1st Gear Shudder on Take-off, what is cause?
11-29-2014, 08:31 PM
#11
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,731
The clutch in my old car did something similar a few years ago. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention to the warning signs and one day it left me stranded on the interstate. That was an expensive fix since I didn't have a garage at the time and it was winter in the middle of finals so had to get the stealership to fix it.
what was the problem? Was the clutch warn out? Problem in the transmission?
12-01-2014, 09:43 AM
#12
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DE
Posts: 546
12-01-2014, 12:18 PM
#14
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
There's an inspection plate under the tranny where you can see the ring gear and maybe part of the flywheel. Take a look. Any bluing on the flywheel means the disc is probably glazed. Any scoring or gouges means the rivets on the disc are starting to grind the flywheel.
12-05-2014, 10:47 AM
#15
So this problem just recently started showing up in my 2012 GT w/ MT82. The car has 47K miles. The car shifts smooth and goes into all of the gears the same way that it always has.
The shudder occurs when taking off from a stop in a straight line. It does not occur all of the time. I first noticed it after a 2 hour drive on the freeway, and the shudder occurred when I was near my destination in stop and go traffic. The shudder is only in 1st gear. It also happened again after about an hour drive on the highway and when I got into town stopping at red lights, etc. Once the shudder starts to happen, the only way for it to completely go away is for the car to cool off overnight. After sitting overnight and going for relatively short trips around town there is no shudder. This is all normal daily driving with normal launches.
It is NOT the motor hesitating or dropping RPMs. Could it be brake/clutch fluid needs to be replaced? Maybe heat soaking is causing the fluids to expand? Or my gut feeling, do you think throwout bearing and/or clutch are beginning to go bad?
The shudder occurs when taking off from a stop in a straight line. It does not occur all of the time. I first noticed it after a 2 hour drive on the freeway, and the shudder occurred when I was near my destination in stop and go traffic. The shudder is only in 1st gear. It also happened again after about an hour drive on the highway and when I got into town stopping at red lights, etc. Once the shudder starts to happen, the only way for it to completely go away is for the car to cool off overnight. After sitting overnight and going for relatively short trips around town there is no shudder. This is all normal daily driving with normal launches.
It is NOT the motor hesitating or dropping RPMs. Could it be brake/clutch fluid needs to be replaced? Maybe heat soaking is causing the fluids to expand? Or my gut feeling, do you think throwout bearing and/or clutch are beginning to go bad?
You can schedule an appointment online here.
Deysha
12-10-2014, 10:05 AM
#17
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CA
Posts: 202
I've had this problem before with other cars. Curing it requires a clutch replacement. Also fit a new flywheel, don't just machine yours. Refinishing the old one never seems to last very long before the shudder/chatter returns.
12-10-2014, 10:10 AM
#18
12-10-2014, 07:36 PM
#19
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DE
Posts: 546
Deysha, realistically, what would my dealer do for me if they can replicate the issue? Tell me I need a new clutch and then give me a hefty bill for a new clutch? It wouldn't be covered under any warranties, would it? Calling ford just sounds like a waste of time.
12-10-2014, 11:12 PM
#20
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,731
I had the exact same issue, like 100% exactly the same, and it wound up just needing the differential to be serviced, which I think cost about 200 dollars.
Which makes some sense, though I'm not 100% mechanically inclined, the gears in the rear end do spin in relationship to the driveshaft due to friction/interaction between the fluid and clutch packs.
Obviously when you're stopped, there is more work (force * distance, hah) required to make the vehicle move, whereas when you're already moving, you have inertia working in your favor, so even if it does shudder, you may not be able to notice it.
Anyway, mine happened around the same mileage (53,000).
Which makes some sense, though I'm not 100% mechanically inclined, the gears in the rear end do spin in relationship to the driveshaft due to friction/interaction between the fluid and clutch packs.
Obviously when you're stopped, there is more work (force * distance, hah) required to make the vehicle move, whereas when you're already moving, you have inertia working in your favor, so even if it does shudder, you may not be able to notice it.
Anyway, mine happened around the same mileage (53,000).