83 CJ7 shakes during take-off

[JonsCJ7]

I have an 83 CJ7 its an automatic with a straight 6 and i just rplaced the motormounts and the Transmission mount and it fixed the problem for about 2 days but yet agin its doing it still. The problem is that when I take off the Transmission and Transfer Case shifters shake violently but once i get movin it does just fine and when i slow down close to a stop and take back off it dosent do it only does it when i take off from a stop. Please help if you can.. Thanks

 

[ColoradoCJ7]

I have an 84 CJ7 and mine does the exact same thing. I am anxious to see what the others have to say about how to address this.

 

[Cheepjeep85]

well colorado you might be experiencing clutch chatter, jon no chance of that with yours. i can tell you this though when my factory 2 pc axles started to fail it shook like you say, that is caused by the splined shaft spinning in the axle flange until you get going, just a possibility. it could be wheel hop caused by worn out springs. do the autos have a torque arm like manual trannies? if so the bushings could be worn out. these are just a few possible causes

 

[BrockGrimes]

Check for broken mounts. Put it in drive and while holding the brake firmly with your left foot, tap the gas with your right. If the motor or Transmission makes a bump or slam into the floor board it's the mounts. Try this in reverse also.

If neither make any movement, my next guess would be the Transmission is slipping.
Try taking off in 2nd and see if it shudders.

Worn or outa balance drive shaft? Crawl under and wiggle it around and see if it's worn.

 

[ColoradoCJ7]

Not to hijack this thread but a question for CheepJeep or others.

The clutch chatter you mentioned is that an indicator that I should adjust something or start looking into a clutch replacement?

I went wheeling today and tried a few runs with the CJ in 4 high, big mistake. I started to smell a strong burning smell and someone told me that was the clutch. After I figured out I had it in 4 High I switched it to 4 low and everything went great. I did notice that it did not want to shift into gears when I smelled the burning but when it cooled down everything was good again.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[BajaEdition]

is the Transfer Case mounted down? without a torque mount on a tcase it can move all over the place. it needs to have its mount as importantly as a tranny mount.

 

[nitor]

Colorado - I would suspect you should start looking into replacing the clutch. If it hops or shakes when you start that's a good indication that the clutch is starting to go bad. Also, pay attention as to how high the pedal is when the clutch engages, i.e. when the vehicle starts to move. If the pedal is pretty far out, that's another indication that the clutch could be going.

 

[Petescj]

I had the same issue. I replaced my clutch along with the throwout bearing and pilot bushing in mine. The clutch was worn pretty well. The Transmission itself was loose from the previous owner wich fragged the pilot bushing. The 1/2 lb. of mud in there probably took out the throwout bearing. All these parts come with a good clutch kit as well as the alignment tool. Its also best to get the flywheel resurfaced at a machine shop when you replace the clutch.

Not to hijack this thread but a question for CheepJeep or others.

The clutch chatter you mentioned is that an indicator that I should adjust something or start looking into a clutch replacement?

I went wheeling today and tried a few runs with the CJ in 4 high, big mistake. I started to smell a strong burning smell and someone told me that was the clutch. After I figured out I had it in 4 High I switched it to 4 low and everything went great. I did notice that it did not want to shift into gears when I smelled the burning but when it cooled down everything was good again.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Redbug43]

My 83 CJ7 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , 5 speed Transmission . does the same thing. I was thinking the gearing was to high. I bought the jeep about a week ago and its been a while since I've had one. I seen the post, so my clutch is weak! That would be good news instead of redoing gears. Any suggestions? How common was the 5 speed, because I never seen one till this one. Thanks

 

[Petescj]

The T-5 is a fairly common Transmission in the 80s Cjs. That being said its not a Transmission most in the off road world seek. The T-4 and T-5 are notoriously weak when it comes to off roading. Now you'll hear people say that theirs has held up for years and such , but even for moderate off roading Id recomend an upgrade.

From your post though it sounds like cash may be an issue. If your T-5 is shifting smoothly and not giving you any issues you can get by with it till the money tree blooms or the Transmission breaks. A clutch can easily be installed over a weekend with time to spare barring bizzare happenings.

When I did mine the Transmission was loose and gauled the pilot bushing. I had a heck of a time getting it out. Other than that it was straight forward and simple. One thing I recomend is to drop the Transmission and the Transfer Case together. But when you reinstall do them seperately. Together they are extremely ackward and a bit heavy.

My 83 CJ7 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , 5 speed Transmission . does the same thing. I was thinking the gearing was to high. I bought the jeep about a week ago and its been a while since I've had one. I seen the post, so my clutch is weak! That would be good news instead of redoing gears. Any suggestions? How common was the 5 speed, because I never seen one till this one. Thanks

 

[Redbug43]

I had heard the T-5 were weak. I was thinking if I ever go with lower gears then the T-5 would be the ticket. I am no expect in the jeep world at all. I will just add it to the weekend to do list. Last weekend was valve cover gasket, front and rear differ gasket and lube change, on top of a engine oil change. What is the best all around Transmission . for off road and highway use. Thanks for reply. Can you tell me how to start a thread to answer several questions I have about Jeep?

 

[Petescj]

Ok. look at the forums page and pick where you think your question would fit best. If it about your motor then youd select drivetrain. If its about steering problems then youd click suspension and steering. Once you know where you want to post and click it there will be a small pompt that says start new thread. Click it and type away your question. Putting your question in the right spot gets people who know more specific info on your problem involved. Lotta good people here willing to help out.

Hope this helps

End Hijack.

Can you tell me how to start a thread to answer several questions I have about Jeep?

 

[BajaEdition]

Colorado - I would suspect you should start looking into replacing the clutch. If it hops or shakes when you start that's a good indication that the clutch is starting to go bad. Also, pay attention as to how high the pedal is when the clutch engages, i.e. when the vehicle starts to move. If the pedal is pretty far out, that's another indication that the clutch could be going.

I had the same issue. I replaced my clutch along with the throwout bearing and pilot bushing in mine. The clutch was worn pretty well. The Transmission itself was loose from the previous owner wich fragged the pilot bushing. The 1/2 lb. of mud in there probably took out the throwout bearing. All these parts come with a good clutch kit as well as the alignment tool. Its also best to get the flywheel resurfaced at a machine shop when you replace the clutch.

My 83 CJ7 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , 5 speed Transmission . does the same thing. I was thinking the gearing was to high. I bought the jeep about a week ago and its been a while since I've had one. I seen the post, so my clutch is weak! That would be good news instead of redoing gears. Any suggestions? How common was the 5 speed, because I never seen one till this one. Thanks

he states he has an Auto tranny guys
his problem is not a clutch, it is more than likely a badly held down driveline or bad u joints

 

[Petescj]

Mine were in response to Colorado CJ7 and Redbug43 who both have manual Transmission . I agree with your assessment of the auto problem though. I just stay away from those questions cause Im more familiar with the manuals for now.

he states he has an Auto tranny guys
his problem is not a clutch, it is more than likely a badly held down driveline or bad u joints

 

[BrockGrimes]

See my post #4 above.

 

[CJ]

well colorado you might be experiencing clutch chatter, jon no chance of that with yours. i can tell you this though when my factory 2 pc axles started to fail it shook like you say, that is caused by the splined shaft spinning in the axle flange until you get going, just a possibility. it could be wheel hop caused by worn out springs. do the autos have a torque arm like manual trannies? if so the bushings could be worn out. these are just a few possible causes

A bad torque converter can cause this (broken stator vanes).

 

[BajaEdition]

See my post #4 above.

X2