?'s regarding clutch shudder

[shadobxr]

I know my old WRX had a recall regarding clutch shudder. Is there one for the miata? Also when driving my yata at around 50-60+ MPH the rear end feels wobbley then goes away and then comes back. Feels kinda like a wheel might be off-balance or bent. But considering the clutch/tranny shudder when the car is cold I am thinking that the two are related........perhaps a bad tranny mount?

New 99 owner needs insight.............thanks...

 

[k-lea]

"miatas are notorious with this problem."

niiice. i am now screwed also. ;]

rofl @ me just noticing I am reading this on a WRX forum and you mentioned the WRX.
http://clubwrx.net/forums/showthread.php?t=87916

"with the miata that meant that the throwout bearing was bad and you had to get a whole new shortblock to fix that"

 

[k-lea]

ps: welcome ;]

 

[MiaTurbo]

Miadas don't use tranny mounts, but a PPF which connects the trans directly to the differential.

what's your mileage?

 

[k-lea]

Haha.

No comment.

 

[MiaTurbo]

Haha.

No comment.

PPF Power Plant Frame. here you can see it connected to the differential: big pic.. Here's an illistration of it connected to the trans and dif: small pic

But I don't think that has anything to do with the problem.

 

[shadobxr]

regarding the shudder

Thanks for the replies. Some people from from another forum told me to read this,
link to article

Kinda pissed that I didn't find this out till after I made the purchase.

Then also I talked to Flying Miata regarding their 99 flex issues and they recommended 2 braces, here is the email:
#######Hi Dan,

The later cars typically feel pretty solid, however some of them do have
vibration issues. For your 99, I would recommend the following
stiffeners as a place to start-

Link to brace 1


Link to brace 2
########################################################
Now that didn't say it would fix it, but it would definitely help. This morning when I drove into work, I got the yata up to 70 and everything was nice and smooth, seems like the car gets crazy around 57-67 MPH. I know your like, "Dan STFU and drive 70 everywhere!!!" , but NorthernVA cops are teh suck so that is not possible.

I will fix this problem with my car.*period*

 

[shadobxr]

I actually fixed the Clutch Shudder on the WRX with an upgraded ACT Street clutch, it fixed the problem by literally appling more pressure. I believe the stock pressure plate was like X amount of lbs, whereas the ACT was like X+1500 more lbs of force. Shudder went bye bye after that. (blowup)

Dan (first)

 

[lagunamiata]

There was a recall / TSB about clutch problems with the '03 cars. Don't recall anything on the '99.

The 65 mph shimmy happens on every car. Throw on a cheap eBay shock tower brace. That will help some. Also check the air pressure in your tires. If they are 35psi, lower them to what's on the door sticker.

 

[lagunamiata]

"with the miata that meant that the throwout bearing was bad and you had to get a whole new shortblock to fix that"

Uh, somebody is an idiot... New shortblock to fix a bearing??? Idiot... Not you Kirstin, the poster on the WRX forum. Obviously knows nothing about the Miata or has a shop that likes to **** him.

The only problems I'm aware of that require a shortblock (read ENGINE) replacement was the short-nose crank problem on the early NA's (90 to mid-91).

Maybe if the bearing went bad and chewed up the end of the crank... but if that happend you'd have noticed problems a long time before that!!

I had to replace my trans because the input shaft bearing, in the gearbox, was going bad. But with over 180,000 miles it didn't owe me anything. $200 for a '97 gearbox with 60k on it, not a big deal.

 

[MiaTurbo]

some 99's and some of the 00's had a problem with the thrust bearing on the crank. if it's shot, and the whole crank is walking, that may cause issues. but it typicly shows up by 20k miles. that's why I asked the mileage.

the short nose crank problem did not need a new block to fix. just a newer long nose crank.

I actually got more shaking when I put on one of those cheap ebay shock tower braces on my 91...

