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The Bad Noise Wasn't the Throwout Bearing. Help?

13K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Coosawjack 
#1 ·
After buying this car, I noticed a noise when idling with the clutch out, and it went away with the clutch pushed in. Me and others came to a general consensus that it was the clutch throwout bearing. So last weekend(finally after almost a year) me and my mechanic buddy put in a new Exedy Stage 1 clutch kit, that included a pilot bearing throwout bearing, pressure plate, friction disc, and a new OEM flywheel. The clutch that we had replaced was worn unevenly like it want aligned right, but was only half worn, and the pressure plate was weak and also the flywheel (it said "Modular" on it so I guess original?) had warp circles on it. During the install, we discovered 1 bellhousing to engine bolts broken off, passenger side header-mid-pipe bolt broken that someone attempted to drill thru but quit halfway, and a top transmission bolt that was crossthreaded 1 inch into the engine and left there sticking out... The dealer was the last people to be in the transmission who supposedly put a new clutch in.... So, after fixing all of those things, and finishing the install that took 15 straight hours laying on concrete.... You guessed it, the noise is still there. The clutch chatter that I had is gone, but the sound that sounded like the throwout bearing is still there. Below is a video I took last year of the noise, it still sounds the same.



The throwout bearing that I took out did have a noise when I spun it by hand, so it did need to be replaced, but there is still a sound there. My transmission has sounded like an 18 wheeler trans since I've had it, but I just kind of figured the noises was from the bearing. Like if I'm slowing down to turn into my driveway, and once I get to idle speed and put it into 1st gear and it gets a load on it, it make a whine and a rattling sound that comes from under the shifter, and seems like a vibration can be felt thru the shifter. It will also whine some under normal driving in 1st, 2nd, and I can hear some whine while in 5th if I add throttle. If I'm rolling up to a light, and I go to put it into first gear around 10mph or so, it kind of hesitates like it doesn't want to go into gear until something spins up in the tranny, and once it spins up it will make a whine, I'm guessing that's the syncros, but is is that normal?

Anyways, I fear my transmission is dying. I've heard that the t3650 is noisy... but damn
 
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#3 ·
I don't have much knowledge about transmissions, perhaps that's the reason for some of the whining. But would that explain the rattling noises at 600-1300 rpms?
 
#4 ·
There are some decent basic animations of how a manual tranny works (with/without syncros). Since whining noise seems to get quieter or go away with the clutch disengaged, I'm trying to think of what spinning parts are now spinning slower or are no longer spinning. Since you've already replaced the pilot bearing(its always spinning) and the throwout bearing that leaves the syncros from what I can tell in the animations. Sorry, I can't hear any rattling in the video. Its really hard to locate rattling from inside the car. I would put the front of the car up on stands on a level surface, engage the e-brake, chalk the back wheels, start the vehicle and carefully crawl under to see if you tell either visually or audibly where the rattle is coming from. Do you feel vibration through the shifter? How's the condition of the rubber exhaust isolators? Check the heat shields. How are the shifter bushings?
 
#5 ·
Sorry for not being clear on it. The rattling isn't in the video, the rattling is only in gear moving at 600-1300 rpms, and I do feel a faint vibration in the shifter when it happens. The rattling is definitely coming from the trans area, everything like the bushings and heat shields are fine and secured, and the I'm guessing the exhaust isolator thing is the rubber block type thing between the trans mount and the trans? At least I think that's where it was, I can't really remember, but everything on the outside of the transmission seemed to be just fine. The rattling sounds almost like a big truck transmission would idling in gear with a big load on it, if you know what I'm talking about. Maybe the rattling is normal, this is my first RWD tremec transmission car that I've had, all of my other manuals were FWD with the transmission nowhere near me.

The noise goes away completely when the clutch is pushed in, and the only thing that is moving in that area that wasn't replaced is in the gearbox. I'll try to get a video of the rattling noise and the whining gears tomorrow to better help us. Even if it's not in gear, with the clutch engaged isn't there something in the gearbox that still moves? Because that's what I imagine the sound would have to be.
 
#7 ·
I got a video of the whining in 1st gear, I was on a gravel driveway if you're wondering what the gravely noise is. I wasn't able to pick up the rattling that I was talking about, my exhaust is too loud and the phone just wont get it.

 
#8 ·
Mine has made the same 1st gear whine from day one. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it does it in all gears.
 
#9 ·
Seriously though, snap that shifter boot off the console and get a look at how much soundproofing there is in there. I was concerned that my manual was noisy too, until I got a look at the red metal tunnel between me and the transmission. I used to have a 2007 GT Auto. It was quiet but it didn't have any interior sound material on the tunnel either.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I noticed during the clutch change that there's nothing but a rubber boot around the shifter, I'm guessing some dynomat or something would help that?

Mine has made the same 1st gear whine from day one. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it does it in all gears.
It does it in other gears too, but not nearly as bad as first, but still audible enough that you can hear it. It gets a little quieter each gear you go up, and in 5th on the highway with cruise control on, you can hear a faint whine, but if you start coasting down a hill some or give it a little throttle then the whine will go away while the load on the engine is changed.



By the way, thanks for the help guys, I've been pulling my hair out over this all week! My buddy who helped me change my clutch just figures that it makes noises "because it's a Ford" and it's a "rattle trap", but he's a Ford hater so I don't know if he knows what he's talking about or just blowing anti-Ford smoke. The grease monkey does know how to fix vehicles though.
 
#12 ·
I'd guess OEM, the car had 47k miles when I bought it and I haven't messed with that. I didn't look at it to see if it was oem when I dropped the tranny though.
 
#13 ·
The reason I asked is because when I tried a Steeda Bushing the transmission noise was RIDICULOUS......push clutch in and quiet......let clutch out and sounded like straight cut gears!!

You just may have some kind of solid/rigid trans mount that the previous owner installed??
 
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