Rattling noise when clutch is not engaged

[EclipseGSX13]

Here's what happened.

I was out playing with my car and launched it pretty hard. I then started to hear a rattling/chatter noise. Its not a grinding or a scrapping noise, just a wobbly or chatter noise and it is pretty loud.

It seems to mainly make the noise when the clutch it not pushed in and not in gear. When i push the clutch in (even in neutral it kinda goes away, i can barely hear the noise and it changes tone a little bit. Also when I was driving it, it didn't seem to be as loud as when its just sitting there with the clutch not pressed in.

I have been reading around and my thoughts are:
Throw Out Bearing TOB
Spring in the Clutch came out
broken pressure plate

btw, 2g awd

 

[laserspeeddemon]

what kind of clutch do you have in it?

 

[my_gst95]

My money is on the TOB.

my_gst95

 

[EclipseGSX13]

what kind of clutch do you have in it?

I have an ACT 2100, w about 3k miles

 

[pinknuggit]

my friend with an RX7 has the same problem with his clutch. it's am OEM clutch, and he did not resurface his flywheel before he put it in. His clutch also slips alot, and only has about 2k miles on it.

 

[bigfoot]

I have an ACT 2100, w about 3k miles

You better pull that thing before one of those springs ruins your flywheel. I'm afraid ACT is just coasting on it's formerly good name.

 

[EclipseGSX13]

You better pull that thing before one of those springs ruins your flywheel. I'm afraid ACT is just coasting on it's formerly good name.

So is this more likely a spring from the clutch, or a bad TOB?

Im not driving it right now until I get this fixed, and I think while I have the tranny off im going to get a lightweight flywheel in there.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Heres what happend.

I was out playing with my car and launched it pretty hard. I then started to hear a rattling/chatter noise. Its not a grinding or a scrapping noise, just a wobbly or chatter noise and it is pretty loud.

It seems to mainly make the noise when the clutch it not pushed in and not in gear. When i push the clutch in (even in neutral) it kinda goes away, i can barly hear the noise and it changes tone a little bit. Also when I was driving it, it didnt seem to be as loud as when its just sitting there with the clutch not pressed in.

I have been reading around and my thoughts are:
Throwout bearing TOB
Spring in the Clutch came out
broken pressure plate

btw, 2g awd

Did you ever figure out what was wrong? I'm having almost the same problem. Only difference is when I push the clutch pedal in the sound go's completely away. Also is noise always there on your's or is it random? On mine it appears to be random.

 

[enid84]

I had same exact problem so i took mine out and it turned out that all of my springs came out of the disk. And that is ACT clutch of course. :thumbdown Also like someone mentioned before take it apart before it ruins your flywheel.

 

[MSRmechanic]

I had that same problem too, i had another ACT clutch lying around and i used it but it seems now that this ones going too. i am never using one of there products again, my eclipse is my DD so it is really important that it works all the time. it was perfectly reliable before this damn clutch.

 

[eclipse2k]

I have the same problem. I did a burnout, actually 2, not big ones and after like 10 min of driving normally something started to rattle (clicking noise) in gears, when i push the clutch in it goes away except for small rattling noise that you barely hear.
while driving slow like 24 in 5th i heard a spring like noise (ptttt) at least 2 times for 50 miles, and when i took a turn my tranny shakes a little bit. I dunno what is it. u think it might be the spring in clutch (stock) or is it the tranny because it had low oil in it (i think, oil still from shop when they rebuilt my tranny) my gears goin in fine.

1 Q: on fifth u can feel lil knock on teh shift knob only in fifth i think please help

 

[90AWDTalon]

Did any of you guys that have had this problem also have phantom knock that you couldn't get rid of? Did the phantom knock go away after fixing the problem? I'm wondering if this has been around for a while but the noise was just to low to hear and if this is why I haven't been able to cure my phantom knock.

It happened to me again last night, I listened very closely this time. There is also a grinding noise to go along with the rattle noise. The instant the clutch is pushed in the noise goes completely away. The car drives and shifts fine, there doesn't appear to be any problems that can be felt, only heard.

 

[brian524]

Im having crazy rattling and and it feels like my whole tranny is shaking at idle, once engaged though everything goes away, and going through gears is fine except when i let off the gas the gears BUZZ and seem to be chattering, but at idle ooooh wheee bad noises :thumbdown Dont think it could be the TOB, ACT uses the same OEM Nachi bearing, but who knows. Clutch is ACT 2600 with Streetlite Flywheel (AWD)

 

[Drifte]

i have the exact rattling prob. anyone else also notice the pedal is easier to push in? i hope its not a spring, cuz my car shifts absolutely perfect, and i dont ahve time or moeny to replace it. besides its new.

