Grinding noise in my transmission

[Jonny J]

Hello guys. After finally getting my car road worthy again (I had a community college put in a clutch for me, worst idea ever) I was letting it idle today before I drove it and I could hear a strange noise. Our cars being notorious for making weird noises I went to investigate. I popped my hood only to trace down the sound to the transmission. the sound is pretty bad it sounds like something is grinding in my transmission, BUT when I put the clutch in the noise goes completely away. The college did replace every part of the clutch (pressure plate, TOB, ect.). My car has made this sound since I bought it, thats why I replaced the clutch hoping to fix it. My question is: what is this noise coming from? Should I be worried?
Ive searched online and there hasnt been to many helpful posts about this subject.

*things to note* A new transmission was put in before I bought the car.
The car goes into every gear fine, no grinds. Except for reverse (if clutch is engaged all the way it wont go into reverse but if I let slightly out on the clutch it goes right into gear)
When in gear i can move the shifter side to side about one inch each direction.
Dont know if those would play a part in this but I figured they were things to note!

 

[keveka2]

well if you have a new clutch system and you think they did a good job its prob going to be in the trans...
i had a 3g eclipse i replaced all the same stuff and i still have it i replaced the trans and it wasnt as bad ....
it ended up being a journal on the oil pump balance shaft knocking.., i dont know if this helps...

 

[andrewsdsm33]

Make sure that your trans and transfer case fluid levels are full.

 

[goalie6263]

Make sure your clutch is adjusted correctly. It might be causing the clutch not to fully disengage. I bought my car with an act and it was a pain to drive. Take a wrench adjust it and it's now much better.

 

[ChiTownHussla]

What TOB are you using? the aftermarket one?

 

[Cdc1221]

None of the above. Normally if youre hearing a grind or whining noise that goes away when the clutch is engaged, its the throwout bearing

 

[awdtalon4451]

What TOB are you using? the aftermarket one?

Dido, I'm curious as well. Mits OEM or Napa is all ill run in mine

 

[Jonny J]

Yeah its the aftermarket one. So I'll need to replace it I'm guessing? Or am I ok to drive my car around for now.

 

[Calan]

Based on this:

...the sound is pretty bad it sounds like something is grinding in my transmission...

The car goes into every gear fine, no grinds. Except for reverse (if clutch is engaged all the way it wont go into reverse but if I let slightly out on the clutch it goes right into gear)

It doesn't sound like the typical noisy TOB issue, which is usually just a light rattle; not a "grinding" type sound from inside the tranny. Although, it could be installed improperly. It sort of sounds like he may have a shift fork issue or something else going on internally, but who knows.

Have you checked the cables for proper adjustment, or disconnected them at the tranny and manually shifted the gears to feel for anything odd?

 

[Jonny J]

Actually the cables did Cross my mind. I have not checked them at all though. It was a lighter grind before I had it replaced. But I'll check the cables this weekend maybe and see if that fixes any problems

 

[Firsts tuner]

Did they replace the throw out bearing and the pilot when they did the clutch? If not then that's probably the problem. Its going to make an old problem more prominent. Kinda like putting new brake pads on old rotors without at least turning them.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Based on this:



It doesn't sound like the typical noisy TOB issue, which is usually just a light rattle; not a "grinding" type sound from inside the tranny. Although, it could be installed improperly. It sort of sounds like he may have a shift fork issue or something else going on internally, but who knows.

Have you checked the cables for proper adjustment, or disconnected them at the tranny and manually shifted the gears to feel for anything odd?

I was under the impression that a scrunched 1st/reverse syncro will/can cause exactly that; lockout or grinding with the clutch all the way in but if you slowly release the pedal as you pull it into reverse - it will suck right in. Many high mileage cars are like this. My car is like this.

I accept the following terms for TOB sounds: whirring, scraping, rattling, grinding, and "spinning metal on metal sound".
However, it is certainly prudent to inspect other causes as well. Personally, I don't use the term grinding, either.

I'll put money on TOB and I'll cross my fingers for you, Firsts tuner, that you don't have internal damage.

 

[Calan]

I was under the impression that a scrunched 1st/reverse syncro will can cause exactly that; lockout or grinding with the clutch all the way in but if you slowly release the pedal as you pull it into reverse - it will suck right in. Many high mileage cars are like this. My car is like this.

I accept the following terms for TOB sounds: whirring, scraping, rattling, grinding, and "spinning metal on metal sound".
However, it is certainly prudent to inspect other causes as well. Personally, I don't use the term grinding, either.

I'll put money on TOB and I'll cross my fingers for you, Firsts tuner, that you don't have internal damage.

I've had a backed out 5th gear nut cause weird issues with reverse, as well as a reverse light switch that was too tight, and an aftermarket short shifter that I had to modify to make work. And of course different gear oils can cause varying issues as well, although they don't usually seem to affect reverse from what I've seen. (Third gear in my car is the finicky trouble-maker when it comes to different gear oils).

Sound descriptions are so subjective... it's just impossible to guess at a problem based on what one person's description of a sound is to what you actually hear.

With that said, my gut tells me it's not just a TOB (although that may be an issue as well). But like I said before... who knows.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

I've had a backed out 5th gear nut cause weird issues with reverse, as well as a reverse light switch that was too tight, and an aftermarket short shifter that I had to modify to make work.

DANG.


So true though, when I help out on someone else's car cause it was making an "X" sound. I usually arrive and immediately go that's not an "X" sound, that's a "Y" sound!

 

[Calan]

DANG.

Well... it wasn't all at once. That was over the course of 4-5 years and a couple of tranny swaps/rebuilds.

So true though, when I help out on someone else's car cause it was making an "X" sound. I usually arrive and immediately go that's not an "X" sound, that's a "Y" sound!

Yep. I helped a guy many years ago who said "I'm hearing what sounds like a ticking noise. Sort of muffled 'tick tick tick' sound. Think it's just my tappets?" (For you youngsters, lifters were sometimes referred to as tappets back in the day).

When I got there (with the intention of helping him adjust his lifters) and he started the car, the "muffled tick tick tick" sound he described was more like a loud "clunk clunk clunk" to me. Turns out that there is a big difference between noisy lifters and a spun rod bearing.

I think it's usually just a case of denial.

 

[DSMBanditFZ6]

+1 why I sometimes call valve covers tappet covers . I always put the car in reverse and then start it so to not get that reverse grind.!

Hope they didn't do any serious damage.

 

[Jonny J]

Check engine light came on tonight. Fml. The noise seems to go away after the car is warmed up/ is driven. I just noticed that its hard to pull the car out of fifth. sigh. Problems problems problems but I'll keep fixing her I'm praying its just a throw out bearing. Maybe I'll take a video of the car running so you guys can hear this sound. Took my car out of gear tonight and it just died/turned off. I don't think the problems are related though?

 

[ChiTownHussla]

I had same issue back in the day. check out my old threads. I guess the JESUS clip on the TOB came off so the TOB was just sliding all around the shaft. JUST my 2 cents

 

[Jonny J]

The noise kinda changed. Its more of a whirling sound know. Not near as loud. Maybe I'll have to pull the tranny this weekend

 

[Alan11]

This is my theory.
Grinds really bad when you start the car, it goes away when you press the clutch. Then as the car warms up the noise is not as loud.

I say its the input or output shaft bearing. The TOB would make noise backward of What he is describing
When pressure is put into the TOB (pressing the clutch)