clutch, p.p. again?

[ckinney89sho]

i replaced my clutch with a kit from autozone about 1500k to 2000k miles ago. now there is a nasty grinding and very loud screeching comming from the tranny. i can kinda feel it in the clutch pedal. it doesnt do it all the time though.
I was thinking that the pp fingers are breaking and rattling around and getting stuck on the disk? or the TOB is disinigrating? idk what to do except park it. it is my dd. i know i shouldnt have baught that kit from autozone but at that time i couldnt get it in any gears and i was in a pinch. suggestions welcome.
where would be the best place to get a quality clutch kit for a reasonable price? Thanks

 

[elarm1]

Check your fluid

 

[ckinney89sho]

ok so i checked the fluid and its down farther than my pinky can go and there is metal flakes. could that be a diff. pin rattling around? what could it be?

 

[ckinney89sho]

i put more fluid in there and it still does the same thing. i can feel it in the clutch pedal.

 

[sperold]

Your new clutch is still probably OK. Flush your transmission with new automatic transmission oil, even if you overfill it for a day or two. Then drain it down using a turkey baster or what ever you have while it is still hot. Do that a couple of times. That is because you never get the bottom grit out in just one try. Some people put a drain plug in the transmission and there is info on this forum on that topic, but that is somewhat more work. Maybe thread a magnet on a flex rod into the tranny to get the bigger chunks.
You are going to feel your transmission woes with you clutch pedal.
It might be your input / output shaft bearing, but give it more oil and some time to see if it will come around.
Bearings usually fail because they reach their endurance limit - there is a limited number of revolutions built in (in the millions), so it may not have anything to do with you.

 

[ckinney89sho]

i have the drain plug. i drained it when i did my clutch and i put in Pennzoil syncromesh. it took 2 qts. of that today and it might need more. it rattles realy bad and makes the grnding even at idle after i put new fluid in it!
its worth a try, im going to get a magnetic plug for it as soon as i can. im going to keep it parked so no more damage is done.

 

[sperold]

I would contact someone who knows their way around these cars like Area91, who may be fairly close to you. I don't know anything about that differential pin or what it sounds like when it is on its way out. Usually, when the car is coasting (in various gears), it will have a different sound and feel than when it is under light power.
You could pull the pressure plate and throw out bearing, and have a look at them, and at least you would have eliminated that as a problem.... which leaves the transmission / differential as your issue. But the weather is not the best for that now.
I don't think your choice of clutch is the problem, I bought the least expensive Rhino-Pac model from RockAuto and it is fine. I have heard that some suppliers clutches have a lifetime warranty and maybe that is worth a slight premium if you need another one, but yours probably has some kind of warranty too.

 

[sperold]

Put a post on this forum asking what the differential pin sounds and feels like before it goes bad. Usually, that kind of failure is associated with doing burn outs and front wheel spin punishments, but maybe it can happen to anybody.

 

[elarm1]

Change the fluid again and with the car off go through all the gears a few times, turn the car back on and see if it does it again. If it gets a little better, repeat the process over and over til its smooth

 

[AREA 91]

#1 check the fluid
#2 Adjust the clutch cable
#3 Does it shift through the gears ok with the car off?
#4 Did you use "green" loctite on the quill sleeve?
#5 Did you use "red" loctite on the pressure plate bolts?
#6 Pull the starter and with an inspection mirror, view the pressure plate bolts.

 

[shobote]

Grinding and screeching probably not caused from trans fluid and since it is intermittant, probably is TOB or PP related.

 

[ckinney89sho]

i didnt use locktite but i did torque them. it shifts fine running ir not. i will check it through the starter asap. thanks guys i appreciate it

 

[sperold]

I think AREA 91 and Shobote have it right. The thought of a pressure plate coming loose is enough to make you want to quit driving... when you remember where it is located.
Good luck on your fix...... and why do these things never happen in the warm weather?

 

[93rev2sev]

No loc tite on flywheel or pp bolts = bad news.

 

[ckinney89sho]

yeah i see that now. i never took the flywheel off. it looked good. if its the clutch im going to get one from RCM. just a stock Valeo and flywheel with new pp bolts. oh yeah and lots of lock tite lol

 

[93rev2sev]

lol. you don't need lots. MAYBE a drop per bolt...

You need to have GREEN BLUE AND RED loc tite...all 3

Red is for the flywheel, blue is for the pressure plate and green is for the quill sleeve.

You SHOULD have your flywheel refinished (it's like $30...maybe) even if it "looks good".

 

[ckinney89sho]

i think that if a bolt came loose or a finger broke on the pp then its probably is grinding on the flywheel so ill just replace that too. because it only does it when the clutch is disengaged (pedal is out).

 

[Eric VerValin]

No loc tite on flywheel or pp bolts = bad news.

Rut ro..... 22,000 miles and counting... haven't lost one yet...

 

[AREA 91]

I have seen pressure plate bolts back out from improper installation and no loctite.

Green Loc Tite for the TOB quill sleeve
Red Loc Tite for the flywheel and pressure plate bolts.

 

[ckinney89sho]

so how do i know what make of clutch kit i should get? i want quality without braking the bank. i know its 9.75". any suggestions?