Re: CLUTCH CHATTERING ATTN ALFRED KOOS

["akoos@xxxxxxxx" <akoos@xxxxxxxx>]

-- "Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>Al,
>I have a question for you on this subject, what 
>if the transmission mount were to be solid but 
>still have a central pivot bolt so the engine/
>transmission could rotate back and forth but 
>there would be no up and down "give". Might 
>this also cause clutch chatter?

In my experience, it is both 'side-to-side' and 'up-and-down' movement that causes the chatter.  My best example is the '78 Concord Hatchback that I used to have (258/4-speed).  I ran that car hard (could catch rubber in three of four gears) and broke the transmission mount about once a year.  When the mount would wear out or break, the driveline would 'wind up' under load, causing an enormous chatter that felt like a bad clutch or excessive wheel-hop.

If you've ever used a sewer snake on a clogged drain, you will be familiar with 'wind up' action.  If the snake gets caught up in the drain (your rear tires get a good bite under load), the snake will 'coil' itself around the perimeter of the pipe (the tranny/driveshaft start to bind and rotate around).  If this is extreme enough, the snake will bind and tangle up (the transmission mount will break).  

The solution is to replace the mount, which is easy compared to clutch or rearend work.  In more extreme applications (like the SC/Rambler mentioned), a more robust solution like the 'chain leash' can help keep everything square and limit this problem.  Race cars solve the problem by using a mounting plate between the transmission and the engine, but that tends to transmit a lot of vibration to the body.

Alfred Koos
Alamo AMC
San Antonio, TX
akoos@xxxxxxxx  

, causing an enormous 'chatter' which felt like 

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