Need Help - Hks Triple Plate Clutch Shuddering Badly On Takeoff

[dorifticon]

Hi all

I have got my rb31dett on the road (in my r32 GTR) and the new motor seems strong based on run-in tune, but the HKS triple-plate clutch that I installed to cope with the extra power is shuddering badly on takeoff.

The background is, we installed the clutch (using a clutch allignment tool) on the motor before installing the motor in the car. The engine assy took a bit of "pursuading" to mate to the gearbox, but no more than we have done on numerous other engine installations.

Once we had it installed, the gearbox wouldn't select gears. So we adjusted out the pedal and the pedal box to their full throw and were able to select the gears. i dunno if this is relevant.

The car only seems to shudder from standstill takeoff in 1st. There is no shudder in any of the other changes.

When I got it back from tuning, the workshop suggested it could be a bent clutchplate which occurred when installing - that is, the spline went into the clutch but not yet into the crank, and the movement bent one of the plates. Alternatively, (and this is what I'm hoping) there is some oil or rust on one of the plates and it might "come good".

Anyway, I don't have it in me to remove the engine and reinstall, and in any case if the problem was caused by our installation, then there is a risk we could repeat the issue. It's not feasible for us to remove the gearbox because we won't be able to get the car high enough. Getting a workshop to remove the gearbox isn't going to be cheap, but if that's the only option then what to do.

What are other people's experience with installing triples? Have you ever had a shudder on takeoff and what was the cause of it? Any advice greatly appreciated.

(Edit: the clutch was ordered from a second-hand dealer that I have bought parts from before without problem - it was said to have had very few '000 k's use, and visual inspection confirmed all plates appeared in good order etc. However I had no means of measuring straightness or anything, so it's of course possible one plate was warped or something to begin with).

Edited August 18, 2010 by dorifticon

[R32GT-R]

i have a HKS unsprung triple in my r32, no shudder at all, just a hard lock, on/off. also with the addition of a nismo slave and a hard clutch line directly from the slave to the master (No Damping crap) you can get a very nice progressive and predictable engagement. made a huge diffrence to me.

did you use the standard clutch sleeve, if not, you need to. HKS is the only clutch i know of that uses the standard length sleeve.

i very much doubt you bent a plate as i did my clutch job on the ground by myself and i was not gentile, nor did i have a proper clutch alignment tool.