Clutch time ?

[oldskoolgent]

Took the Vantage out for a drive today and had a new noise
Difficult to describe but when I change gear and re engage the clutch there is a short grinding noise, it seems to disappear as the revs increase.
I thought maybe the clutch but the car was still pulling in a low gear going up hills etc.
Any ideas ?

[Dewi 2]

oldskoolgent said:

Took the Vantage out for a drive today and had a new noise
Difficult to describe but when I change gear and re engage the clutch there is a short grinding noise, it seems to disappear as the revs increase.

I thought maybe the clutch, but the car was still pulling in a low gear going up hills etc.
Any ideas ?

Assume it is not gear chatter that you hear.

Pulling in a low gear going up hills, is not the correct test for a slipping clutch.
Engage a high gear at fairly low revs on a hill, then accelerate. If the engine revs rise, but the car speed does not increase, then the clutch is slipping.

If the clutch plate is worn, there would not usually be any associate noise, so your grinding noise must be something else. Wonder if it might possibly be something to do with the clutch release bearing?

If you do need a replacement clutch, remember to consider the twin plate version.

[oldskoolgent]

Sorry for the lack of reply, back to work an all that !

i've spent many a lunch time reading up n the option and the twin plate seems the way to go. i have started to reach out to people to get quotes to fit.
One supplier has warned me that the fitting of the TP will lead to lots of drive line chatter in lower gears and i wonder if anyone else can comment, possibly those that have gone that route ?

Thanks

[Gazza450]

I had an Aston Martin twin plate clutch fitted about 18months ago and although there is some chatter at low revs under load, it’s not bad and is far outweighed by the improved clutch pedal feel and responsiveness of the engine.
It’s the way to go once the original clutch needs replacing.

[Dewi 2]

oldskoolgent said:

Sorry for the lack of reply, back to work an all that !

i've spent many a lunch time reading up n the option and the twin plate seems the way to go. i have started to reach out to people to get quotes to fit.
One supplier has warned me that the fitting of the TP will lead to lots of drive line chatter in lower gears and i wonder if anyone else can comment, possibly those that have gone that route ?

Thanks

My understanding is that all V8Vs have some degree of gear chatter, at slow speeds in say 2nd gear, when the engine revs will be low. Accelerate a little, revs rise and the gear chatter stops.

It appears that there is a variation in the amount of gear chatter.
Therefore, any owners of cars which have above average gear chatter, are advised to have a twin plate clutch, but with a standard weight, not a lightened flywheel.

I had the lightened flywheel fitted and gear chatter did increase. It was even chattering when stationary at tick over.
With air conditioning switched off and very slowly reducing engine revs, it could be persuaded to tick over without chatter sound. BR told me that it was likely that the situation would be improved by 1,000 miles. Quite why I don't know, but they were correct. Only very rarely does it now chatter at tickover.

The advantages are longer clutch life, much lighter pedal and smoother bite point, which are all great improvements.

Not sure whether you have said, but if your car is a Sportshift, then a real expert is needed to deal properly with the essential settings following fitment.

I think that is all that I can tell you.

[oldskoolgent]

Thank you so much, fortunately it's a manual.
Now to find a place to fit that's relatively local to Swindon

[Emilio Largo]

Dewi 2 said:

My understanding is that all V8Vs have some degree of gear chatter, ....

No, they don´t. Certainly not mine anyway.

OP, just in case that "grinding" noise could be described rather as a "gravelly" sound when re-engaging the clutch pedal, it could perhaps be the well known propshaft bearing noise that indeed is present to a greater or lesser extent on almost all (manual?) VH2 V8 Vantage. Completely different issue than "gear chatter" or clutch, then. But, of course, this should be no "new" noise to you as it would have been present from day one. If it really is something new, then it might be clutch related indeed. If the "grinding" is audible when the gearlever slots into gear, it would point to a clutch issue, I think.

[Dewi 2]

Emilio Largo said:

Dewi 2 said:

My understanding is that all V8Vs have some degree of gear chatter, ....

No, they don´t. Certainly not mine anyway.

You are lucky.
I think therefore what your car reveals, is it must be at the very best end, of the range of different amounts of gear chatter.
Either that, or you drive well and never allow the engine to pull at too low revs.
By doing that, gear chatter would never be heard in the majority of V8Vs.

[Emilio Largo]

Just to be clear and to avoid possible confusion on a typical not-so-easy-to-judge-from-distance noise topic: IF you included what I described as the notorious "gravelly" sound when re-engaging the clutch pedal, it could perhaps be the well known propshaft bearing noise into various types of general "gear chatter", then, yes, my car could be considered quite loud, too. But my technical understanding is, that what I experience has got nothing to do with the clutch (be it single plate or twin plate) whatsoever. It´s a different issue coming from a different source.

My MY17 V8 Vantage S exhibits no "chatter"/vibration/etc. neither when idling nor when "allowing the engine to pull at too low revs." And from reading forums for many years, I would say mine is certainly not the only one. Some seem to "chatter", some (many?) don´t.