Bill please help. I have been trying to solve a clutch chatter problem in by BB 70 El Camino for three years. Here is what I have done so far.

New flywheel,pressure plate,disc,throw out bearing, pilot bushing,clutch lever. Rebuilt trans. New u-joints. Replaced all rear suspension bushings. New motor and trans mounts. Different bellhousing. Still have the same problem. I have the engine out so I checked the flywheel with a dial indicator and it runs +-.001 at the edge of the clutch contact area. What else is there?? What have I not thought of to check?? I am stumped!!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/confused.gif




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Steve
ACES 209
TCG 63
70 El Camino SS 396
55 Chevy Tudor Sedan
54 Chevy Hotrod Pickup
71 Pontiac GT-37 455 4sp

Steve,
It could possibly be a defective clutch itself. I have seen it happen. Are there any hot spots in the flywheel ? The flywheel sounds fine. When does it do it, light throttle, easy engagement ? Or just when you really wail on it ? Without actually driving the car, its kind of hard to think of anything else. What brand clutch is it ? A lot of the real good performance clutches will chatter a bit under light use. They are designed to take a lot of power and do not like any slipping. Many moons ago, I tried a 3800lb Hayes with a metallic disc and it was a bear to drive on the street. You basically had to "launch" the car every time you started off. It did not like to be slipped at all. Clutch technology has changed a lot since then though. I would call the clutch manufacturer and see what they think.


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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

1971 Heavy Chevy - original owner
Team Chevelle #100

First set up was a new OEM plate and disc on a used flywheel. I repalced this with a new flywheel and a ZOOM plate and disc. Always the same, light throttle, easy engagement. Rev the motor and it is not as bad.

Steve, Are you getting any oil or trans gear lube on the clutch disc from a leak? I'm having a slight chatter problem after I had an oil leak from the rear intake seal last year. When I put the clutch disc back in last winter, it looked like it might have soaked up some oil. Then the chattering began. I've been kicking myself ever since for not replacing the disc then. I'll do it this winter.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575
My '69 SS (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/jerryacheson/vons69.html)

I had a similar issue with a Hays street-strip clutch - low speed take-offs. I think the fact that I have a 3.07 rear gear is part of it - 4.10s would cause less chatter http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif .

I swapped to a centerforce, no more problems. My 2¢.

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Ron Cook TC Gold #1276 ___ ACES #5136
1969 300 Deluxe HTSS396 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/bow_tied4.jpg) The L35-325HP 396cid (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/bow_tied3.jpg) 69 Memory Lane (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/bow_tied.jpg) 1971 Malibu 2DR HT (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/bow_tied_71Malibu.jpg)
CanAm Chevelle Club (http://www.canamchevelles.com) _____________"Take my advice, I'm not using it."

S Courter
Is that Zoom clutch/pressure plate the HP-5501-1?
If so, the clutch disc material is kevlar and it doesn't like to be slipped.
I was chasing a chatter and went through the steps you took(mounts, u-joints, etc).
I went back to the stock(organic?) clutch and the chatter was gone.

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Rusty
Big Block Bliss (http://www.geocities.com/rusted11/Gallery1.html)
1967 Chevelle SS
New Change in Policy...
If a "Bolt-On" product DOESN'T have to be modified, I don't want it

Clutch is a Zoom 30006. Von..no leaks,clutch was clean and dry. I have the motor out for another minor problem so I am replacing the clutch and plate again. Don't want to put it back in with the old parts. Am keeping my fingers crossed.

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Steve
ACES 209
TCG 63
70 El Camino SS 396
55 Chevy Tudor Sedan
54 Chevy Hotrod Pickup
71 Pontiac GT-37 455 4sp

Bill..As A followup to this post I wanted to let you know that I solved my chattering problem. As I was getting ready to put the bellhousing back on the engine I took a good look at the clutch fork and noticed a crack in the center of the fork at the rivit that holds the spring clip on. I also noticed some uneven wear on the fork itself. Well I replaced it with a new heavy duty one from JEGS. NO MORE CLUTCH CHATTER!!!!!!! WOW it is sooooo much nicer. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Steve
ACES 209
TCG 63
70 El Camino SS 396
55 Chevy Tudor Sedan
54 Chevy Hotrod Pickup
71 Pontiac GT-37 455 4sp

Thanks for posting the results of your repair so this can be on record.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017
A.C.E.S.#3731
progress has little to do with speed, but lots to do with direction.
Maryland Chevelle Club (http://www.chevelles.net/mcc/mcc.htm)