None of those sounds really fit the description of what I'm hearing, I think. It's not metally or grinding at all, its really like a whirrring air sound, almost like an exhaust leak sound. And I have absolutely no grinding in any gears or anything else than what has been described.

 

That sounds like no problem at all...

Jump in & drive!

 

Oh I've been driving it, no problems, no grinding, no metally sounds, just that whirring at idle. And at cruise the whirring isn't there (or at least not noticeable) so I guess it's all good. If something ever happens I'll reply in this thread for anyone that searches in the future.

 

My car makes the same noise and i have a new clutch and bearings, and the transmission was rebuilt.

 

just a guess.. but its probably something thats spinning. really fast.

 

My car has done that exact same thing since I got it. I replaced the throwout bearing, pilot bearing, clutch, pressure plate, and refilled the tranny with Redline MT90. It's exactly the same. I figured the input shaft bearing was toast and decided to drive the tranny into the ground. 20K miles of hard driving, autox and the occasional drag (5K launches) and it sounds exactly like it did. No change. I assume that if it were going to fail it would have already.

 

I said the same thing earlier.
Edit: I really don't think this guy has anything to worry about unless he drives like an idiot doing lots of clutch drops or he's pushing 300 fwhp.

 

mine does it also, goes away when i push in the clutch. its one of the bearings is what i was told by the mechanic. i dont care much though, once the tranny goes, the clutch and components are getting replaced too, but it will probably still whirr =)

 

I forgot to mention earlier that mine only makes noise when the engine is cold.

 

I'm pretty certain the noise is just the gears spinning, possibly the noise would go away in a rebuilt tranny with all new internal bearings and a good lube but mine is still there with new throughout bearing and pilot bearing

 

If it's making the noise while the clutch is depressed and stops making it when you press the clutch then like some have said it is more then likely the throwout bearing, I've seen this problem on many cars and it's always been the throwout bearing going down (I have seen instances where poeple kept driving and the throwout bearing seized).

 

My 87 does the same thing. With clutch engaged its semi quiet, when let out its noisy. I can also pickup on the gear stick and it will get quiet as well.

 

The whirring sound is common, it's louder on the higher mileage gearboxes. Mine has always done it but after driving hard a bit on the ported motor, the whirring is getting louder. I suspect a rebuild replacing all the bearings would reduce it's volume significantly. If you continue to drive hard on the transmission and the bearings get really bad, you will slowly erode the teeth of the gears until they are smooth, and the gearbox stops working.

 

i got my 88 gxl fo 660 and over 200k on it, it had the stock clutch from 88, a different motor, but, i replace the clutch and the pressure plate, i mean i basically got the hole clutch kit, and after i installed the thing, it did that noise, if i press the clutch it goes away, i also replace the trann and diff oil with MOBIL 1 haha, sweet stuff, my clutch and trann probly have about 300 miles on it, my tranny is so *****t up, cuz i can't shift to 3rd fast, it like feels like if it goes in the middle of 3rd and 5th. but o well, that only happens when i race my friends like 1/4, but i just get that 7 side ways, well yeah, other then that noise, i know i need a trany, but it's the bearing, throwout bearing, cuz i press the clutch and it does this like sqick, u know like when u step on a mice, i think i spelld that wrong, o what ever. im in class, traying not to get in trouble, taking A graphics design class, agith latez shes coming

 

Slide did you replace the throw out bearing when you replaced the clutch and pressure plate or did you use you'r old bearing? Did you check for input shaft play when you changed the clutch and pressure plate, and while shifting to third are you engaging the clutch all the way or semi powershifting?

 

man, this thread is getting full of people having different actual problems, but everyone does have a "whirring noise", lol...

i mean, some people are saying that they only have the noise when they DON'T push the clutch pedal, others the other way around...

 

^ either way its no big deal though

 

I had the same issue. I replaced the throwout bearing and when I did it made the noise worse. In the morning I would drive and it would whine in Nuetral and eventually go away or when I would push the clutch in it would go away, almost to the point I could make my own music out of it by pushing my clutch in and out. Anyhow I changed the throwout bearing and it got ten times as loud and it was something in the tranny. The way to find out is if it whines while you drive it and completely goes away in fourth. Fourth gear is 1:1 ratio and if that is the case then the input shaft bearing in the tranny is going bye bye and it could last a year or a few weeks. I didnt know so I spent a few hours and few hundred dollars and got changed the tranny. Anyhow, try the test and see what happens.

 

It is NOT the throwout bearing. How many times does it have to be said.

 

Its very probably the TOB. despite what they said above, I have fixed multiple RX7s with this problem. its in the way the TOB is designed...it shuts up when you put the clutch in because it has pressure on it. Its nothing to worry about tho, it will last at least 10k more miles before it causes any problem at all. when it gets really loud and starts sounding worse, then you can worry about it.

pat

 

I get a whirring noise as soon as i start up the car, doesnt matter whether the clutch is in or out.

 

The whirring sound when in neutral and the clutch pedal UP (not depressed) is just the transmission spinning. Remember, all gears are meshed at all times in the transmission, and it's going to make some noise. My old transmission did that and my rebuilt does the same. At speeds higher than idle you can't hear it because the engine is making enough noise on its own.

 

my 86 does it to.

 

Yes but for those of you who said you heard the whirling when you press the clutch down that is most likely the throw out bearing, and you can also FEEL the transmission if you turn it by hand when its out

 

Not according to a lot of other people. They were saying it COULDN'T be the throw out bearing if it goes away when you push the clutch in.