Clutch judder = whiplash

[rainagain]

My 1.4 16V 2005 Punto has an oil leak. I think it is the cause of my clutch judder which is trying to rip the engine out of the car and give me whiplash. If I hold the car on the hand brake and slip the clutch it seems to clean it enough for it to work fine for a short while before the juddering returns, which I think is caused by a coating of oil on the clutch.

 

The top of the engine is bone dry so the leak is definitely coming from the bottom. I took some pictures tonight and it also looks like it could be coming from the sump. If the sump was leaking could this get onto the clutch? 

 

As you can see the oil has spread all along the bottom of the gearbox as well, I've noticed the leak is getting worse as it now leaves a few drops of oil where I park at night.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!158767&authkey=!AP3TJ_LhNM6xpWM&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

Sump join wet with oil:

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!158765&authkey=!ALzkPM7PDtSbnMA&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

General pic of leak:

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!158763&authkey=!AJvxS5KrQTohGaY&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

So is it the rear crankshaft seal or is the oil managing to get from the sump join to the clutch?

[rainagain]

And it has only done 70,000 miles

[MarvinsMom]

now someone with far more mechanical knowledge will say i'm wrong here,

 

but i would have thought that for the oil to get into the clutch on one of these it would have to be leaking from the end of the crankshaft at the flywheel/bell housing end for it to get into the clutch and that an oil leak around the sump pan wouldn't be able to do get into that part of the engine/.transmission.

 

that is where i think the leak is if there is oil contaminating the cars clutch.

[Alexg]

 

 think it is the cause of my clutch judder which is trying to rip the engine out of the car

 

You don't just have a failed/worn engine mount do you?

[rainagain]

now someone with far more mechanical knowledge will say i'm wrong here,

 

but i would have thought that for the oil to get into the clutch on one of these it would have to be leaking from the end of the crankshaft at the flywheel/bell housing end for it to get into the clutch and that an oil leak around the sump pan wouldn't be able to do get into that part of the engine/.transmission.

 

that is where i think the leak is if there is oil contaminating the cars clutch.

I agree, I cant see how it could get from the sump to clutch but I was hoping this could be the cause of the leak as its a far easier fix than the rear crankshaft seal!

[rainagain]

You don't just have a failed/worn engine mount do you?

No as slipping the clutch stops it juddering until it gets oily again

[spike60]

Is it definitely engine oil, not gearbox oil? I've seen a fair few leaky rear seals but none seemed to be getting onto the clutch plate. The seal is on the other side of the flywheel to the clutch so no direct route for it although it is possible.  As already said mounts are a favourite, as is a plain shagged clutch.

[UmBongo]

[rainagain]

So I cleaned all the oil off

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!159068&authkey=!ANNPYhRp4iTI8Vs&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!159066&authkey=!AOSyl2r6-eRXBRA&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

I checked it the next day and it looked like there was a little bit of oil between the engine and gearbox, nothing was dripping out of the drain under the gearbox.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!159224&authkey=!AKkOfv4wbwk8tVc&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

This is the top of the engine as you can see it is bone dry:

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!159370&authkey=!AEh8dpMECo_CkmQ&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

This is it tonight

 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=4AFA608E8DCCC8E7!159370&authkey=!AEh8dpMECo_CkmQ&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

 

Again it looks a bit damp around this join between the engine and gearbox, but underneath looks dry. I smelled the oil and it's definitely engine oil. The judder has actually been really good the last couple of days but I nipped out tonight after I got home from work and it was back again.

[Asimo]

Air-cooled VWs used to oil up their clutches when the crankshaft oil seal behind the flywheel failed. As said above, I don't understand how that oil then got onto the clutch plate, but it certainly did. Vicious "racing starts" in third gear would cook the oil off for a few days, delaying the inevitable.