 

[shadobxr]

some 99's and some of the 00's had a problem with the thrust bearing on the crank. if it's shot, and the whole crank is walking, that may cause issues. but it typicly shows up by 20k miles. that's why I asked the mileage.

the short nose crank problem did not need a new block to fix. just a newer long nose crank.

I actually got more shaking when I put on one of those cheap ebay shock tower braces on my 91...

Interesting to note, that no one has actually cured this problem. I jacked up the yata from the rear yesterday and there is some sort of brace in between the wishbones. This looked snug and tight, but I will say that the rear end of the car reacts to bumps with the same wobble as it does at 50-65........would calling the dealership be of any use? I know it would be for the clutch shudder, I could get a new clutch for free..........

 

[lagunamiata]

Our club prez got a new clutch in thier '03 because of the TSB.

I'd not heard about the '99 and '00 problem... probably because I have a '94 and don't follow a lot of the NB discussions.

Shakes... heck with KYB AGX shocks, FM Springs, Racing Beat sways, Hard Dog Hard Core bar mine rides so stiff that everything shakes and rattles.

 

[MiaTurbo]

Our club prez got a new clutch in thier '03 because of the TSB.

I'd not heard about the '99 and '00 problem... probably because I have a '94 and don't follow a lot of the NB discussions.

Shakes... heck with KYB AGX shocks, FM Springs, Racing Beat sways, Hard Dog Hard Core bar mine rides so stiff that everything shakes and rattles.

me too, in my 91. But I prefer to call it 'character'. my car has a lot of character. Character can also refer to the door dings, and rust too

 

[peepsalot]

I know my old WRX had a recall regarding clutch shudder. Is there one for the miata? Also when driving my yata at around 50-60+ MPH the rear end feels wobbley then goes away and then comes back. Feels kinda like a wheel might be off-balance or bent. But considering the clutch/tranny shudder when the car is cold I am thinking that the two are related........perhaps a bad tranny mount?

New 99 owner needs insight.............thanks...

well, did you try getting your wheels balanced? It can cause a lot of shaking, I was surprised when my friends car was shaking pretty bad at highway speeds, and the problem just turned out to be unbalanced wheels. Didn't think it made that much difference, but it can.

 

[k-lea]

Uh, somebody is an idiot... New shortblock to fix a bearing??? Idiot... Not you Kirstin, the poster on the WRX forum. Obviously knows nothing about the Miata or has a shop that likes to **** him.

The only problems I'm aware of that require a shortblock (read ENGINE) replacement was the short-nose crank problem on the early NA's (90 to mid-91).

Maybe if the bearing went bad and chewed up the end of the crank... but if that happend you'd have noticed problems a long time before that!!

I had to replace my trans because the input shaft bearing, in the gearbox, was going bad. But with over 180,000 miles it didn't owe me anything. $200 for a '97 gearbox with 60k on it, not a big deal.

Haha, good call. It seemed like an intelligent answer so I gave it a quote.
-makesnotes-

 

[shadobxr]

Haven't gotten the wheels balanced, but a buddy of mine works at a gemini (read GOODYEAR's version of jiffy lube,..............read if you don't know what a jiffy lube is you need to be shot in the eye) who has access to a spin balancer.

*way too much starbucks this morning*

Dan

 

[shadobxr]

got pwned

Man Brown's in fairfax really pissed me off this time. I drop my car in @ 7:AM, yesterday morning and waited patiently for bout 2.5 hours. Then when I ask for some type of update the service guy is like "Your still here? Your going to wait for your car?" Images of (flame2) came to mind. So I made it very clear that my car was brought in to be looked at immediately for clutch shudder and the rear end wobble thingy.

So they look at my car, balance the rear tires and claim there is nothing they can do for the clutch shudder. Then they quote me like 900 bucks to install a new clutch.

Yea......ummmmm no thanks.

So how hard is it to install a new clutch on a yata?

Dan

 

[shadobxr]

any ideas on how hard it is to install the clutch on a yata?

 

[Mazdaspeedgirl]

not hard if you have a lift.

We did ours in our garage with the help of four jackstands. Thank GOD it's rwd...