does anyone know anything about clutches? clutch judder - gone!

[bax2079]

I've had my mini for a good 10 month now and I have had a clutch judder whilst setting off in first gear and also when changing to second gear.

Read a few articles yesterday about clutches and I thought I would try something.

So went to an empty carpark, put the car in 5th gear, revved to about 3k revs and slowly lifted the clutch pedal. Did this for about 5 seconds before repeating. Eventually the car just started moving.

Got out of the car and there was a little bit of burning smell, but more like gearbox oil than clutch smell.

Since then the car drives like new. setting off in first gear, no judder at all. Changing gear, no judder.

Does anyone know what might have caused this? I don't advise doing this method as you could burn your clutch out but its been doing my head in and was last ditch attempt before taking it in to get a new clutch.

???

[The Nun]

Yes youve de glazed the linings by setting fire to them hence the smell, might have had oil contamination from a leaking crankshaft rear seal, if thats the case it will come back juddery eventually.

[flying clutchman]

This is often a temporary fix for clutch judder. Judder can be a problem with many causes. Sometimes there's no apparent defect and changing the clutch cures it. Several vehicles fall into this category as diverse as pre-2000 Transits and Fiat puntos. The punto shared the same problem as earlier Minis of input shaft bearing failure, but they were still prone to judder even if this bearing was ok. Hope it stays ok for the time being!

[bax2079]

still gone and quite a nice drive