onecrazyfoo4u

Not sure if it's a clutch problem or what. But most of the time when I lift up the clutch pedal and give it gas (from a stop in 1st gear), the car will shudder for about 1second right when I get started moving; then the shuddering goes away as the clutch seems to engage and the car gets moving. It's a pretty violent shudder, shaking the whole car. Maybe my transmission mounts are worn a lot? It'll give a very slight shudder occastionally when going from 1st to 2nd as well.



Is this a worn cluth problem or something else in the transmission? Or is this totally normal? Is that the clutch slipping or burning up? It doesn't smell or anything. Car is a 2001 Tiburon with the 5-speed transmission. Clutch fluid is full, although slightly dark. Has 140k miles on it and no clue if it's the stock/original clutch or not. I'm worried it's going to blow on me and get me stranded somewhere!

Stocker

If you feather the clutch (let it out veeeeeery gently near the engagement point) and do not give it more than a couple thousand RPM, is it less-bad? Keep engine speed up using the gas pedal, but just above idle.



if so, practice your clutch action.



SOME chatter is normal, especially with aftermarket higher-strength clutches. On a stock setup, you can get some pretty severe bucking if you're not good at t3h shiftings. Worn engine mounts will only make it worse. My usual technique is to blip the throttle a little right at the engagement point, so there is power to be sapped by the transmission as the clutch engages, but not so much it makes the car lurch. Practice, as they say, makes better.

onecrazyfoo4u

I'm thinking it's just worn engine/tranny mounts that's making it feel much worse than it really is. I've owned probably 5 different clutch vehicles over the past 10 years. I've never owned one that chattered/shuddered this much. They would a little, but not much.



That's exactly what I do, rev it to 2000rpm or so, then feather out the clutch slowly for it to engage. It seems that if I feather it out slower, it is much worse. If I'm quick to release the pedal and let it engage, I don't get much shuddering at all.



I can easily feel the engine rocking when I hit the gas or let off the gas. That's why I'm thinking it's mounts. Do you guys suggest going with stock replacement mounts or getting polyurethane inserts? I know there's 2 motor mounts up top and 2 transmission mounts underneath; which ones are the common problem makers that transfer vibrations to the car?

Stocker

Strictly speaking there are three transaxle mounts and one engine mount . . . and the lower transaxle mounts are roll stops, not mounts!



I bet the lower roll stops are shot to heck. Typically, the thick rubber isolator "arms" in the mount are cracked & broken, possibly separated altogether, and the rubber ring around the outside is all that is absorbing the roll forces. Get a few tubes of silicone rubber sealant or window-weld or something that cures firm, and fill the old mounts. Do it friday after work. Let them cure for the weekend, install sunday night. MUCH better to do a set of junkyard mounts; no time pressure that way.

Visionz

You could try installing a torque damper on the engine and see if that helps. But I would also maybe start saving up for a new clutch and a new flywheel or having it resurfaced.

onecrazyfoo4u

Oh okay, so the mount on the passenger side by the timing belt, that's the only engine mount? The one on the driver side and two under the engine/tranny are all considered tranny mounts? So exactly what type of sealant should I feel the mounts with? Like silicon window caulk that comes in the tubes? Cause when that dries it's still flexible, probably not firm enough.



And do you fill all 4 mounts or just the 2 roll stops underneath the engine/tranny?

faithofadragon

do the 2 lower using 3m window weld you can pick it up from napa



DO IT IN STEPS if you try to fill em in 1 step you can run the risk of the surface drying before the inside causing it to never completely cure



then when you turn the engine on, the vibrations will cause the uncured to squirt out like toothpaste



get some from the yard that way you arent without a vehicle



or you can buy poly inserts for $1xx bux and have it be stronger, last longer, and not be so ghetto but then you gotta wait to get em



mine to this day are still window welded although i do plan on getting a new set and doin it again the weather did a number to em after sitting for a few years



then you can enjoy the added traction while getting angry about the shakey mirrors

onecrazyfoo4u

Sweet, thanks for the tips! I'll definitely try this out. Did it increase the vibrations like crazy in the car after you filled them? Did you fill just the lower 2 (so your upper 2 mounts are still all stock)?



Why did you fill yours, just to get rid of the engine/tranny rocking?

Stocker

I filled mine because the ones on my car were shot, I had a spare set that was also shot, and I had spare tubes of silicone laying around.



Compared to having the car go hurky-jerk every time you shift or step on or let off the gas, a little tiny bit more NVH than stock is a HUGE improvement in overall driving enjoyment. The mirrors might shake if you got solid, hard poly inserts or welded a piece of steel on the mounts or something, but with a soft plastic in there it's not that bad IMO.



You will also probably enjoy the result of installing skateboard wheel bearings in place of the probably-also-thrashed rubber bushings on the transmission end of the shifter cables. And removing the restrictor from the slave cylinder. Both these mods have DIYs on this site.



There is one mount on the engine, all the rest bolt to the transaxle housing. The top two mounts can hold the powertrain in place on their own, as you will see when you remove the lower two which are much more involved in preventing engine roll than the upper two mounts. Come to think of it, supporting the transaxle on the crossmember before removing the mounts would probably have made the job easier.

onecrazyfoo4u

Sweet deal, thanks for the help. I'll let you guys know how it goes!