 

[eclipse2k]

so u think its clutch? What if one of teh springs will pop out what can happen to the tranny?

 

[GSXlaunch]

I am having the same problem...not sure about the rattleing noise but the chatter is there almost like a grinding sound kinda like ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch coming right fromt the tranny/clutch area. It goes away completely once the clutch gets in about half way. The only difference with mine is that I have not even driven it. The car is still on jack stands from the act 2600 w/ street disc and fidanza flywheel install. Did you guys that are having the chatter have it as soon as the clutch was installed? My thinking is that the clutch is not completely disengaging or the clutch needs to "break in" with some driving. The master cylinder rod may need to come out a bit as well.

 

[Drifte]

is their a good how to on adjusting the clutch master cylinder? ive never done that.

 

[brian524]

is their a good how to on adjusting the clutch master cylinder? ive never done that.

Have fun My Master Cylinder is all the way up under the dash to disconnect it, then 2 12bolts holding it to the firewall.

 

[GSXlaunch]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/njdsm2/clutch.html

 

[90AWDTalon]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/njdsm2/clutch.html

I'm going to give this a try, my clutch grabs instantly. I always thought that it was because of the friction material, Spec stage III carbon. But maybe it's not supposed to be like this. I've gotten used to the clutch grabbing instantly and kind of like it untill I try driving someone else's car.

Did you guys that are having the chatter have it as soon as the clutch was installed?

There has always been a little bit of chatter since the clutch was installed. I'm not 100% sure that the noise I'm hearing now is the same just more intense, but it might be.

 

[Drifte]

im starting to wonder if my clutch is now working correctly...but its so light, i wish i knew for sure. and i adjusted my clutch, so it engages sooner (which is nice) but its still soft and makes a chatter noise in neutral.

 

[90AWDTalon]

I just got done adjusting my clutch so that now it is more in the middle of the pedal travel. The chatter at idle seems to be gone, there was very little except for yesterday when I made the real bad grinding rattling noise, which I haven't heard except those two times yesterday. Rev the engine and the chatter sounds the same to me. On my test drive I had less phantom knock than I had been getting lately, but it could just be coinsidense as the phantom knock is random, only time will tell.

 

[GSXlaunch]

I too adjusted the clutch or the master cylinder rod. I adjusted it to about the last 3-4 threads...it made no difference in the chattering sound. The only thing I noticed was that the clutch pressure starts further down in the clutch pedal travel. It is obvious that the clutch is not disengaging completely. The chattering noise does not go away when i rev it, it matches the engine speed. I push the clutch in and it goes away. It is not a rattling noise...the only way I can explain it is if you take a light grit sand paper and start polishing/sanding a metal surface with short quick strokes. I would imagen that would be close to the sound it is making. The other thing that I noticed last night was that when I pushed the clutch in, the revs would drop about 4-500rpms. It was idling near 1500rpms and I am guessing this is from the 8lb flywheel and when I push the clutch in it creates some load on the flywheel so the revs drop to about 1000-900rpms. I would appreciate some feed back on this. Does anyone here have experience with making the slave cylinder rod longer; such as the one taboo sells??? If so, for what reason did you need it and did it make a difference? The only other option I am left with is starting the car with the tranny removed to see if the chattering is still present. At minimum this should tell me where the noise is coming from. Since I do all the work alone in my garage this is another 4-5 hours worth of work...oh well its just work.

 

[Drifte]

im completely with you on this one gsxlaunch, except, my rpms dont change. maybe you ahve more miles on your clutch then me, and its just a matter of time for mine to start that.

 

[GSXlaunch]

It is brand spanking new....(0) Zero miles. Car is still on jack stands. This is unbelievable. I hate the idea of having to start over...especially since I know I went exactly according to spec-on everything. You have no idea how hard it was getting the tranny on by myself, from under the car. I think I accidentally sharted about 3 times from pushing that heavy bastard up...this time I'll use the hoist. Eitherway, once I get the tranny, pressure plate and disc off I will take some close up pics for you guys to see.

Drifte - Do you also have a light weight flywheel to go along with a ACT 2600? I am thinking the lightweight flywheel is causing the fluctuation in RPMs.