Clutch or tranny-- cats

[munkee]

My problem car (black 90 mtx. I renamed it, no longer the project car. the white one is now my project turbo car) is having more, you guessed it, problems! jpshakeh I swear it is jinxed. The heater core went out last week, thank goodness I won't be needing that for a while. I am also having some problems shifting lately when my rattling noise returns. I usually shift into 2nd then into reverse to avoid grinding. When my car rattles/grinds (the problem I previously attributed to a bad timing chain tensioner) it is extremely difficult to get it into any gear and it acts like the transmission is still spinning even with the clutch in. I say this because you can put it into reverse, (or any gear for that matter) then go to nuetral and back to reverse really quick and it will grind. None of my other cars act like that. The clutch pedal also has a little play in it at the top ( about two inches) but it won't adjust any.
On another issue, it seems like my earlier missing problem might be coming back and it seems like I don't have any power at lower rpms. Can that be caused by a plugged cat and how do you test it to see if it is plugged? I just replaced the old one because it was bad. When I floor it, I can hear something hissing on the passengers side until I let off the gas.

 

[DavidT]

as far as plugged cats are concerned, Midas can do a backpressure test for under $20... this test solved my 99 HP problem thumb

 

[sdpatt]

Either you clutch cable needs tensioning or the pressure plate and throwout bearing need replacing.

 

[munkee]

Could a problem with the pressure plate cause the rattling?

 

[DavidT]

Chris, Is this the same rattling that you thought was the timing chain tensioner? Or is that your other sho?

 

[ATXSHO]

That hissing from under the car can be a bad donut gasket that needs replacement. When my MTX had that problem, it felt like it lost power or it might just've been a feeling. shrug

 

[munkee]

It is the same one that I thought had a bad timing chain tensioner. If it is a problem with the clutch, that would explain why replacing the tensioner didn't help. It does have a new donut gasket but on this car that doesn't necessarily count for anything . I will check out the cable today, and if that doesn't work I will drop the tranny and check out the clutch.

 

[munkee]

I got the cable to adjust. It took a little bit but I finally got it to stay. Now there's no more play in the pedal at the top, it shifts better and no more clicking. We will see how long this fix works. Might have to replace the cable. Anyway, glad it doesn't seem to be something worse, for now anyway. Thanks guys.