Barwick

I've got the weirdest problem in my '87 TurboII...

When I'm letting out the clutch (slipping the clutch) in ANY gear with a good amount of speed difference between the engine and transmission speed (say engine at 3000, car is at a stop, put it into first gear...) it makes this HORRIBLE sound that sounds exactly like it's grinding a gear. BUT as soon as I get off the clutch enough and it grabs, there's no sound.

It also doesn't do this when I just kinda let it go slowly from a stop (or in other gears when I shift without a massive difference in engine RPM vs transmisison speed).

My question is, what the heck do you think this is? Could it be the clutch making some horrid sound? Maybe a metal clutch doing that? It only makes the sound when I'm slipping the clutch. It sounds like a gear grinding, but the car is already in gear, and never pops out... so I dunno..

SureShot

It's called clutch chatter.

A stock clutch should not do that, but a high performance clutch might.
They are made to clamp & go, but do not like to slip.

Barwick

really? So the guy before me might have put an aftermarket clutch in it huh? He didn't mention anything about that, but then again, it's not slipping (and a stock clutch probably wouldn't handle the setup on the car right now.. T04, front mount, fuel upgrades, etc..)

Barwick

Anyone have a sound file of what clutch chatter sounds like? Cause I swear it sounds EXACTLY like a gear grinding when the synchros wear out.

Oh, and when it's in neutral with the clutch out, you can hear the gears spinning all around in the transmisison, it sounds horrible... but that's probably a transmisison problem.

SureShot

Check the tranny oil level ASAP.
If it's low, drain & refill it with synthetic gear oil.
That might save it.

Barwick

k

It grinds going into gears, so it's possible this might save it huh?

Wonder if anywhere local sells redline fluids

Barwick

I called a couple clutch companies and none of them say that this is a clutch sound. Are you SURE that the clutch should be making this sound? I thought "chattering" was the "thuk thuk thuk thuk" when it grabs and lets go when it's "almost" about to grab.

This is like a "grrrrrrrrrrr" when you miss a shift.

SureShot

The higher the speed difference, the higher the chatter frequency.

SureShot

I just realized, the pilot bearing is a (longshot) possibility.

Barwick

so you're telling me that the chatter could sound like a grinding gear on a mis-shift huh?

Anyone else have the same opinion? No offense, but that's opposite to what all the clutch companies have said.

Kenseto

All of the things previously mentioned are possibilities....how many miles are on your transmission? It's most likely that your syncros are going bad imho and it's causing the gears not to transfer smoothly from one to the other...thus the grinding noise....the sound of the gears in neutral is probably due to lack of fluids so check that (redline is the bestest ) if it's your syncros gone bad then you'd best off get a new transmission or have her rebuilt, depends on what you want done, but if you want to save yourself a transmission for at least a little longer then learn how to double clutch, good luck

my 2nd gear sync has gone out and i have to shift from 1st to 3rd in my ford escort lol kind of pathetic when my car pulls like a mother off the line and then like a grocery getter in 3rd

Barwick

Dude I STILL can't figure this out... it's pissing me off... I don't think it's a normal clutch sound.

SureShot

Back to the origonal description:
With the tranny in gear - the synchros can make no sound.
The whole tranny, including the input shaft is stationary.
The only thing spinning is the clutch assembly.
So it can only be:
1) The throwout (release) bearing.
2) The clutch disc (chatter).
3) The pilot bearing.

Without actually hearing it - it could be any one.

Barwick

as the clutch starts to let go though, it could be a gear or the input shaft into the transmisison... I was thinking maybe the splines on the clutch/input shaft maybe?

Akabane

i have the same problem when its in neutral and the clutch is out i hear that chattering sound.
but when i push in the clutch it goes away. always it feels like the clutch slips sometimes when i go in reverse

would anyone know why my shifter can go to the left sorta diagonally in first 2nd 5th and reverse?

JamesWade2002

sounds like a throwout bearing to me. If it is much of an aftermarket clutch, like a centerforce, for instance, it would grab and just boom..go.. no slip, even if you try to slip it. You would know if it was a strong aftermarket clutch, I have never heard one make a mechanical (read that "broken" sound). Shifter moving around could be shift bushings, which are easy to change. just rip that whole tranny and clutch out and rebuild it all.. hell get an automatic with a really high stall converter, like 4000 rpm. you know you want that sexy slush box! All girls just LOVE torque converters. I am gonna put a Jeep 4.0L/auto combo in mine. The chicks around here will love it!

Cybaster

my 89TII is having somewhat the same problem. Aftermarket clutch installed..... yes, i do have that "broken" sound sometimes in 1st gear or 2nd. The clutch makes some weird noises when idling sometimes....
when i shift from 1st to 2nd around 5000-6500 it CAN grind, but everytime when i downshift from 3rd to 2nd around 25mph (about 2000rpm) it grinds VERY badly.....

i've read other posts, and some suggest it is the Synchros, some the clutch. Others suggest redline clutch fluid

is it due to bad slave cylinder? bad fluid maybe?

86mazdarx7

i had that kind of noise only when the clutch wasn't pushed in. I took off the whole tranny and it was the flywheel nut not being torked enough. try that