Hi all, I am new to this forum and am in need of some advice. I have a '93 Honda Civic SI hatchback that has a stock 1.6 motor. I recently got a clutch job done by someone and have encountered some problems. For whatever reason, this happens after warming up my engine for about 5 - 10 mins. When it's cold, you don't notice the problem as much. When I level my clutch to a point where it starts to "catch on", on 1st gear or reverse, my entire engine shakes like my motor mount is no good. It only happens when I level at this startup point. When I am at this point when it shakes, while keeping the clutch steady, I give it a little gas and the problem disappears. But as soon as the engine revs down, the problem comes back, if I leave the clutch leveled at the same point. This problem was never here before the clutch job and everything was working fine. I have a feeling that the person I brought it either didn't do a very thorough job? Or maybe my flywheel needs to be changed, since it has never been changed since the life of it's car? I had him replace the clutch itself, pressure plate and throw bearing, so all these components are brand new and for the right 1.6 motor. I don't want to drop another $250 or so, just to find out the problem is still there. If any has any expertise with this issue or can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it. Please help me!

 

Did you get the flywheel resurfaced at least?

 

from what it sounds like to me, your old clutch was slipping, so you never knew what a good clutch felt like. It sounds like the only problem here is when your releasing the clutch, your not giving it enough gas and its trying to stall on you. If the guy has put the disc in backwards, you would prolly hear some loud noises going on, but that doesnt seem to be the case.

 

Also, you had to break in the clutch. You might be getting clutch chatter.

 

are you saying when the pedal is depressed in first it shutters and it wants to stall? if thats the case, it sounds like something is not releasing, that happened to me and it was my slave cyl bleeding down, and letting the clutch engage.

or are you saying when you have it in first, and you let the clutch out a little bit to a point, it wants to stall? if so, then thats just the clutch grabbing, doing its job...

can you clarify whats going on?

 

No, the flywheel was never resurfaced. The problem only happens at the initial startup on 1st or reverse gears. All other gears appear to be fine, as I probably cannot feel the problem because the car is moving. For example, I am on a hill and just leveling the clutch alone, the problems happens, meaning my motor is swaying back and forth vibrating my entire car. I can see it happen on first gear as I lift open the hood and can see the motor swaying as the it occurs.

No I haven't broken in the clutch, but I feel that by doing that does not fix the problem, it' just masks it.

I have changed the slave cylinder and bled out the old fluid completely as well and still the problems is there.

Here is my problem. I have it in first gear, just leveling alone, no gas, no brakes. As I ease up on the clutch (letting it go up) slowly, my entire motor shakes, not chatter. It literally shakes. I know the clutch is doing its job by grabbing the flywheel, but what I don't get is why it shakes so violently when all I am doing is leveling the clutch. At that point while it's doing that, I give it just a bit of gas to rev up the engine, the shaking goes away, but as the engine revs down, if I keep my clutch leveled at the point, it shakes again. It think it's the flywheel maybe...?

 

I would look into the 2 mounts (Rear and trans mounts) and their connecting points. What kind of mounts do you have? Stock or aftermarket? All trans bolts are in? Rear bracket has all its bolts?

These are questions that you can ask the guy who worked on it. Especially since he was the one that last touched it, in which case he should at least overlook what you can see (outside the trans). Its probably something simple and alley "mechanics" tend to overlook them

 

I have stock mounts. I will have to check all the tranny bolts, I did notice that one was loose when I changed out the slave cylinder myself, so maybe they left some other piece loose. Where is the tranny mount and the rear mount that you are talking about? And the rear bracket? I will try to check it myself when I have some time. I don't trust the guy I brought it to anymore. It was a referral from a friend, so I don't know this guy personally.

 

When I first changed my clutch my whole car would shake real bad when starting out and what not, after about 300 miles or so the problem stopped. So in my case it was just some chatter from the clutch being new. So just keep driving and the problem will go away.

 

You are on the right track but the mounts responsible for the isolation of engine vibration are the lower torque mounts. Replace those and the rear transmission mount and your vibration is likely to go away.

