My tranny whines during acceleration, but not coasting, and it grinds/whirrs when it's in neutral with the clutch out. It doesn't make any noise with the clutch in, but the whining and grinding noises are making me feel uncomfortable about how far it'll make it.

Also, my car lurches when decelerating and coasting. I have an '83 12A in a '79, with the '83 intake, but the '79 carb, so I don't have fittings for all the hoses on the coasting valve; if you could give me input on where these go (manifold vacuum hose, carb vacuum hose, etc). I think the coasting valve is to blame, but I'm not sure.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

 

Throw-out bearing needs replacing.

 

Does a throw-out bearing make a whining noise (it's like the noise that big buses make when accelerating). Also, I forgot to add, the whining isn't present when in 4th gear (direct drive 1:1).

So, I figure the grinding noise is the throw-out bearing, but I don't know about the whining. Maybe I'll try the throw-out first. But I might as well replace everything while the tranny is out, so I need to know. I was thinking pilot bearing as well, but I'm pretty sure it's ok.

Jeff

 

Definately replace all the bearing you can while you have the tranny off, you might as well. Make sure you also replace the tranny fluid with a good synthetic.

I would try these options first before I rule the transmission as "screwed".

 

Ok, will do. Any ideas about the coasting problem? Or is this normal with all RX-7's?

 

The lurching? You answered it yourself. You don't have everything correctly connected a.k.a Frakensteined carb and manifolds. If you run a stock carb, you're gonna need it connected right for it to run stock.

I have very limited knowledge of the Nikki's, so I couldn't help ya. Revhead on the forum seems to know them pretty well though.

 

I had an '82 trans am w/4speed tranny. It did the same noise you discribe, but only in 1st, 2nd and neutral. It was a front main bearing. RX-7 trannys don't look too difficult to replace or overhaul, but I haven't done one yet. I would buy one from a Junkyard and experiment on the one making the noises in your spare time. Haynes manual makes it look easy, just mark everything as you take it apart. Digital cameras can help with re-assembly. I plan to do one sooner or later.

 

If you do replace the tranny and new one make the same noise, its the engine. An engine can do that at different gears, which would throw you off into thinking its the trans. But start with trans first. Its the lesser of two evils.




Good luck

 

Well, it's not the engine, 'cause it did this with my old one too, and the new one only has like 90,000 kms on it. I figure throw-out bearing, and main bearing...

Jeff

 

Mine did it for a little bit then quit. WHen coasting down a hill in gear but with the clutch in, I could feel something stop the car and then let loose... Coupled wiht a chunking noise in the tranny, I think it could have been a bearing seizing up or something getting into the gears.

It went away all of a sudden. So I dunno what my problem was.

 

I hate things that fix themselves...Its kinda scary

~T.J.

 

Which is why I wanted to have the tranny rebuilt...

Budget is getting in the way of everything. Building a car is expensive stuff.

I wanted to rebuild the tranny myself, but I was convinced otherwise by an article on rebuilding Miata trannies. No 20 ton hydraulic press here.

My list of R&R's on this car keeps growing... Most of it is "While I'm at it" stuff

 

Yeah, my clutch pedal stuck all the way to the floor the other day, in the turn lane at the busiest intersection in Kamloops. I held up traffic for an entire turn cycle. The weird thing is that the clutch was all the way to the floor, yet it stalled the car like it was in gear when I tried to stop. The pedal eventually came up, and I drove off, with a line of impatient people behind me.

I changed the fluid, it didn't help much, so I'm going to replace the throw-out bearing, pilot bearing, and bleed the clutch hydraulics. I know the clutch itself isn't the problem, either is the pressure plate, 'cause they're almost brand new.

-Jeff

 

It's your hydraulics.. Replace them. Don't deal with the throwout bearing. It's not the problem.