racing clutch in E36

[mad4p8ntball]

hey guys so heres the problem. i just bought a 325is and its got some mods on it, and one of the mods is a racing clutch. now i might be crazy or just stuck at shifting but when i go from a stop its jerkey as anything. im almost 100% sure its not cuz i cant drive cuz i had my brother drive it and he has a 325is as well, and my dad. they too said it was really jerkey, but it's only in 1st and in reverse. so do you think its because of the racing clutch, engine, trans, or what do you think im open for any suggestions.

[RobertK]

What kind of a race clutch? Dual Friction, 6 puck, 3 puck, sprung, unsprung, etc?

I would say more than likely it has to do with the race clutch disc. Sometimes reving slightly higher helps slip it a little more but even that won't help with a 3 puck and/or some 6 puck clutches.

[cipher982]

The higher performance clutches are made to handle higher horsepower so they will grab a lot harder, so expect it to be jerkier than OEM. You'll get use to it soon though.

[PirateJake]

yeah... (i'm the brother) i drove it and you're an idiot for listening to the moron tell you it's a racing clutch... you should've let me look at that car before you bought it because it's more trouble than it's worth... :nono

it's not a racing clutch... something is wrong with the clutch/trans... it will start fine going downhill on a slight incline in second gear... it has to be the tranmission

[e36bmdub]

+1 on getting a racing clutch....i plan on getting the racing clutch/flywheel kit from UUC..its a lil pricey ($1100) as well as either a b&m or UUC short shift kit...:)

[mad4p8ntball]

do you think if i switched out to a regular EOM clutch it would get rid of the jerking, or do you think my brother is wright and its the trans...

[dswads34]

I think if you have the time/skills you should pull the trans and take a look. What else has been done to the car? I'm tempted to say your brother is right and the trans is messed up, but only true way to tell is to drop it out and take a look. Then, if it is a race clutch, be happy; if it's messed up, go ahead and get the parts to fix it ;)

[skiboard06]

yeah... (i'm the brother) i drove it and you're an idiot for listening to the moron tell you it's a racing clutch... you should've let me look at that car before you bought it because it's more trouble than it's worth... :nono

it's not a racing clutch... something is wrong with the clutch/trans... it will start fine going downhill on a slight incline in second gear... it has to be the tranmission


do you think if i switched out to a regular EOM clutch it would get rid of the jerking, or do you think my brother is wright and its the trans...

ahhhhh yahhhh, show me some brotherly fighting...

[cipher982]

Take it down to an indy shop and have them drive it around the block and see what they think.

[mad4p8ntball]

alright ill take it to a shop sometime this week thanks guys.

[Rob Levinson]

Jerky drivetrain can be caused by a number of things that are a lot easier to inspect than dropping the transmission!

A quick visual inspection will rule out these items:

1) engine mounts (lever the motor up to see if the mount is seperated).

2) transmission mounts/support brace

3) flex disk

4) differential mounts

5) rear subframe mounts

Good luck, and let us know what the cause turned out to be.

[RobertK]

I honestly doubt it's a transmission problem. The Getrag transmissions have pretty reliable and stout gear boxes.

If you really do have a racing clutch the jerking is caused by the shock of the clutch grabbing at a lower RPM is the best way I can think to describe it. Kind of like when you drive a stick for the first time and you shift way too low making the car buck and jerk.

If the car is starting to jerk in 1st or 2nd when revving the engine higher (3500+ RPM) then most likely the clutch is beginning to slip.