I recently developed a clutch judder (skipping, jerking during 1st gear engage) on cold start up. Problem gone after engine warm. Car is a 90 loyale w/212k on the clock. Clutch was rebuilt (new pp, pilot bearing, throwout bearing) about 35k ago. Question for the gurus: Can I adjust my way out of this, or am I looking at another rebuild? Thanks for your thoughts.

Bill

Since it's temp related it sounds more like a cold running condition of the engine than a clutch issue.... like the engine is bucking under load when cold. I would start with a tune up and vacuum test of the engine when cold.

 

GD

Since it's temp related it sounds more like a cold running condition of the engine than a clutch issue.... like the engine is bucking under load when cold. I would start with a tune up and vacuum test of the engine when cold.GD

GD-

Thanks for the input. The car starts and runs basically fine, despite my EGR and Purge solinoids being t's-up for years now. So I think the CTS is working well. The judder/shudder action is entirely clutch-activated (it's the clutch engage skipping

around while the engine is performing well). Still think it may be engine-related?

I get the same thing in my 88 GL. At low speeds, right after start up, it acts like the car wants to bog down & die, unless I flutter the clutch.

 

I'm pretty sure it isn't the CTS, but I don't mind changing it out if I had to.

 

I replaced the TPS a few months ago with one from a junkyard, and it seemed to help.

 

How exactly/what do we look for with a vacuum test while cold?

 

edit: oh yea, my EGR solenoid is also broken. Going to disconnect the vacuum line to it at some point

That's very strange - I've never heard of a clutch problem that went away once the engine warms... not sure what to tell you. Have you checked the cable adjustment? Perhaps it's too tight, and once the clutch pack and flywheel heat up they expand and take up the slack. I'm just shooting blind here.

 

GD

Burn your clutch?

my 86 has always done that. I've replaced the clutch disc, pressure plate, flywheel pilot bearing throwout bearing all with new parts and it still does it.

 

I think its a symptom of wear on the transmission. Now my main bearing is going out. Lol guess I was too hard on her

Both the EA82's I've owned did it to some degree. If I let 'er warm up

for 3-5 minutes in the morning it won't do it.

I'd also suspect the Throttle Position Sensor. Had to have mine replaced (and there's a test procedure in the manuals worth following both on your current one and anything you get from a junkyard -- not all that hard, reprinted in other threads hereabouts).

 

My car did the same thing, slowly got worse, and at the end the engine light would come on with the TPS code until the car warmed up! It was also boggy at odd other times.