It is possible that what you are feeling is normal based on what clutches do while they are wearing in. But check the front lower mounts and the rear transmission mount to make sure that they are able to hold the torque of the motor twisting when you take off.

Check these photos for what a bad front lower torque/isolation mounts look like.

I just replaced my front lower mounts because of the same issue you are describing here.

Check these photos. The first one is of the old worn out mounts. The second is of the new mount. The third is what the mount looks like when it is installed inside the engine bay.

 

If the engine sways/moves then it's one or more of the motor mounts needing replacement.

 

Yeah i know i forgot to put 3 mounts instead of 2 (assuming he knew what he was doing and he only removed those 3 mounts; trans, lower trans, and rear)

I just did a no-shift-while-clutch-disengaged diagnosis and it ended up being the fact Mr. Yahoo decided the trans can be bolted up with a single bolt. After all the bolts were on, the entire powertrain moved around like a fish outta water. What was it? Trans mount was only held on by one bolt and the rear mount bolt was loose (1992 Accord Ex)

To answer your question OP about the rear mount its located on your frame to the right of the charcoal canister and the T-bracket connects to it. Its black and is secured to the trans and engine. There is also a stiffener bracket that connects to both the trans and motor and is located below the slave cylinder but cant be seen unless under the car.

 

you should always resurface the flywheel when replacing the clutch.

 

hi all,this may be the wrong thread to post on. but im tired of searchin for this problem, ok well i have a B16A1 in my 95 civ well i did a clutch change and i need to know this i hope yall can help me out. well i have it on jack stands and put in the clutch, flywheel, pilot bearin,throwout. i have a ACT heavy duty pressure plate, ACT street disk, and XACT prolite flywheel. when i started the car with clutch pedal depressed everything is fine, well when i let off the clutch, everything engages like it in first, then when i put it in first, it dies when i ease off clutch, even giving it gas, it just made it worse. now the whole time the car is on jack stands...now is this normal bc its on jackstands? or is something screwed up in the tranny itself?

 

you should have made your own topic. but in your case vtac its more than likely just needing broken in. i had the same exact clutch and flywheel in my b16 and i was just the fact that everything is new and needs broken in The throwout bearing is ridin the pressure plate make the car want to stall when you depress the pedal. just give it gas and depress the clutch about 20 times to break it in. i promise you didnt do anything wrong its just those throwout bearings are really stiff when new

 

sounds like the clutch needs to be broken in. or the guy ripped one of your engine mounts some how.

 

Definitely check all your motor mounts (including the one in the rear) make sure all the bolts are tight and are all in there.. If it was my car i would go easy on the new clutch for 250-500 miles to break it in. Maybe your just not familiar with a 'new' setup, unless the car is shaking (caused by not resurfacing your flywheel) stalling out, not wanting to go in gear.. It should be fine.

 

Wow. I don't think its a mount only because when your driving your car it doesn't continue making the same problem. You always resurface your flywheel when putting in your new clutch kit. I hope the guy didn't bend or damage your clutch fork. I know it sounds funny but that could be it too. I had a similar problem with my clutch and that was it.

 

yea but I never sat the car back on the ground, i left it on jackstands to see if everything would work right. what i was asking is if the car suposed to do that while its up in the air? should it work right when i put it on the ground? i tore everything back outta it but i will put it back in i just need some good advice lol bc i thought it was the wrong clutch disk. oh and another question is...can any B series clutch bolt up to any B series engine i got the A1 and i think the guy ordered me a clutch for an A2 will it still work? thanks

 

Hi, does any1 now if the lower torque mounts are the same in all manual Eg's?
I mean, i have a B, could I use the lower mounts of a D16?

 

 

2003 Civic loose engine mounts

165 kmiles used car runs great but the drive train does the booogie wooogie when I release the clutch. Do I have bad engine mounts? How to check? How to replace?
Rothgar1

 

Sailoche,
Graet photos and text. What can you tell me about my 2003 Civic lx that shakes and bakes on clutch release?
Rocking and Rolling in CA,
Rothgar1