1.4 (90hp) Bravo
Judders (been getting progressively worse) in 1st gear when pulling away, doesn't happen in any other gear and can pull away in 2nd on the flat with no juddering.
Google suggests that the clutch is primary cause, is there anything else worth checking before I order a clutch?
If it is the clutch then could this be be down to oil contamination (crank shaft seal)?
Cheers
Can you still get the judder in first gear after your foot is off the clutch, if so could be a tooth off a gear in the gearbox.
Assuming no engine mounts badly worn, then I would go for clutch issue, generally worse pulling away up a steep hill.
Another test to see if oil is the issue would be to deliberately slip the clutch several times pulling away, if afterwards trying a normal pull away it is better this can point towards oil on the friction material of the centre plate being burnt off, which I would tend to feel comes from a gearbox first motion shaft oil seal (the shaft the clutch centtre plate slides on) rather than the crankshaft oil seal behind the flywheel, my logic for this is oil behind the flywheel would get flicked outwards towards the bellhousing and not inwards towards the clutch centre plate, however oil from a first motion shaft oil seal, often caused by bearing wear on the shaft allows oil to run down the shaft straight in to the clutch.
On the other hand if no oil getting into clutch then a damaged diaphragm spring in clutch pressure plate can cause judder.
Either way it looks like a strip down
Incidentally if oil is the issue, parking on a steep drive at an angle allowing oil to run from overfilled gearbox could allow oil to escape down towards the clutch.
Another clue is check for any oil leak below the bellhousing where gearbox joins the engine, if golden and strong smell then gear oil, if thinner and black more likely from engine.
Some years ago I bought a 1.9 Fiat Doblo cheap as owner claimed clutch fault, as soon as I drove it I knew it was the gearbox, the first motion shaft bearing was so badly worn it had broken the gears that it meshed against. Luckily I had priced that in and was able to locate a good S/H gearbox which I fitted along with a DMF and ran the vehicle for 4 years.
