When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Strange transmission clunking noise when clutch is let off
So what's happening ATM is that whenever the car is resting at a stoplight and I go to pull up a little and ease the clutch in then drop it quickly it and/or I'm riding in first gear at a high rpm with the clutch disengaged it sounds like it's clanking on something, but something I don't get is that it only happens when the clutch is disengaged and only in first or reverse, now what's stranger is that the car has done nothing but sit for 3 months while the engine was getting rebuilt fully, and while that was happening I noticed that the pilot bearing was completely gone, and I mean nothing other than a thin metal ring the thickness of a credit card, now with that knowledge we had a shop install a new pilot bearing, and while we were down there I installed a full clutch set, replaced the fluids with redline and replaced the trans mounts with solid ones, same with the engine, so now it's got a full refresh and installation of new things behind the engine so I'm very confused onto what would be happening that would cause this.
Another thing I should mention is that the transmission never made a sound before the rebuild and was completely perfect, and I'm not sure if a pilot bearing would need to "break in" like a clutch would and if that would be my issue.
Check the tranny mounts and diff mounts.. . . . .The reverse thing you mentioned is exactly the symptom of what I saw when my diff mount went bad.
What I think was happening is that either the tranny, or rear diff, would hit the underside of the car and cause a clunk sound as the force changed. . . .Run your car in reverse and accelerate quick and then get off the gas quick. . If you hear a clunk, you got diff mount issues.. . . Thankfully they are not hard or overly expensive to fix.
Does your car shudder/chatter when engaging the clutch if the RPM's aren't right during take off? .. . That would point to a tranny mount issue.
Check both.
Rear diff mount that controls up and down movement.
Last edited by rlynchster; May 14, 2023 at 09:57 PM.
Check the tranny mounts and diff mounts.. . . . .The reverse thing you mentioned is exactly the symptom of what I saw when my diff mount went bad.
What I think was happening is that either the tranny, or rear diff, would hit the underside of the car and cause a clunk sound as the force changed. . . .Run your car in reverse and accelerate quick and then get off the gas quick. . If you hear a clunk, you got diff mount issues.. . . Thankfully they are not hard or overly expensive to fix.
Does your car shudder/chatter when engaging the clutch if the RPM's aren't right during take off? .. . That would point to a tranny mount issue.
Check both.
Rear diff mount that controls up and down movement.
What you are describing is about the same of what's happening to mine but the only difference is that it only happens when I slam the clutch in and coast in first/reverse with the clutch disengaged, and not on deceleration with the clutch engaged, it also doesn't sound like a single "clank" but more like a rod knock at the front end of my transmission it will also change with speed of the car,
And for the shudder/chatter it does do it ever so slightly but I have new solid trans & engine mounts so it just a bit of vibration causing it. So I'm pretty sure the trans wouldn't have play, as for the diff it is in very rough shape (same with the bushings) but they are usable, they only reason im not 100% sure it's the dif is because from what I can hear it sounds a whole lot like it's coming from the front end of the transmission or something with the clutch.
I have the same knocking noise when I move the car slowly in 1st gear and sometimes at idle. were you able to solve the issue with yours and what caused it?
