QuackDamnYou

I have a very strange noise coming from my shifter area (but it's in the tranny). When I'm in neutral and the clutch is OUT it makes a weird grinding/rubbing noise and there's a tiny little extra load on the engine (This is all done in idle) But then, when you push the clutch in (Still in neutral) the RPMs go up the tiny amount they dropped to begin with. It seems very much like the clutch to me. The noise, best described, is sort of like TV static, but SOFTER.



Also, when I'm in gear, my tranny is kinda loud regardless of gear. Just makes a similar noise and gets louder the faster you go in that gear, then the next gear it starts over again. I'm thinking maybe the tranny fluid is low or just old? Shifts nicely, like it should. 2nd shows the smallest amount of resistance going in and will grind if it's freezing out until you shift into it like twice, then it's smooth again.



I know it's old. It's an '86. It's not perfect. I think this is a clutch adjustment and tranny oil change to fix it?

Seppuku

maybe throw out bearing?

phinsup

if it's in nuetral and loading the engine, assuming this has nothing to do with the hi/lo idle different at warm up then you may have some tranny issues. When in neutral and clutch pedal out, the engine should be driving the output shaft into the tranny but no gears... ie no load If there is a load then there is some sort of issue most likely tranny internal.

QuackDamnYou

I know what you mean about the throw out bearing, but I wouldn't think that would put a load on it.



No it's not an idle issue, I'm not a dumbass.



I still think it's the clutch...

wankelTII

I am going with seppuku on this, i say throw out bearing too.

I have seen a ton of cars running on jack stands in neutral still turn the wheels, if that happens then there has to be some small amount of load on the engine if the wheels are stopped. So i vote normal on the rpms thing.



The throw out bearing is probably alittle worn and/or there is just very little or no pressure on it causing it to make alittle wirring noise at idle.



NOW the in gear tranny noises may be syncros or something rubbing and you probably need to replace the tranny fluid right away to make sure any possible wear that is occuring isnt preventable. I would use the reccominded weight, but some nicer fluid like redline or royal purple if you can afford it, preferrably something designed for transmissions. You should change your rear end fluid at the same time with some differential specific fluid.



Quack, didnt you say a girl had the car? Odds are those fluids never got changed the whole time she owned it, i would really get on that pretty quick.

wankelTII

if the fluid change dosent fix it, then just save up $300 or $400 dollars and buy a spare tranny if you have somewhere to store it temporarily. Otherwise save up the money and put it aside so you can go to a junkyard and find one right away if yours does go out. My guess is that you have a while, and when it does start to go the sounds and things will get worse.

QuackDamnYou

Yeah, Michelle has had it nine years, then the guy before her for 10 and the first owner for 1. She stretched her oil changes to 3200miles between. :-X



The load change is pretty significant, and the whirring noise fades rather than just stops sounding when you push the clutch back in. I would think if it was my clutch I'd smell it? Is this something I should really be worried about? it IS a 20 year old car...I am getting tranny and diff oils changed tomorrow and possibly a clutch adjustment. But darcy should be able to tell right off what is going on. He's good like that.

wankelTII

Well, nice thing is that if you do need a tranny, its one of the easiest cars to swap a tranny on and used n/a drivetrain parts arent very expensive. But as long as everything shifts smooth and its just noise i wouldnt worry too much, just pay attention to any changes. I have heard throw out bearings make alot of noise when they are bad, but if i dont hear it myself i cant say for sure anyway. That would be the cheapest problem for sure.

Baldy

My old worn clutch and my new clutch both make some sort of whirring noise at idle with clutch pedal released.



I'd start with the tranny fluid, then see what happens.

QuackDamnYou

Changed the tranny fluid and filled up the differential oil. No change in the noises at all, but it sure does shift a whole lot smoother. The bad news is that the tranny oil didn't look or smell like it'd EVER been changed before! It also had some metal shavings in it....Either due to the whirring noise thing (Possible) or the fact that when it's really cold out 2nd grinds for a few shifts, but once it warms up it's fine. It's just old and tired.... So goes my life.