clutch anti chatter kit

[ian mac]

has anyone heard of an 'anti chatter kit' for 41 through 52 buicks?
my 49 super is suffering from quite a bad judder when setting off in first or reverse gears.
will this kit fix it?

[trp3141592]

Hi Ian,

Clutch chatter usually is a motor mount problem rather than a problem with the clutch, so don't assume the worst. It's more work than Hercules ever did to replace the clutch on your car, so eliminate all other possibilities first. I know of no "kit" other than replacing motor mounts with new ones. "Baby" developed a severe clutch chatter overnight a few years back. Turned out that the rubber on one of the front motor mounts had separated from the steel parts. It was an easy repair and no clutch work was required.

I found the following info by Googling "clutch chatter." It may be of further assistance.

Clutch Tech Basics - Tech Review - Turbo Magazine

Troubleshooting
T: What causes clutch chatter?
S: A high coefficient of friction, bad motor mounts, an incorrectly machined flywheel or faulty pressure plate, spring-centered race disc (aggravates chatter), and contamination (oil, grease, or rust).

Chatter is basically the engine winding up in the mounts as the clutch is engaging and then bouncing off the mounts, disengaging the clutch for a brief moment before engaging again and winding up again. No matter how aggressive a clutch is that would normally chatter severely on a normal street car, it generally won't chatter at all on a car with solid mounts and a rigid disc because there is no wind-up effect.

--Tom

[Thriller]

The clutch on my '41 chatters as well, although I am pretty sure it is only in first, not in reverse.

[Straight eight]

Yes there is a clutch chatter kit out there, I was lucky enuff to find one.

Anyone with a little imagination can build one with supplies from the Hardwarestore.

The purpose of the kit is to steady the back of the engine to the frame cross member at the rear of the transmission.

Yes it works quite well. There are two holes at the back of the block that accept a threaded rod with the end bent at right angles, and bolted down the washer and large bolt. The other end hooks around the cross member, and is bolted with a very stuff rubber shock link, washer and nut on the end of the threaded rod.