oil on the clutch can cause clutch chatter (which sounds like the symptoms everyone's describing). interesting way to dry it off

 

I just got an 87 GXL (today) and I'm experiencing the same thing, shuddring on take off and after that no problems. I'm thinking it isn't oil on the clutch like Tie Pilot had as I burned the clutch pretty good while driving it home from San Francisco.

 

the flywheel needs resurfacing or replacement, possibly even pressure plate and clutch too.

Shuttering with the clutch partially engaged is caused by a flywheel that is glazed and/or no longer flat on the wear surface. Someone sucks at driving stick.

 

Yeah, the previous owner I'm guessing. Unless you mean driving in San Francisco. Launching, with the shuddering, with traffic behind you on a 45 degree hill is no fun. Anyways, in non-45 degree hill situations I can minimize/stop the shuddering from pretty much happening if i really feather the clutch on take off but it takes awhile.

 

man fellas i had the same problem but i had a light flywheel and ss clutch and every thing else to do the job right. after inslalling this i busted the diff mounts , replaced thoes mazda racing solid ones. then i broke the drive shaft u joints (crazy vibration at all speed when i shook it by hand had to much play)relaced that with r/b shaft while i had it up intaslled solid motor mounts and tranny mount and i had a friggin new master bushing kit and the r/b 3 point strut brace w/engine brace and despite all this it still was jerky in first and reverse.i looked around looking for an answer so i called mazdtrix and talked to tech and he told me its the nature of the beast they have no power down low so iff u want it to be smoove in 1st & reverse u r gonna just have to slip the clutch a little more than u normally would . and i tried it i get good launches but u have to be carefull (hate that burt clutch smell)

 

I did solids mounts on my car, motor, trans and diff, no more problems launching other than the tires breaking loose badly

 

My car sudders sometimes, dpeends on the launch, somtimes the tires just sping then catch, no jerking, sometimes it does. I hope to be new mounts,poly bushings and the triangulated strut bar with torque brace, that should take care of anything i can dish out.

 

try slippin ur clutch a litle bit more

 

Those are my exact problems.

So, here's what should be done in general (based on what people have said):
Resurface flywheel
Check/replace clutch
Check/replace pressure plate
Replace engine/tranny mounts
Check/replace driveshaft and joints
Check for oil on the clutch (leaking front tranny seal?)
Torque brace
Check/replace hydraulics

Temporary solutions:
Have fun slipping the clutch...


Look good?

 

Your clutch disk and or flywheel surface are probably glazed, causing the 'shudder'.

Before you do anything resurface your clutch surfaces, do not just go replacing parts ***** nilly.

 

Ok, so do the "check" part that I put before everything except the flywheel (which you mentioned) and engine/tranny mounts (after 20 years... you probably should anyways).

Gotcha.

 

I had this problem and was able to stop it by replacing the entire rear strut assembly. Now my clutch still sucks, but it doesn't shudder on take off! I don't see any mention of the rear struts being a possible cause, but it seems to have been it for me.

 

I get this shuddering due to my rear diff mount. I'm assuming that's the problem at least because I can hear it knocking the crap out of my underbody.

 

I heard a cluncking on the underbody too, and believed it to be a diff mount. But when I changed my rear struts and springs, the shuddering was gone! My Diff mount may be bad though along with some rear bushings, as I still hear a clunk occasionally.

 

If it were mine I would eliminate whether it were a clutch problem or driveline problem by doing this:
With the e-brake fully on, car perfectly still, hold the engine at around 1500-1800 rpm. Put it in 2nd gear, start releasing the clutch until you just feel it start to engage. At that point, if you have a clutch-related shudder, you should feel it then. If you have a driveline shudder, such as after the clutch is fully engaged, you would more likely feel it during the first 5 to 15 mph, then again at higher speeds. Keep this in mind too:
Driveline vibrations such as u-joints, mounts, driveshaft angle, etc. have a slower cyclic rhythm (vibration) in the lower gear ranges because the driveshaft spins slower than the eccentric shaft until 4th gear. Sometimes this is helpful when deciding if it's driveline or clutch, if you can feel the difference in rhythm.