Please Help! Front end shake
 

Hello,
I have a 1990 accord ex with a 5 speed manual. I've had the car for a year and a half and it has had a problem ever since I bought it. When pulling out from a stop, the car vibrates and shakes horribly. It also does it occasionally when I change gears if the rpms aren't matched properly when I release the clutch. I just had the clutch replaced, hoping this would cure the problem. It did nothing for it. The shop that replaced the clutch said the motor mounts were bad, so I replaced them myself. The problem still persists. I have checked both axles. Driver side axle is the factory axle and appears to be in good shape; no slop in the cv joints or anything, grease boots intact. I replaced the passenger side with a duralast reman axle when I replaced the motor mounts.

I had someone watch the engine while I put the car in 1st and eased out on the clutch while holding the brake. They said that the engine is practically trying to jump out of the car and the front wheels are actually hopping off the ground slightly; just to give an idea of how bad this shake is. Please help. At first this didn't bother me because I was sure I knew what the problem was, now it's just pissing me off and draining my bank account. Thanks!

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

how quickly are you letting off the clutch pedal and at what rpm. your gonna eat your clutch alive doing that.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

Take it to someone else who knows what the hell they're doing, even if you have to pay some diagnosis labor. A clutch and motor mounts are expensive things to be firing from the parts cannon.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

If your engine is moving a lot, I would suspect your motor mounts are bad.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

I just ease out slowly on the clutch. I never hold the brake more than a few seconds cause I know its bad for the clutch. Under normal driving I let out on it moderately fast. I might rev it to 1500 rpms if that. I usually just tap the accelerator once or twice when i feel the clutch engage to get it moving.
For the most part I do know what I'm doing. The clutch that was in it was bad. whoever had the car before me put a clutch in it, but only half assed the work. The flywheel hadn't been resurfaced, two of the bolts holding the pressure plate had the heads broke off and the throw out bearing was very tight and squeaked as though it had not been packed with grease. Clutch plate was in halfway decent shape though, considering. Motor mounts were completely gone. When I replaced them they were dry rotted and broken. Everything I've done to this point the car really needed. It just has not fixed the shake, which I was almost certain it would. I'm out of ideas and I'd like the problem cured.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

it sounds like you either have bad motor mounts somewhere or some major mounting points in your front suspension are failing. my cb7 had a weird shake at normal launch which was fixed after replacing the upper control arms, lower ball joints, and tie rod ends. but check and make sure the radius rods and lower control arms are in good condition and that they have not broken from the subframe

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

@ op, when it does shake, is it on all types of roads or just certain ones? It could possibly be your struts or shocks. As bdmlilburn suggested, double check front end components. Good luck. Check wheel balance too.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

Is the car an original 5spd car or was it a swap? I wonder if the transmission mount/bracket are not correct causing for misalignment and possibly the axle hop issue you are having. Does the engine look like it is sitting properly aligned in the car or does it seem somewhat skewed?

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

Car does it every time I pull out, regardless of the surface it's on. Only way to keep it from doing it is to rev the engine to 4000 + rpms, which seems really excessive.
Shocks and struts are new. Also has new ball joints, wheel bearings and tie rod end links.

Car is a factory 5 speed. I made sure I put the correct motor mounts in it. I know the automatics had some kind of hydraulic mount. I've looked it over really good and this is the only conclusion I've been able to reach: I've noticed on the inside of the passenger fender-well there appears to have been body work done on the car indicating it's been wrecked. I'm thinking that maybe the body shop did not do a good job of realigning the engine in the car. I don't know though, seems like it would have to be really out of whack to have the problems I'm having. Just looking at the engine It's not noticeably out of alignment.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

You could remove the fender and check the subframe for damage. I would also check your subframe from under the car for damages. Good luck.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

Try this. Jack the front wheels off the ground, put the car in neutral, and then try to spin each wheel with your hand.

I think I might have a similar issue as you with my car. I am starting to think it's tranny related.

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

i have the exact same problem on my ej6 , I replaced the clutch, motor mounts and still does it. Im planing tmrrow to bleed the the clutch hydrolic system just to check that off the list and see what happens. ill post if that ends up the shake.. wish me luck.. :)

Re: Please Help! Front end shake
 

Nahh i just bleed my clutch hydrolic system and the skae still persists but it helped a little bit thou