re: Hi and car question

[Matthew Shaw <shawm@xxxxxxxxx>]

Do you smell oil when you get out of the car after the traffic
jam?  If so, or maybe it still is the problem even if you don't
smell oil, it most likely is oil leaking from the rear main seal
of the engine onto the clutch witch causes it to chatter.  I'm
assuming that this happens when the clutch is being let out to 
move the car forward?  If this is the case, try this.  Rev the 
engine to about 2000 rpms, put the hand brake on and let the clutch 
out just slightly, not enough to move the car farward just enough
to make contact with the flywheel.  Do that for 30 seconds or so, 
then drive it normally.  If it does not chatter for awhile, that
is your problem.  If your feeling the rough and 'juddery' on the
clutch pedal only but it doesn't shake the car, it most likely is
the through-out bearing.  Either way, the transmission will need
to be removed to remidy the problem.  If it's just oil you can
drive it like that for a long time (till it drives you crazy 
enough to fix it)

Hope that helps-

- -Matt 

<<After the car has been in traffic for approximately 50 mins to 1 hr,
the clutch becomes very rough and 'juddery', in total contrast to the
usual smooth running of the car. I've been in the car before with him
so I know all about it. He hasn't paid too much attention to the
problem because he's rarely in traffic. The problem has existed for at
least a year. The rest of the car is pristine.>>

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