So now that my car is running a bit better (boost creep is almost under control), its hard to shift into first and reverse, and there is a whirring sound when i push in the clutch. According to mazdatrix this means my pilot bearing is dead or going out!!! I JUST FRIGGIN REPLACED THE CLUTCH DAMNIT!!! hehe i dont wanna do it again... oh well.

Also, there is a metallic grinding noise that i USUALLY hear (not always), that goes up w/ the engine revs WHEN IN GEAR, and goes to a different noise under decelration (when in gear). i guess that means my rear end is going out.

Can anyone confirm or deny these??

Do these issues need to be adressed immediately or could i pull off a 250 mile drive to the race track, a weekend at the track, and a drive home??

thanks in advance

 

hmm , did you grease the pilot brg? did you replace the t/o brg? sounds like you have some tranny brg. noise too.....would i drive 250 miles and race with brg. noise? hell yah!!

p.s. the reason your hearing all these new brg. noises because of your new QUIET exhaust!!!!!

 

Well, Truthfully I wouldnt push it. Unless you have someone to tow you home. I had a 1988 300ZX in japan that I swapped a 2.5 liter skyline engine into had 307 to the rear wheels. Then I had the great idea to put in a four puck metal disc in the clutch. I was have a great time no indication of problems. Then my friend and I were on our way to the street races. Me and him were racing at the lights. We would be side by side in 1st he would inch away in 2nd then I would blow by in 3rd. but anyways the moral of this story is the last time I pulled up next to him to race. 1st gear was fine but second gear made the almight ice in the blender sound from hell. Fortunately I already had enough momentum to roll into a 7-11 parking lot. Left the car there went to the races. Went home got my ford festiva and pulled my Z home. Not to metion I pulled a FC home that night too with the trust festiva Found a tranny in the junkyard for $90.00 was back on the road in 5 days.

My old car before the front mount intercooler

 

The one that bothers me the most is the metallic grinding noise. Something isn't right and it would be real good to find out what that grinding noise is. Me I wouldn't race or drive but I'm always real careful. I'd start eliminating potential troubles to find out where the problem could be. Evaluate the noises under different conditions (rpm, speed, neutral, in gear) Then you should have enough to start troubleshooting.

I put in new clutch, pilot (PITA), t/o bearing, and pressure plate in a T2 tranny. So far I havn't had any real problems except the slave hydraulic hose started leaking.

Good luck,

Scott

 

Definitley sounds like a pilot bearing and/or a throw out bearing problem. Went through that problem last year. Sorry but sounds like tearing it apart and replacing it is your option. You can get the pilot bearing removal tool from autozone or somewhere like that, it is like a slap hammer.

 

OH and I would say don't push it, right when mine started it went like a couple days later. ANd it just goes, you can't do anything about it.

 

Rear end (differential) noise will occur, if theres any, when the car is in motion whether its in gear or not.
Your tranny is suspect here.

 

nah mines been doing that for months... (the tranny in gear noise) Still runs like a champ and let me tell you I beat the living **** out of that tranny

 

Hopefully it's the throw out bearing and not the rear. (I kinda think it is.)
It's cheap(er), and you'll be in there anyway.

If you don't know about the pilot bearing, read up on it on Mazspeed and here. It's a tricky little bastard!
(Buy an aluminum flywheel and make the trip to "Tranny Suckville" really worth it! )