Why does a new clutch shake and feel sandpapery?
A brand new clutch can shake severely at the biting point and feel sandpapery on the way up due to improper lubrication on the guide tube or input shaft sleeve, causing the throwout bearing to bind. Incorrect spring installation or linkage issues during a manual swap can also cause the pedal feel to malfunction.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1taking the car back to the mechanic
- 2waiting to see if it is part of the bedding in or break in period
- 3switching the spring around
- 4checking the master cylinder
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“With my new clutch, no matter where in the biting point I am, without any gas it shakes significantly and I mean enough to rattle the fillings out your teeth.”source ↗
“Pushing my clutch down is buttery smooth, but bringing it back up gives sandpapery resistance”source ↗
“oh that sandpapery feel on the way up screams throwout bearing or a guide tube that wasn't lubed properly, had the same thing on a ford and it was the bearing binding on the input shaft sleeve”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4New clutch slipping or not fully engaging after replacement
- 8Why is my brake pedal mushy after a service?
- 6Why does my engine stall when engaging the clutch?
- 3Why does my clutch slip when hot and drag when shifting?
- 2Why do replaced AC clutches fail again so quickly?
- 6Why does the clutch pedal stay down and feel soft?