Replacing clutch in Toyota

My wifes Tercel needs a new clutch, but I have to know some stuff first. Her clutch or flywheel must be terribly warped. When you start out from a stop, the engagement of the clutch results in such violent shaking that I'm starting to fear for things like the CD player and Motor mounts. Is that typical of a warped disc? Is it easy to take out the flywheel while I'm in there and have it resurfaced? Is it likely that the flywheel is the culprit? Is it likely that its something else? This is my first clutch job, so can you think of anything outside of a standard clutch kit that I might need?

Thanks

Is it a high speed shaking, or more of a pounding shaking? Also, is the shaking in relation to the engine RPM or the car speed?Its rare that the flywheel would warp that badly. Its a pretty heavy chunk of steel. (weighing in at about 25-30lbs) You would have to put a pretty large heat load on that thing to get it to warp like that.

If its a high speed shake I think of a couple of causes.

If its related to the RPM of the motor, heres a thought. Does it do it only when the car is moving? Rev the motor with the clutch disengaged (pedal pushed down) does it shake? (if the shake is related to that could very well be the fly wheel) If it doesn't, does it shake while you're moving while still in relation to the RPM's? That could be a possible damaged clutch.

If it shakes with the more speed the car gets and not related to the RPM's it could be something as simple as a weight to a tire fell off or could be a faulty CV joint. Check your tires for abnormal wear.

If none of these seem to solve your dilema I would go through the rest of it as following...
Have a nice weekend set aside.

1.) Check all the motor mounts including the torque strut mount. This problem could be caused (and is in my belief) by the motor bouncing all over the place while its first trying to transfer torque to the wheels. Make sure the mounts are not only free of dry rot, but that they're securely fastend to both motor and subframe. A lot of FWD cars run a tri mount system where there are two mounts on the trasaxle as well as one under the front main seal of the motor. Make sure they are all securely fastened. When I had the 4 cylinder in my fiero, one of the mounts actually cracked causing the whole motor to shift down about 2inches resting itself on the oil filter. When I would accelerate at first the application of torque would cause the motor to bang and make a series of loud thuds from hitting up against the firewall. I had no clue what it was untill I was going down the interstate and I watched my oil pressure just drop. It broke the oil filter in half from banging so hard.

2.) Check the axle shafts, make sure theres no play in the CV-joints and that everything is checking out.

3.) If its not the above then you're going to have to start digging into stuff. Hopefully you have enough room to pull the trans from the hood. (On my Fiero, I have to lift the whole car 5ft and drop the subframe)They're really not redicuously heavy coming in at about 100lbs. You may have to disconnect one of your spindles to make clearance for the axles. (You will see what I'm talking about if you run into this problem) If you do this, make sure you get your car aligned afterwards. I would firstly check to make sure all the bolts are securley fastened to the pressure plate and flywheel. Also make sure the clutch doesn't show any visible signs of damage. What you described could also be a case of clutch chatter. This is when the clutch is binding up, getting grip then losing it. On stock vehicles this is commonly caused by worn springs on the clutch. If its at this, you're going to have to do a full clutch job. I'm sure you can pick up a clutch kit from Autozone or Napa for fairly inexpensive($50-$130). Make sure you get the kit, including the clutch disc, pressure plate and alignment tool. When you replace a clutch also have your flywheel machined/balanced. Almost any machine shop can do this for around $30-$60. Some will ask you how far to go, either in stages, 1, 2, or 3. Just ask them enough to remove the run-out. However, have them make sure its still within tolerance before they do it. Other than that the job is pretty straight foward and remove and replace. Just make sure you use the alignment tool properly. When you put the transmission back onto the motor (over the pressure plate and clutch) its going to take a little bit of jiggling to get the shaft in the trans to line up but be patient with it. Another key thing, MAKE SURE ALL THE BOLTS/NUTS ARE TORQUED TO SPEC, especially on the flywheel. A haynes manual should have step by step instructions as well as torque specifications to make this job idiot proof.

One more thing you might want to do is change the oil in the transaxle. They usually take about 6-7 quarts (again, you're going to need to find out the exact amount). A lot of manual transaxles just use regular 5W-30. (this is just more of a 'while you're at it' job Also when re-installing the transmission. Change the motor mounts if they weren't destroyed anyways. Their only about $7-$10 each and makes for a smoother ride.

Best of luck, let my know if theres anything else you need.

Thanks for the reply. I know its definitely something with the clutch. Its a violent pounding that ONLY takes place during clutch engagement in gear. Once its engaged, smooth. If its in neutral, clutch in or out, its smooth. Only when tranferring torque to the tranny. It is directly correlative to the RPMs.

PS. I still like that tag line :)

Oh, and by the way, CV joints, shafts, motor mounts, all check out fine and dandy.

Sounds like a killer case of clutch chatter. Is it possible to give it some higher rpms and let the clutch out very slowly. Do you still get the same pounding?

Yes, I can do the higher RPMs, but heat seems to make the problem worse, so the next time is tougher.

Usually I can get by with really aggressive starts. If I get it engaged fast, its usually alright. Every stop light I look like an idiot chirping the tires in a Tercel. :)

Hahahaha, yeah, your clutch could be glazed causing clutch chatter, or the clutch could be physically damaged

Just curious to see how this went. Was my diagnosis correct? Hope all went well...

I'm embarrased to say that I haven't torn into it yet. She had a blowout in a front tire and I put the spare on, but she's been driving my BMW since then. Funny how things get put on the back burner, huh?

I'm actually selling the BMW convertible, so I guess I have to get on that clutch job. :naughty:

Curtis