Transmission noise - Need some guidance

[Couger85]

Ok everyone, I searched the best I could on this issue but am not 100% as to the cause.

The Problem
While driving the car in any gear I will hear what sounds like whiring/metal/shhhhh noise coming from the front right side of my car (tranny area). The noise is most prevalent in 3rd and 4th while cruising at around 40mph (mainly because road noise drowns the sound out at highway speeds). The noise will go away if i depress the clutch and let the car coast. It will also go away if I put the car in nuetral and let the car coast with the clutch released. The noise is only apparent while in gear and driving.

My best guess is input shaft bearings, maybe/possibly throw out bearing.

I am just looking for people that may have had this problem and can point me in the right direction. I dont have the time to remove the tranny so it will be taken it to a shop. What I really cant afford is some mechanic replacing unnecessary parts at my expense.

Thanks everyone,

Brandon-

 

[Jezza]

I'm kind of curious what this is myself. I have the same sound from the right side, but I just chalked it up to either slight brake dragging or a bad wheel bearing.

 

[SpawnedX]

Are you sure it's not a bad hub bearing?

 

[Couger85]

Noise doen't change or go away while turning left or right, and is only heard when the clutch is engaged.

If the noise was apparent regardless of clutch position I would think differently.

 

[SpawnedX]

Impossible to tell without hearing it then. Pull the tranny and inspect the TOB and check the input shaft for play.

 

[Couger85]

Yup, that is looking like what this is amounting to.

 

[vr4joe]

What was the solution to this problem? There are many threads of the exact problem, but no solution. I'm having this same issue. Have anyone found the cause of this transmission sound?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Nightlife Customs]

@Joe and anyone else having this issue

It's not a wheel bearing or a hub issue - I have a camber on my driver side which is also my transmission side and I know my hub is bad - but it does not make a noise like metal on metal - that was described up top

If the noise goes away when your foot is in the clutch and when / if the car is in neutral

It is your TOB or Throw Out Bearing

You could also use a floor jack and put the car up on jack stands and have someone in the car go through the gears if you wanted to hear it better (in your garage for example - as noise bounces off of walls )

 

[vr4joe]

If it was the throw out bearing, wouldn't you hear this noise in all gears? I only hear it in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear while driving regularly. As soon as I push in the clutch, the noise stops. I can drive around in 1st and 2nd gear completely fine without hearing the slight grinding noise.

 

[Nightlife Customs]

Because you are in higher rpms

Lets put it this way

This is your clutch ->| |<- this is your tob

When your foot is out of the clutch it sits like this - and it free spins on the clutch meaning your tob isn't freeing up

When your foot is in ->||<- it sits against it like its suppose to

Therefore eliminating the noise

I just had this issue probably 4 months back when I bought my RS

Was having the same issues.. And because its a MT and not a AT - there is more maintenance involved and some "not so mechanic savy" car owners do not bother with this till last seconds notice

 

[vr4joe]

Higher rpms?

If I'm in 1st gear at 4k rpms, how is this any different than 4k rpms in 5th gear?

I understand how a throw out bearing works, I'm just confused why it only happens in the higher gears. I've had a throw out bearing go on me and it effected all gears, didn't matter if I was in 1st or 5th, the throw out bearing wasn't working probably. How can it work fine in 1st and 2nd and not 3rd, 4th and 5th?

I'm not trying to argue with you. I actually greatly appreciate your help and I thank you for your quick responses.

I'm just trying to comprehend the situation before I start replacing expensive parts and turn out it wasn't what I thought it was.

 

[SICK SOCIETY DSM90]

From what your explaning your issue is I would say its the TOB also and while your in there why not change clutch just so you don't have to go back in and fix it later down the road. I watched youtube video of a guy that has same problem heard terrible noises and then pushed clutch in and gone.

Also could it be going bad but isn't quiet that bad yet?

 

[toybreaker]

... just went thru this exact same situation on a Galant vr4.

"Sounded" like a wheel bearing but did not "act" like one. (loading it up side to side didn't change the noise)

Didn't find anything when we drained the transmission oil, but on the advice of a saavy man, we pulled the end cover on the transmission to check the stake nuts.

They were still tight, but the damn intermediate shaft was floppy loose.

Opon dissassembly, we found that both the intermediate bearings were damaged/falling apart.

A few more miles and things could have gotten ugly.



Sourced the complete bearing set from JNZ, and had a buddy replace them

... and it's all good now

Still don't understand why there was nothing in the oil, but pulling the end case cover told the tale.

*Might* be a good place for you to start.