I'm back, for those of you who helped on the last prob. I had with this tranny, Thank You.

NOTE*********
Mods, please don't delete this thread. I have posted it on Ls1.com and had no help. it is 4th gen related I know, but the expertise I have picked up from the members here is invaluable.

Thanks,
Alex M. Talbert


Okay, for starters just to clear up the details.....
This transmission was rebuilt in August, at a local shop BUT I did personally oversee the work. I had brass fork pads put on all 4 forks, a new 5/6 synchro
(the others looked almost new) and had the 6th gear replaced because it had been ground off due to a broken shift rail and of course the fluid was replaced.
(a woman driver, **No offense to the ladies here... this one was just a complete nut... somehow broke it!). Well everything was fine until about a week and a half ago it stuck a little going into gear, now it sticks (just about like a lockout mechanism was there, and you can force it into gear but i have tried to avoid that*) going into ANY gear, almost like it has a bad synchro, but I know thats not it this soon I've babied the thing since the repairs.

Today when I went to put everything back together to take it back to the shop, I thought to check the clutch and it's soft until about half travel, then it firms up, I checked the fluid and the level is okay but the fluid is almost black, and the pedal makes almost a squawking sound (wd 40 fixed this the pedal arm was just dry) from when you feel the pedal go firm until it goes to the floor, well I did't thing anything of it until my dad said "did it squeal when you had it running?" and I of course at this point being optimistic as it could be just the clutch needs to be replaced
.....
that is what I posted on Ls1.com,
Now here is what I have deduced so far (though I could be wrong) the squeal I went and heard only occurs when it is in gear (ANY gear) with the clutch depressed, you can have it in neutral and depress the clutch and it's fine and dandy. I'm taking it to the local shop that did the rebuild today cause it's still under warranty. Also the speedo went out could these be related?? I went to drive it up the street to check it last night and the clutch pedal has pressure and good feel, the stick has a rougher fell than it had right after going to the short stick (it should be a little more "rough," the only prob. is it has gotten progressively rougher. I also have been getting some somewhat increasingly frequent gear clashon all the gears, that would be unusual for all the synchros to go out at once wouldn't it??. I don't know what could be causing this but it's driving me nuts, It is my daily driver so I need it back on the road.

P.S.
Don't worry I haven't been driving it, I'm lucky enough to have a spare vehicle at the house I can drive. So hopefully I haven't caused to much damage.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the extra long thread habit I have, I just want to make sure to be detailed.

-Alex

 

I'd be looking more towards the pilot bearing being shot. This would cause your squeal with it in gear and the clutch depressed and would cause it to be difficult to get into gear.

 

I would bet you still have air in your hydraulics. When I changed my clutch in my 4th gen I had to bleed it like 4 times to get all the air out of it. Pedal would feel good most of the time but still be kinda rough to get into gear. then sometimes it would feel the same but it would grind. Bleed it, then drive it, repeat a few times.

Did you bleed the master and line seperately? You have to "bench" bleed that first. There is a check valve on the line at the end where it hooks to the slave, push that in and have someone push the clutch and hold it. The release the check valve and then release the clutch. Also make sure the O-ring at the slave isn't damaged because it will pull air in when you release the clutch.

Try pumping your clutch a few times, when it grinds. If it goes into gear then you have air in the lines.

When a my pilot bearing went it would shift at lower RPMS ok, but anything over 2500-3k rpm it was almost impossible to put it in gear.

When the clutch is depressed the input shaft is not spinning so it wouldn't be the pilot bearing squealing that would be the throw out bearing making noise. If it makes the noise with the clutch released then it would be the pilot bearing. IF it's a bearing making noise that is.

 

Black fluid = bad clutch master cylinder also a bad pilot as mentioned above will cause you problems. Bad hydrolics and pilot bearings are a t56 worst enemy. trust me i know.

 

If the pilot bearing is going bad, it will drag on the input shaft even when the clutch is disengaged, causing it to continue rotating, therefore, making it grind into gear(s) and can cause squealing/chatter. I have never heard a pilot bearing make noise when the clutch is engaged as the input shaft and the crankshaft are directly coupled together with the clutch engaged. Never the less, there could definately be air in the hydraulics thought.

 

He also stated that the only time it squeals is with the clutch depressed and the trans in gear. To me (and I'm sure several others), this eliminates the throwout bearing and again indicates the pilot bearing is going bad.

 

That's what the guy at the trans shop said it felt like to him when he drove it yesterday (I was in the car) and when I pulled up to the shop it wouldn't squeal but I got a full on slipping/partial clutch release with the plates still touching/grinding/whirring/BAD... sound/noise (you know, that "shot bearing disintegrating" sound we all hate to hear). But if I blip the throttle (while the clutch is depressed), yes I do have SOME racing experience as to how to drive without a clutch, I have to do the same thing there as I am with this trans now (no racing in this car though), It goes into gear with very little effort and even then only a mild scrubbing sound/feeling coming through the stick. So I think that sorta eliminates synchros. Sorry about the black fluid thing though I went and rechecked it before i dropped the car off and it was more brown and kinda cloudy looking, almost more of a burned color than a shot gasket in the master cylinder, though I more than intend to check that when I get the car back. Just so I know thats not it or if it is part of the prob. He also said that I may need to replace the clutch system (pres. plate, flywheel (alwasys a good idea with a new clutch), and friction disc. The only problem is they cant actually look into anything until Thursday because they're slammed busy, not a problem though, they don't charge to leave your car there while it waits to be serviced. So I should hear something maybe Thursday or at least Friday after they drop the trans out, that'll give me a good place to start hopefully.

 

Welllll'p I found what it was.....
The clutch was glazed like glass (thats bad right, JOKE and plase no thread rape for it), and on the day I took the car to the shop it behaved itself, not a peep out of it, but when I pulled up to the door at the shop I put the clutch in to stop, and....

BLAMMMM, I heard that noise (you know the one means "uh oh I broke it") it's almost as if an angle grinder let loose in the bellhousing. The pilot bearing went (welllll exploded would be a better word) so I've had my input shaft resurfaced to fix that damage, the flywheel is getting resurfaced too, and I'm getting a new clutch.