I have an '84 245 with manual 4 speed transmission. It has a really bad shudder on takeoff from a stop in first gear as I am engaging the clutch, similar to clutch chatter. Once in second gear everything seems to be fine. This has been going on since about a year after the clutch was replaced, there is no oil leakage around the bell housing to indicate a wet clutch that might be grabbing (I am somewhat in denial about it being the clutch). The shudder appears to be throughout the drivetrain, and I have visually looked for misaligned yolks, loose rear u joint, etc, and the only thing that I found was that the driveshaft bearing mount appears to be quite loose. I can actually move the rubber center bearing "donut" 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch vertically from the crossmember. The spring between the crossmember and the rubber bearing mount is visible when looking at it, meaning that the alignment of the rubber carrier is against the underbody of the car. Is this normal? If not, is there possibly a piece of the assembly missing that could cause this looseness? It seems reasonable that this much movement can lead to a driveline shudder problem. Another symptom: sometimes the shudder goes away for a while, and it is usually worst under a load (going up hills). Also, the rear shocks on the wagon are probably due replacement..could they in some way be adding to or causing the symptom?
Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated!