Grinding noise on startup. TOB? Flywheel? Starter?

[1996Eclipse420a]

Here is a video of what it is doing. Please someone chime in.

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[blindboarder_02]

Sounds like it could be a couple things.

TOB is a good possibility.

Flywheel/clutch is a modular setup unless you have aftermarket. Never heard the modular make a noise like that.

My first impression was the input shaft needle bearing. Notorious for failing on our cars.

Hopefully Bullet or twicks69 can see this and help.

 

[1996Eclipse420a]

Thanks for the reply. It done it a few times before I ever put my turbo on it. It also quit too, and wouldn't do it for weeks. Now it's constant and doesn't stop. It constantly grinds everytime I start it up, and it's embarrassing and annoying.

 

[blindboarder_02]

I would take a long handled pry bar and use it as a stethoscope. Place one end on the bell housing while its running and put your ear up to the other end. You'll hear where the noise is louder than other places. This also works against the engine block and head when listening to pistons, valves or valve springs.

You said the noise happens when the clutch is pressed in and out? Or one or the other? This will help to diagnose.

If the clutch is out and in neutral, the noise should be louder. With the clutch all the way in, the noise shouldnt be as loud.

Lets start with that. I'll watch the video a few more times.

 

[1996Eclipse420a]

When I start it up it grinds really really bad. Whether it's in neautral or not. Once the grinding noise goes away, theres still a knock that follows with the car in neutral and with the clutch in... but once I let the clutch out the first time it doesn't do it anymore in neutral unless I rev it to about 3k rpm. But once I push the clutch in and hold it again, the noise gets louder.... as you'll hear in the video. Once I drive it awhile though, it goes away. But once I turn the car on again, it grinds again. If it was the throwout bearing, wouldn't it do it all the time?

So, maybe the starter is the culprit, and isn't disengaging like it should? and if the flywheel rotates with the motor, then that will cause the grinding noise, IF the starter isn't disengaging. right?

When I first drive it the first few miles, you can hear it, a faster scraping noise, but only when I shift into different gears... but it eventually quits after a while of driving, but repeats the process everytime I start the car.

 

[1996Eclipse420a]

Issue resolved. Plastic inside the starter had cracked and was jamming the bendix gear. Removed the plastic and problem solved. Bendix now retracts and doesn't grind flywheel.

 

[blindboarder_02]

Awesome. Glad you figured it out. Guess im no help around here.

 

[1996Eclipse420a]

I appreciate the help man. I just decided to start with the easy stuff first, and it turned out to be the starter. I didn't want to drop the transmission unless I had too. On the bright side, I finished installing megasquirt while the car was down, and installed a Wideband.

 

[blindboarder_02]

Nice. Gj man. Making use of downtime is always a good thing.