Clutch Chatter

[Dr.Sound]

i have it
it sux

no seriously, i owned my Si for almost 3 years, drove it the same way i drive MSP, and never had clutch chatter.
it usually happens on cold mornings, or if the car has been off for a long time.
1st gear especially......unless i rev up higher than usual the car will shake violently.

even if the car warms up it will do it. it is much less pronounced then, but i can still feel it.

i came across this during a search....it's for miata:

 

[EvilMSP]

I have the same thing!!! I told my friends about it and they all didn't know what I was talking about. And yes it is mostly on cold days until it warms up.

 

[lamp3]

Hey Doc, The MP3's were notorious for it. Mazda has a tsb for it somewhere. The dealers will generally try and wiggle out of it (what else is new), by sighting abuse or saying they can't reproduce the problem. The tsb might be listed here.
http://web2.airmail.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/

 

[Replica]

Most dealers don't give a s***. Good luck.

 

[Crock]

You feel it in the pedal or the whole car? Once in a while, my car raddles like a M-F when engaging first gear. It sounds like something underneath.

 

[lamp3]

you'll feel it in the whole car. And Replica has a point lol

 

[EvilMSP]

Yes it is the whole car cause when people are in it they say "what was that." But you can also feel it in the stearing wheel and feet a lot. That has more of a connection to the shaking.

 

[Dr.Sound]

the car rattles.
it almost feels like i'm learning how to drive a stick all over again.

the thing that triggered this thread, was what i saw today.
it wa an old bug at a red light.
he started moving on 1st gear when light turned green, and almost stalled out because the car started shaking. and i could hear the same thing. as soon as he brought RPMs up, the clutch grabbed and the shaking went away.

it's like "ta ta ta ta ta".
feels like the disk doesnt grip smouthly, but catches and then bounces back.

anyone knows what causes it?
how can it be cured?

 

[lamp3]

I delieve I heard it was something to do with clutch mis-alignment in the mp3's. All the dealers were saying it was hot spots on the disk due to abuse. bs.

 

[Dr.Sound]

yeah, well the dealer will not do anything on the clutch after 12k miles.

u guys with aftermarkit clutches, does it fix the problem?

 

[Dr.Sound]

http://web2.airmail.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/mt000003848.html

 

[Replica]

It feels like wheel hop, like if you were to dump the clutch at like 5,500rpm. It really sucks...

 

[Rich24km]

i get it very very very slightly sometimes. Its not alot....but i feel it.

 

[boostisgood]

I got 22K and replaced my clutch with a factory one, when they changed the motor out at 17K. Guess what, the factory replacment is going AGAIN, and I baby the damn car. Time for my own upgrade in that dept. Mazda clutches = Poo poo.

 

[Mach 3.5 Turbo]

If you don't feel it only in the pedal, it's probably engine mount problems. I'm a design engineer at a clutch manufacturuer, so I know little about the issue. If the whole car is shaking, then the engine is shaking the car, not the disk. If the disk is slipping, the car will tend to lurch and then stop, then repeat, but not really "shake." I'm not saying it couldn't be the clutch, but check you motor mounts (especially the rear one). One may be broken. With the engine cold, the motor mounts are harder and therefore shake more, those with solid mounts can vouch for this. If you're not modded to the extreme, take your car to the dealer and make them inspect the motor mounts, then the clutch if needed. Motor mounts should be covered for a long time, but like it was mentioned, the clutch is only covered for 12000 miles (pretty pathetic number if you ask me). Good luck

 

[Mach 3.5 Turbo]

Oh, and I agree that the mazda stock clutch is crapola. It uses rubber blocks for damper springs for god's sakes. That's the cheapest junk they can throw in a disc. I think that nearly any aftermarket clutch will be better than the MSP (or stock) clutch. I've examined a stock clutch and they just seem like crap. If it is indeed your clutch, I'd recommend a SPEC clutch as a replacement. They seem to do it right.

 

[FSDET]

LOL u should feel it with my MT front and rear motor mounts. it feels like wheelhop when i put it in first gear. its more like ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta and then i have to rev it to like 3k to make it go away but after driving it for 5-10 minutes it goes away.

 

[122 Vega]

EXACTLY what I had mine replaced for at 14,000 miles after 9,000 miles of bitching about it. When I mentioned it here, I got slammed here for not knowing how to drive a stick!

Mine was so bad that the change in my ashtray would make a bunch of noise and the dash would vibrate.

Interesting theory about the "cold motor mounts." I just put in my AWR mounts after driving for twenty or so miles, and they were just at ambient temps. Burned myself on the side of the block though.

It was the clutch disk. It was totally gone when I left the dealership and that was on cold mounts.

Britt

 

[Dr.Sound]

so repplacing with an aftermarket clutch will help.....right?
i know nothing about clutches, i'm looking for something with good street drivability.
Mack 3.5 mentioned SPEC, i'll research them.
anyone else have other ideas?

 

[TigrMsP]

I get this too on cool mornings.. not even COLD mornings. I'm in GA, it's not cold here yet. Usually the first time I start up in first.

I'd also like to know what aftermarket clutches would help this. Anyone?