's the same for yours (quadrant?) The bad shakin could be from an improper pilot bearing, or miss installment.

For future reference, we have a tech area in the forum list.

Edit, i looked it up, your car has a adjustable quadrant. Just pull by hand the pedal all the way up, it will feel like you're pulling against a spring. That open teh adjuster pawl on the pedal, get in and cycle clutch pedal as normal a few times. Should reset engagement height. If that doesn't cure your chatter, i'm guessing back to the pilot bearing. Did it chatter that badly befor the clutch install?
Click to expand...
 
thanks badair

It does chatter but its a very very small amout.

If i could best discribe the violent shaking it does when i am engages the clutch at grabing point in reverse its a 10 on a 1-10 scale and in 1st its probably a 7-8 out of 10.

When going in first if i release the clutch quickly its a lesser shake but its still happening and i am acutally worried that i may be doing it more harm by trying to put miles on it for the break in period.

1BADAIR said:
Alot of. Performance clutches chatter during break in
Click to expand...
 
I had a centerforce that took about 500 miles before the chatter went away for the kevlar linings to be burnished.
 
The clutch is a SVE Mongoose Clutch Kit

It said 10.5" 10 Spline for either a 5.0 or 4.6 motor for year 1986-00

The mongoose clutch has a 2,250lb static clamp load over the stock 2,000lb and also stated it has a steel backed organic friction lined disk (i'm not a mechanic so this may be all clutches)

It doesnt feel like chatter to me but more of a strong vibration from a possible strong chatter.

As mentioned about it shakes the whole car. I dont mind driving it to put miles on it but I am afraid of causing more damage. My cousin is trying to think of anything possible including puting the disk in backwards but that cant be it as it drives and shifts absolutly fine.

I understand without seeing the car its hard to guess what it could be and most ppl will say its the chatter from the break in period.

1BADAIR said:
What clutch is it?
Spec?
Click to expand...
 
I had a bad clutch install once on my car (back when it was under warranty & the dealer screwed it up). They did not align the clutch properly with the alignment tool. Had to redo it and then all was better. But it did like you are saying with the bad vibration only in first or reverse. If it does not go away after some break-in I would have the trans pulled and alignment checked again on it.
 
Hugger Z said:
I had a bad clutch install once on my car (back when it was under warranty & the dealer screwed it up). They did not align the clutch properly with the alignment tool. Had to redo it and then all was better. But it did like you are saying with the bad vibration only in first or reverse. If it does not go away after some break-in I would have the trans pulled and alignment checked again on it.
Click to expand...

AS soon as you push the clutch in teh first time and it rotates it should align everything. Unless there is a bad pilot, or one of teh dowels fell out and he didn't see it. If the bellhousing is off center it will also do exactly what you are describing.

Give it a few more miles, if it doesn't atleast start geting better, i would pull it and inspect it. That's not much more clamp load over stock. Also inspect teh end of the cables, if they are starting to fray/bad cable it could cause it to bounce.
 
vibration would be when you rev the car up with the clutch in. shake at the apply point is chatter. could be from the flywheel being machined wrong or just clutch chatter. chatter with performance clutch is very common and usually gets better within 500 miles(city) although some aggressive clutches it wont go away(some clutches shouldnt be slipped-ie a race oriented clutch)
 
Thanks huggerz & Billy again

I am always a bit over worried when it comes to this stuff, but i do think that its a pretty darn hard vibration

I do plan on driving it tomorrow and friday to put some miles on it and hope it gets better, if not then we are going to have to pull it and take a look at it

Billydroveit said:
AS soon as you push the clutch in teh first time and it rotates it should align everything. Unless there is a bad pilot, or one of teh dowels fell out and he didn't see it. If the bellhousing is off center it will also do exactly what you are describing.

Give it a few more miles, if it doesn't atleast start geting better, i would pull it and inspect it. That's not much more clamp load over stock. Also inspect teh end of the cables, if they are starting to fray/bad cable it could cause it to bounce.
Click to expand...
 
No vibration when i rev the car up with the clutch in

And yes it does the shake when the apply/engage point is, you suggest chatter which is what most would and i would hope so also. This clutch is vitually stock being a bit better but i feel like its just vibrating the car way to much

As mentioned above i will try and put some miles on it tomorrow and friday and see if that helps, if not we will pull it and go at it seeing if we can figure it out

1BADAIR said:
vibration would be when you rev the car up with the clutch in. shake at the apply point is chatter. could be from the flywheel being machined wrong or just clutch chatter. chatter with performance clutch is very common and usually gets better within 500 miles(city) although some aggressive clutches it wont go away(some clutches shouldnt be slipped-ie a race oriented clutch)
Click to expand...
 
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