First off I have an 89 gxl non turbo, it was converted from auto to manual trans. Every transmission I put in it there is a growl or whine when the clutch is engaged ( foot off pedal) it gets louder the longer I have it in there and 3 times now it's been the front counter shaft bearing that goes bad and comes apart. What could be causing this every time. Also it has a light weight flywheel and a mild aftermarket clutch. I just put a newish transmission in there and the bearing is already making noise.

 

you have forgot to install a spigot bearing into the rear of the crank when doing the manual conversion

 

For those who don't know:

Spigot bearing = Pilot Bearing.

 

No I replace the pilot bearing and pilot bearing seal everytime I do the clutch. It is brand new.

 

I had a similar problem. The NA transmissions just suck. I don't know what it is about them, they just don't hold up too long. Save up and get a TII transmission. For that you'll need a TII clutch and flywheel, pilot bearing, throwout bearing, slave cylinder, starter, then a custom driveshaft. It's a laundry list, but it's worth it.

But I never found a reason as to why it would go out. I rebuilt mine and the same bearing took a dump shortly thereafter. Either we're doing something wrong, or it's just a material deficiency.

 

Chris at RP told me that the countershaft bearing is the weakest point in an NA trans.

Hell, my trans was rebuilt 15k miles ago and I am already having the same issue.

 

when u put the light weight flywheel on did u put on the counter weight?

 

Yeah I got the counter weight on the flywheel. I wanted the t11 trans but I already had this n/a one laying around. Shitty bearing! I even replaced it one time and put it back together. About 100 miles later is started making the noise. Well when I do that does anyone want to buy a light weight fidanza flywheel and a spec clutch? Haha

 

are u making sure u fill them full with fluid?(filling it to the square bolt on side of transmission, remember u cannot fill the trany from the shifter tower!)

 

Yes it's full of fluid for sure. And so is the shifter housing. I used 75w90. That's what all the books said. I'm thinking of putting some Lucas oil additive or something else like that in there too to see if it quiets it down for a while.

 

Mine did quiet down some with royal purple, and the bearing never really gave out. I drove it like that for quite a while. I ended up getting a TII engine/transmission for $400 (has great compression too!). I can't vouch for how long it'll last before your rear wheels come to a screeching halt, but mine rolled for quite some time.

BTW, I don't recommend filling yours up w/ royal purple. At $20/qt, it costs too damn much to waste on an NA transmission.

 

Yeah I was thinking about saving up for a t11 engine and trans from japan. But it is a lot of work. I can get royal purple for pretty cheap. What do you think about some thick additive like that Lucas oil additive? Should be kind of a bandaid for a while right?

 

in my experience, the louder an n/a transmission gets the closer it is to the end of its life. I had some noise on my turbo tranny but I got it rebuilt and it's been all good for a couple years (granted, I don't put many miles on it).