Hi everyone I am a newbie but lurked here and before I put in a new clutch. I have a 2000 F150 v6 2wd and I was at home over fall break when my clutch started slipping when going uphill, it would also chatter extremely bad after getting off of the interstate. So I went ahead and put a clutch in it so I wouldn't have to worry about it leaving me stranded on my way to and from school (520 mile round trip). I got the flywheel resurfaced, and put in a new motorcraft clutch kit (pressure plate, clutch disc, pilot bearing, throw out bearing, and slave cylinder). Put it all back together using the torque specs and also using a crisscross pattern to minimize distortion when tightening the bolts. I also torqued in increments. Well I went for a test drive and it felt great, no to almost 0 chatter/vibration in the clutch, no slipping etc. Anyway I drove 260 miles to school and everything was fine, but now a week and a half later when I drive around school it chatters like crazy. Today it was probably the worst that it has been when I got in to drive to class. So after class I got in it and it wasn't chattering as bad and I decided to drive up and down the inclines in the parking deck (only hill I could find) and it got progressively better. Then I went out and drove around some empty roads and then came to a stop sign and it was as smooth as silk. I have checked the oil and it is where it was before I changed the clutch, and the fluid in the clutch resovoir isnt going down. Does anyone have any clue as to what may be happening?

 

Did you clean the surfaces of the flywheel and pressure plate with something like lacquer thinners before assembly?
Have you checked that your engine mounts are good? Have you checked that the driveshaft universal joints are good?

 

I cleaned the pressure plate and the flywheel with brake cleaner and a clean rag, and was very careful to let nothing touch it during assembly. I am not sure on the motor mounts, but wouldnt bad universals cause a vibration all of the time?

 

Good that you cleaned the parts, eliminates that. May get a vibration with worn universal joints but worth checking (quick and easy to check). Also check the engine mounts as they can cause what you describe.
Could also be that the clutch lining has become a little glazed, which may improve with some more use.

 

Thanks, to check the engine mounts, just have someone rev it up while I look for excessive movement. I would imagine that the drivers side would move the most because of the engine rotation?

 

Get a pry bar and pry the engine bit of the mount up. Look for excessive movement/cracks in the rubber pieces at both sides of the engine.
To check the universal joints, apply parking brake, shift trans to neutral, get under the truck near the trans and rotate the driveshaft back and forth while looking for any play in the joint. Repeat for the joint at the rear axle.