Q: Car shudders when moving off in first gear or in reverse 1974 Ford Mustang II

asked by on December 18, 2016

How do I know whether the problem is with the drivetrain and not the clutch ?
My car has a manual transmission.

Hello - although vibration may come from the driveshaft or loose motion in the rear end, this problem starts with the clutch. This problem is called "clutch chatter", and it involves the clutch grabbing/releasing multiple times in a choppy fashion as you let out the clutch. It can be caused by oil leaked onto the clutch disk, contaminating it, or a scored surface on the clutch pressure plate or flywheel. In any case, the clutch will need to be removed and serviced or replaced. Unfortunately, this is not a service YourMechanic offers at this time. Thanks for thinking of us though!

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