Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim

Dear Buffalo Jim,

A few weeks ago, I let my neighbor replace the clutch disc on my 1986 Toyota pickup truck. It seemed okay at first, but now the car shakes every time I try to engage the clutch and hit the accelerator. Help me,

Buffalo Jim. What went wrong?

--P. Mackey

Call this a hunch, bro, but I've got a feeling that when Bill Haley sang "Shake, Rattle and Roll," he wasn't singing about clutch chatter, which is the problem you're describing. To be fair, I suspect your neighbor actually installed the new clutch correctly, but he didn't service the entire clutch assembly while he was in there. When a clutch wears out, it slips and causes friction, which in turn creates heat. The heat stress created by this friction not only eats up the remaining material left on the disc, but can warp, crack and otherwise distort the flywheel, pressure plate and throwout bearing--all of which are essential to smooth clutch function. How long did you wait to replace the clutch disc after it first started slipping? The longer you waited, the likelier it is that your flywheel and pressure plate were damaged in the process.

Fortunately, they're not that expensive to repair and service. A new throwout bearing should run you about $20 and a pressure plate less than $50. Flywheels, depending on the level of wear, can usually be resurfaced for about $35. Yeah, it's an extra $100 that you could've dropped into the MegaBucks machine, but it's a small price to pay to turn that shake, rattle and roll into a smooth, comfortable ride.

Tip of the week: Manual transmissions

In my younger days, I too used to fall into the trap of changing out clutches only. I was trying to save my customers a few dollars, but those few dollars often meant reduced clutch life and clutch chatter. In the end, it just wasn't worth the aggravation to save $60-$100.

That's at least partially why I've always liked manual transmissions. They're basically hassle-free, and they're a hell of a lot of fun to drive as long as you're not stuck in traffic on U.S. 95 during rush hour.

Compared with automatic transmissions, they require less regular maintenance, and they're not quite as sensitive to heat. Until recently, manual transmissions even got better gas mileage than their automatic counterparts. Granted, automatic transmissions are a little easier to fix if they ever have a catastrophic breakdown, but a good manual tranny should last well over 200,000 miles so it's hardly worth considering unless you're planning on commuting between here and Tonopah.

One thing you do want to look out for, though, is the condition of your universal joints. The U-joints link the transmission to the rear drive axle, and if they get any slack in them, they will jerk the transmission's gears every time the car takes off. Over the long haul, this will tear up the gears or even bend the main countershaft itself. A bad U-joint will usually make itself known with a loud clunking sound, but you also can feel it when you hit the accelerator and the car lurches forward.

Also, remember to check your gear oil from time to time. It's 90-weight, so it should last a good long time--in fact, probably for the life of the car--but you should spin off the side plug every once in a while just to make sure. As long as you can stick your finger in the hole and feel the oil, the level is fine.

Buffalo Jim is the owner of Allstate Auto Marine. In his 1967 Pontiac GTO, he has a dual-disc clutch assembly custom built by National Performance. In theory, it allows him to drop the clutch into gear at

7,000 RPM--although he has blown up more than one clutch attempting such a feat. E-mail him your car questions at buffalojim@lasvegasmercury.com.