Well..sorta. I'm pretty sure my clutch is fragged..but I would like you guys to help confirm this, and tell me if I can drive it home or not.

I was cruising along on the frerway in 5th gear, I went to pass someone, but when I got to about half throttle (still in 5th) it made this god aweful loud metalic grinding sound coming from the bellhousing/tranny area. IT went away when I backed off, came back when I got to half throttle, etc. Over the next few miles till I could get off the road it got worse though. Now I can't even baby it in ANY gear without it making the sound.

I can rev it in neutral, reverse is fine, but its there going forward, and damn scary it's so loud. Sounds kinda liek it did when I had my front bake pads down to the metal, only louder and coming from the clutch area. I have NO tools with me, not even a jack so I can't get under it to look.


Is it definatly the clutch, or could it be the tranny? It not making the noise in reverse is the thing that makes me wonder...
Think I can make it home without doing any further irreprible damage?



------------------
"American made baby. 100% American iron. The muscle among the masses. My hero. Yep, you can take your ergonomically designed, space age, computer controlled, 4 door, cup holding map lighted split double wishbone split fold down retractable cargo covered moon roof piece of transportation and keep it. For I have felt the thunder. And I know the difference!"
Jesters's Page of Sick Pleasure
Florida Thirdgenners Message Board
ICON Motorsports

 

hmm sounds like your pressure plate and clutch had some issues with eachother lol.. anyways, i doubt you should drive it home, i would think that if its makeing noises like that, you would be risking breaking an input shaft.

when in doubt...

Steve

 

Ouch...I hadn't thought of breaking the input shaft...thanks I'll kee pthat in mind.

any other opinions?

 

Jester,

The fact that is doesn't do it in reverse leads me to believe it might not be a clutch. The clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, throwout, etc. all thurn the same direction whether the trans is in forward or reverse. You may have done something to the output shaft, shaft extension housing, or a universal joint. A 'U' joint wouldn't make any noise in neutral, and might not make noise in reverse if the broken/missing parts are being driven backward.

In any case, you risk further damage by driving it, and if it is a 'U' joint, you could do the pole-vault trick on your way home, completely flipping the car. Personally, if you can't determine exactly what it is from where you are, I'd consider having it towed home. Your auto insurance may have emergency road service coverage, in which case the tow cost would be reimbursed to you by the insurance carrier.

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

Check your U-joints. That's what mine did right before the driveshaft dropped.

------------------
1989 Camaro RS LO3 WCT5 "The Hose Queen" 0-60' 2.34 1/4 15.8@87mph
http://350.StreetRacing.org
ICQ: 61342629 AOL IM: BlackSunshineZ28

 

OK..I'l steal someones jack and look at t U joints....those I can at least see without tools.

Dammit....I really don't wanna leave my car parked in a big empty lot on Devils Night.

 

You guys are gonna laugh....

I went over there with the crappy spare tire jack from my moms Accord,crank her up with a screwdriver for a handle and crawl under. Inspection reveals tha the bolt holing the clamshell shut on the Torque arm mount is gone...either sheared off or vibraded loose I dunno yet. The torque arm was loose and sitting too high, causing my U joints to grind against my exaust pipes, getting worse when I gave it gas and going away when I hit reverse. Some banged up U joints and exaust seem to be the only damage. I've maganed to limp it here (halfway home, moms work) by holding the clamshell shut with a plastic zip tie that had falen on my floor while doing some interior wiring last week.

Thanks for the help tho guys.

 

glad to hear you got it away from harms intentions... also glad to hear it wasnt something more serious. unless of course you were looking to put a better clutch in hehe

Steve

 

Jester,

Good that it's nothing major. What would we do without tie-wraps and duct tape?

At least you were alert enough to have stopped to check it out. I'd hate to try to count how many people I pass on the roads with a red light on their dash staring them in the face, running on three cylinders, and bouncing the bald tire with the big bulge in the sidewall down the road like they don't have a clue. Well, they don't.

I guess that's what differentiates us from them, and why I'm so annoyed by the air police coming down on V-8 drivers when all these POS "fuel-efficient" four cylinders are out there running like crap polluting our air and wasting our fuel. These people are what public transportation is all about.

O.K. - I'm done now...

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

Sorry about the tirade, but I just read something quoted from our friend, Al Gore. I'm now thoroughly convinced that between our two major choices, the collective I.Q. would be something a little less than the cubic inch displacement of my lawnmower engine. I know it's not Tech, but it may affect our hobby, and that tends to urinate me off just a little. It looks like Al wants us all to start driving tricycles. And George is off on a mission to another planet. Maybe they'll bump into each other on the trip...

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0