Jeep Jerks/hops When Letting Clutch Pedal Out

Hey guys, i just finished putting a new dauntless in my early cj5. I have a 69 jeep v6 that i drilled the bell housing and mated to a ford t18 with a spicer 18 tcase. I also have a mechanical locker in the rear two piece tappered dana 44.

When i put the new motor in i also replaced the Pilot bushing throwout bearing clutch disc and i believe pressure plate. I never turned the flywheel‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️

Now when i let the clutch pedal out in first gear, my jeep hops and jerks violently until the clutch is all the way out. Wether im turning or going straight. This happens about 60 percent of the time i start from a dead stop. At first i was attributing it to the locker. But now i think its the flywheel.

Any suggestions or should i get to pulling that flywheel?

 

A glazed flywheel could be part of or all of the problem. If it were mine, I would just put some miles on it and see if it gets better with a little wear on the disc.

 

How about the stay-cable from the bellhouse to the frame cross member? (Does the Dauntless use one?)

Engine and transmission rubber mounts?

Were the flywheel and pressure plate faces super clean? (No trace of oil/grease.)

 

How are the motor mounts? Did you reuse bits and pieces from both engines or all from the old / new?

I wonder if the pilot bushing isn't in far enough causing a bind in the Transmission. Does it grind in first and reverse?

 

Agree with others on the motor/transmission mounts. My Dauntless would about buck you out of the Jeep in reverse. New motor mounts completely fixed the problem.

That said, it could be binding linkage or a sticky pilot bushing. Make sure all the clutch linkage is in good shape and operates smoothly with little friction.

 

Yes it does, but only with a stock 3 speed.

 

What does "and I believe pressure plate" mean?

You either replaced the pressure plate or you didn't.

Clutch chatter can be caused by several things but is usually one of the surfaces being "glazed", flywheel, pressure plate, or either side of the clutch disc. A glaze can be caused by oil getting onto the clutch, or from slippage due to improper adjustment or driving habits.

As a rule I always have the flywheel resurfaced and use a new pressure plate, disc, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing whenever I go to the trouble of replacing a clutch. I don't want to have to go back into it for a long time.

Another possibility occurs to me. You said you installed a Dauntless engine, which in my mind would be the 225 odd fire. If this is so, what flywheel did you use? The Dauntless specific flywheel is heavy and balanced to smooth out the "odd fire" roughness. If you used a flywheel with a neutral balance you would have some noticeable vibration.

 

Does it behave the same way in reverse?

 

Are the bolts tight between the transmission and the bell housing ?

 

I like that answer. Thumbs up

 

I haven’t checked the motor mounts or tranny mounts. I put them on many years ago, but very low mileage. All off roading though. That’s probably it. I’ll check them before i do anything.

Doesn’t act the same way in reverse. And the boats are definitely tight. I believe I did the pressure plate, but can’t remember because honestly this project started over a year ago. It’s very difficult to get the clutch set up for my jeep. Because half of it’s Buick and half of it’s Ford. If I go into the best Napa in the world, their head is spinning and begins to take of into the atmosphere. They don’t know how to give me a Ford clutch disc and a buick pressure plate. I’m almost positive all that’s new. I just never turned the fly wheel. I even remember ordering the pilot bushing from novak for a Ford transmission going into a Buick. I’m going to check the mounts, and then go for the flywheel. To be resurfaced.

 

I keep a separate notebook for each one of my vehicles and log everything I do and every part that is changed, with date and milage noted. Incredibly helpful.

 

Yep, mine too.. I fabbed a mount to the transfer case using a L head motor mount and it worked miracles..

 

Stay cable, connected left side of trans/belhousing lower left bolt to bracket on crossmember. Looks very much like a clutch cable. Dauntless V6, 1967.

 

IMOP, The probably the flywheel needing resurfaced will fix your problem. I have fixed several truck clutches with the same problem where some one had slipped the clutch trying to start off in too high of a gear with the truck loaded. If you slip it enough to make the clutch smoke and smell one or two times, your clutch disk will glaze and the fly wheel will heat, glaze and have hardened spots on it also, the only to fix it is resurface your flywheel and de glaze or replace the disc.
Could be the motor or trans mounts are loose but if the clutch is working smoothly as it should the loose mounts would likely not make too much difference. It is the grab and release of the clutch surfaces that causes the chatter or hop thus making the motor hop up and down on loose motor supports.