C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help.

Old Aug 16, 2001 | 04:12 PM
  #1  
Steve Straus's Avatar
Steve Straus
Thread Starter
Safety Car
25 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Default Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help.

I finally have my car back together after rebuilding the transmission. The transmission and shifter are so smooth it feels like a new car. Now the engine has a vibration. I'm hoping to god it's not the flywheel. Has anyone else experienced this? I really want to drive my car to Carlisle this year.

I don't know how turning a flywheel could take it out of balance.

I had the flywheel turned and installed a brand newCenterforce clutch.

The vibration is definitely rythmic out of balance vibration. Is it possible that the pressure plate is out of balance? Should I yank the thing back out and mount the pressure plate 180 degrees from where it is on the flywheel? I don't know how that could help since they are both supposed to be neutral balanced. The car did NOT do this before the clutch change. It behaves this way whether I have it engaged or disengaged.

I just cant thing of anything else that it could be. The harmonic balancer is fine.
Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 05:08 PM
  #2  
71coupe's Avatar
71coupe
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 14
From: CA
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (Steve Straus)

Steve - When does it start vibrating? RPM & Speed & what gear?
Does it do it at idle? :confused:
Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 05:28 PM
  #3  
Steve Straus's Avatar
Steve Straus
Thread Starter
Safety Car
25 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (71coupe)

I'll note what RPM it starts happening at on my drive home tonight. I can't really feel it at idle, but it does feel rougher than it used to.


--
Steve
Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 05:42 PM
  #4  
71coupe's Avatar
71coupe
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 14
From: CA
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (Steve Straus)

FYI - I did a trans r&r a few years ago on a pickup.
When I took it for a test drive, it had a bad vib.
It turns out that the distributor got tweeked when I pulled the trans
(it smacked the firewall) it caused a miss.
Just food for thought.
Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 05:47 PM
  #5  
Steve Straus's Avatar
Steve Straus
Thread Starter
Safety Car
25 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (71coupe)

I know I didn't smack the distributor, I was VERY careful when jacking the engine. It doesn't feel like an igntion miss, it's a very out of balance feel.

Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 06:49 PM
  #6  
a smith's Avatar
a smith
Pro
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 605
Likes: 0
From: las vegas
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (Steve Straus)

Steve,I am sorry if I am telling you some thing that you already know.The flywheel can go on in any random position, but installed correctly you should have the extra hole in the flywheel aligned with the extra hole in the crankshaft.The extra hole is unthreaded. When I had my flywheel resurfaced I also had the new pressure plate balanced and indexed to the flywheel. Did you put in the needle bearing style pilot bushing? Folks do not seem to know that if you use that style of bushing bearing you need to index your bellhousing,as that style of bushing bearing requires a much closer alignment with the trans pilot shaft.There was an article in CHP on how to index the bellhousing, and I have seen the instructions on the internet also.The bronze style bushing does not require this indexing.I assume that you did not have a vibration before you did this work?
Reply
Old Aug 16, 2001 | 08:55 PM
  #7  
Steve Straus's Avatar
Steve Straus
Thread Starter
Safety Car
25 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (a smith)

The extra hole in the flywheel is for a steel dowel pin. I have mine installed with the dowel pin, so I know it's on correctly.

I am running the bronze pilot bushing, but that's an excellent point you mention about the newer style pilot bearing.

And no, I did not have the vibration before I did this work.

I think I have a plan.

1) Take the whole damn thing back apart ::SIGH::
2) Take the flywheel and have the surface checked with a runout gauge to make sure it's true.
3) If the flywheel's surface is true, then have the whole works checked for balance

4) If it isn't true, then have it resurfaced, but this time I will *watch* them while they do it.

Am I missing anything?

--
Steve
Reply
Old Aug 17, 2001 | 02:23 AM
  #8  
a smith's Avatar
a smith
Pro
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 605
Likes: 0
From: las vegas
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (Steve Straus)

I will bet that you find the pressure plate out of balance!
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Aug 17, 2001 | 03:11 AM
  #9  
Steve Straus's Avatar
Steve Straus
Thread Starter
Safety Car
25 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,679
Likes: 6
From: Charles Town WV
Default Re: Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help. (a smith)

I will bet that you find the pressure plate out of balance!
If that's the case then Centerforce will be sending me a new one. I didn't pay 300 bucks for an out of balance clutch.

I'm going to find a driveline balancing shop tomorrow and take my driveshaft, flywheel and pressure plate and have them checked for balance and index. If the flywheel wasn't turned true I'll go back to the place that did it and demand my money back.

I really hope I have the car back together for Carlisle.

--
Steve
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Bad Engine Vibration. Please Help.



Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:19 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE