VN Commodore - clutch shudder: SOLVED

[budgie]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:36:32 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com> wrote:

>
>"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>news:b99rn05910ehj29eh5kks6eh3ketvtb1e5@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:33:13 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:pan.2004.10.24.11.44.53.578629@hotmail.com...
>>>>> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.
>>>>
>>>> It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
>>>> adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today and
>>>> drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.
>>>
>>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>>bend
>>>(or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing clutch
>>>shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the freeplay.
>>>Hence,
>>>I don't think it's going to last long...
>>
>> but does that mean a new throwout arm would be the fix rather than a new
>> plate
>> (pair)?
>
>Possibly, but you have to pull the gearbox either way to inspect/replace
>either item.

yeah but that's a piece of piss nowadays with lightweight (aluminium) boxes.
It's the $$$ for the plates that makes the difference.

Peter (who cut his teeth doing FX-FB boxes...)

[clockmeister]

"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:kkcsn0tqv88ffo5pn58mkpva7n9acvk49m@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:36:32 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>>news:b99rn05910ehj29eh5kks6eh3ketvtb1e5@4ax.com...
>>> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:33:13 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:pan.2004.10.24.11.44.53.578629@hotmail.com...
>>>>>> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.
>>>>>
>>>>> It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
>>>>> adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today
>>>>> and
>>>>> drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.
>>>>
>>>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>>>bend
>>>>(or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing clutch
>>>>shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the freeplay.
>>>>Hence,
>>>>I don't think it's going to last long...
>>>
>>> but does that mean a new throwout arm would be the fix rather than a new
>>> plate
>>> (pair)?
>>
>>Possibly, but you have to pull the gearbox either way to inspect/replace
>>either item.
>
> yeah but that's a piece of piss nowadays with lightweight (aluminium)
> boxes.
> It's the $$$ for the plates that makes the difference.

That is my point, there isn't a way of knowing until you pull the box and
physically and visually inspect the lot.

> Peter (who cut his teeth doing FX-FB boxes...)

A bit before my time ;-)

[budgie]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:54:58 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com> wrote:

>
>"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>news:kkcsn0tqv88ffo5pn58mkpva7n9acvk49m@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:36:32 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>>>news:b99rn05910ehj29eh5kks6eh3ketvtb1e5@4ax.com...
>>>> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:33:13 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>news:pan.2004.10.24.11.44.53.578629@hotmail.com...
>>>>>>> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
>>>>>> adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.
>>>>>
>>>>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>>>>bend
>>>>>(or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing clutch
>>>>>shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the freeplay.
>>>>>Hence,
>>>>>I don't think it's going to last long...
>>>>
>>>> but does that mean a new throwout arm would be the fix rather than a new
>>>> plate
>>>> (pair)?
>>>
>>>Possibly, but you have to pull the gearbox either way to inspect/replace
>>>either item.
>>
>> yeah but that's a piece of piss nowadays with lightweight (aluminium)
>> boxes.
>> It's the $$$ for the plates that makes the difference.
>
>That is my point, there isn't a way of knowing until you pull the box and
>physically and visually inspect the lot.
>
>> Peter (who cut his teeth doing FX-FB boxes...)
>
>A bit before my time ;-)

Lucky you - those old cast iron boxes were HEAVY, and when you pulled them from
a machine they squashed your chest (no minihoists). And lifting them back into
place single-handed was no breeze either.

[budgie]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:33:13 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com> wrote:

>
>"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:pan.2004.10.24.11.44.53.578629@hotmail.com...
>>> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.
>>
>> It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
>> adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today and
>> drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.
>
>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would bend
>(or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing clutch
>shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the freeplay. Hence,
>I don't think it's going to last long...

but does that mean a new throwout arm would be the fix rather than a new plate
(pair)?

[a9x5l]

>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>bend (or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing
>>clutch shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the
>>freeplay. Hence, I don't think it's going to last long...
>

My news-reader is playing tricks on me so I don't know who the above is
from but...

The clutch has free-play, at this stage I'm assuming that it was just in
need of adjustment and the mechanic was hoping I'd go for a new clutch.

--
a9x5l

[clockmeister]

"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.10.26.05.12.52.180880@hotmail.com...
>>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>>bend (or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing
>>>clutch shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the
>>>freeplay. Hence, I don't think it's going to last long...
>>
>
> My news-reader is playing tricks on me so I don't know who the above is
> from but...
>
> The clutch has free-play, at this stage I'm assuming that it was just in
> need of adjustment and the mechanic was hoping I'd go for a new clutch.
>

Yes, but clutch adjustment isn't a fix for clutch shudder, it's indicative
of another problem.

[clockmeister]

"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:b99rn05910ehj29eh5kks6eh3ketvtb1e5@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:33:13 +0800, "clockmeister" <no-one@nowhere.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"a9x5l" <a9x5l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:pan.2004.10.24.11.44.53.578629@hotmail.com...
>>>> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.
>>>
>>> It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
>>> adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today and
>>> drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.
>>
>>They had a particular problem with those clutches where the lever would
>>bend
>>(or something similar, I can't remember the specifics) causing clutch
>>shudder which could be temporarily fixed by taking out the freeplay.
>>Hence,
>>I don't think it's going to last long...
>
> but does that mean a new throwout arm would be the fix rather than a new
> plate
> (pair)?

Possibly, but you have to pull the gearbox either way to inspect/replace
either item.

[clockmeister]

"a9x5l" <none@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.10.23.23.25.13.223309@nowhere.com...
>I went to Borders book shop last night to see if I could find a repair
> manual for VN's and only found books on VN V6 and VS V6, looking in the
> clutch section, I noticed a sub-section on Release Lever Adjustment - This
> got my attention as it stated that if reverse gear cannot be selected in 9
> seconds without crunching then re-adjustment should be considered. This
> was the case with my car, I don't know why the mechanic never said or did
> anything about it but after adjusting the clutch travel until reverse
> could be selected(only a couple of turns on the adjusting nut), I road
> tested the car and the shudder is now gone - clutch action feels much
> better too.
>
> Thanks to everyone who helped out with suggestions.
>

It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.

[a9x5l]

> It probably won't last, but good luck anyway.

It was getting worse and was pretty much undrivable just before
adjusting so every extra day now is a bonus! Did some driving today and
drove it hard, no worries at all, so I'll see how it goes.

--
a9x5l

[a9x5l]

I went to Borders book shop last night to see if I could find a repair
manual for VN's and only found books on VN V6 and VS V6, looking in the
clutch section, I noticed a sub-section on Release Lever Adjustment - This
got my attention as it stated that if reverse gear cannot be selected in 9
seconds without crunching then re-adjustment should be considered. This
was the case with my car, I don't know why the mechanic never said or did
anything about it but after adjusting the clutch travel until reverse
could be selected(only a couple of turns on the adjusting nut), I road
tested the car and the shudder is now gone - clutch action feels much
better too.

Thanks to everyone who helped out with suggestions.

--
a9x5l