Hi all, replaced my clutch, PP, DM Flywheel and trow out bearing about 2 years ago and "only" 3000 miles-bought the parts from Ft Wayne Clutch and have not talked to them about the bearing problem yet, so now during the Christmas season, it squeals and grinds when I engage any gear. OK when I am in gear, only when holding the clutch pedal in at a light or in Neutral.

So old school knowledge is telling me the trow-out bearing is shot.

My question is- Has anyone ever opened one up to make sure the grease is still there? or opened on before installation and greased it up good, sealed it back and gone trouble free for a long time? or if there is a link somewhere....

Also, any recommendations on where to get another one- any forum vendors out there with a quality product, preferably greaseable, or is it back to NAPA.

Car is a 90 Vert, L98, ZF

Thanks,
and Happy New year!

 

not sure if i am understanding exactly whats going on, but ive done 2 clutch replacements on my 93 lt1. So I will tell you what I know...

If you are getting grinding, with the clutch pedal to the floor (engaged), as you are trying to shift gears then:

1. clutch hydraulics (master and slave cylinder) either need replaced, or bled,. There is a very unique bleeding procedure for the hydraulics.
2. Are you using the castrol bmw stuff fluid in your transmission instead of the proper gm recommended fluid (or its syncromesh replacement). Some forum members (including zfdoc) will say that its great stuff, but I will fight tooth and nail here about it messing up my car causing grinding gears at WOT upshifts, etc. Replacing it with the proper gm recommended fluid may eliminate that issue as it did with mine.

sure, putting haevy synthetic grease around the pilot bushing, input shaft splines, and throwout bearing is good practice and can only help. Without taking it apart, I cant say that a lack of lubrication is the issue.

Dual mass flywheel? you still running this? When these things break down, their ability to dampen normal gear noise is reduced. Typically at idle in neutral, with clutch engaged (to the floor), you may hear a light 'tapping' or knocking.

Finally, on the subject of throwout bearings....

I dont remember the throwout bearings having grease all over them when i got it.

Clutch job # 1 in october 2002. The throwout bearing I ordered was AC Delco 'MADE IN USA'.

Clutch job #2, in october 2006. The throwout bearing I ordered was AC Delco 'MADE IN CHINA'.

Throwout bearing #2 was way more sloppy than throwout bearing #1. The inner race, instead of just rotating, also 'wobbled' about a completely different axis.

Since there wasnt any issue with throwout bearing #1, I re-used it and threw away throwout bearing #2 since I couldnt return it.

If you need a new throwout bearing, I think you may be better off find a used one with XX,XXX miles, or even 1XX,XXX miles, than finding the latest-and-greatest-made-in-china replacement.

Hope this helps.

heres a picture of the throwout bearing. i think the made in china one.

 

I recently had the ZF doctor install a ZF tranny in my 87. I had purchased a real nice dual mass from greggpenn. Gregg had also sent me the original throwout bearing and clutch. I had bought a new clutch and throwout bearing, but Bill insisted on using original throwout bearing because it was far supieror to the new one I had bought. Even with 50,000 miles on it.

 

 

I recently had a TO bearing come apart (literally) after only 5k on new clutch, pp, dm flywheel and TO bearing. Bought everything from Carolina Clutch. The TO bearing was Chinese. Ordered a Delco (pricey) but obviously heavier duty. So far so good!

Bood luck

 

Your description isn't totally clear to me, but if I'm understanding you correctly, you only hear noise when the clutch is disengaged. If this is the case, the odds are that the T/O bearing is dying, but there are other possibilities. If the noise happens when the transmission is in gear while the clutch is disengaged, but not when the transmission is in neutral while the clutch is disengaged, it's probably the pilot bearing. If it happens regardless of whether the transmission is in neutral or in gear while the clutch is disengaged, it is more likely the T/O bearing than the pilot bearing.

If the noise only shows up when the clutch is disengaged, another possibility is that the clutch fork pivot ball has loosened and moved.

Live well,

SJW

 

I don't know about ZFs...but I'll tell you about my 4x3 experience.

I must not have packed the Pilot Bearing....and it started squealing but only when I started letting the clutch out.....I know that is different than what you are describing...

My point is that, there was no easy fix...I wound up pulling the trans back out and replacing Pilot and TO bearing.

I failed to adequately grease the trans shaft where the TO bearing slid back and forth and the Pilot was bad as well. I am lucky that I didn't mar the input shaft on the trans.

 

Thanks for all the answers and thoughts- either way- T/O bearing of pilot, the trans still has to come out.

It only happens when the clutch is disengaged- bled ystem with Phoenix injector system slowly, used BMW fluid.

Noise only when disengaged, in gear or neutral, noise stops when engaged, either neutral or in gear.

And I just want to take one apart to make sure there is grease in the bearing.

Now I need a Kwiklift.....

 

Given this clarification, I'd say that there's at least a 95% chance it's the T/O bearing. That's good, as it's significantly easier to change than the pilot. But do check to see that the fork pivot ball hasn't loosened and moved (especially if you only get the noise after the clutch pedal goes down beyond a couple of inches).

Pulling a ZF6 on a Kwiklift is no walk in the park. If you're going to wish, set your sights on a two-post or four-post lift. They'll make the job MUCH easier.

Live well,

SJW

 

I'll ask what the resolution on your clutch problem was?

I am having a similar issue. My trans is always noise but that is expected since I put a Single mass SPEC clutch flywheel in the car. Have previously replaced the master but not the slave.

The car picked up two habits recently, neither regularly. 1st is with the clutch in it sounds like a something girding, second when a few times it's sounded like the gears are grinding as I shift.

The biggest worry since the car is primarily driven for autocross is when it doesn't feel like the clutch is fully engaging. I have a lot of transmission slip, which feels like either a dying automatic or when the nanny's on the new Cadillac CTV cut in. I can make a 1-2 shift and not make it go away, although often getting completely out of the throttle and then back on seems to clear it.

Thanks

 

" The car picked up two habits recently, neither regularly. 1st is with the clutch in it sounds like a something girding, second when a few times it's sounded like the gears are grinding as I shift.

The biggest worry since the car is primarily driven for autocross is when it doesn't feel like the clutch is fully engaging. I have a lot of transmission slip, which feels like either a dying automatic or when the nanny's on the new Cadillac CTV cut in. I can make a 1-2 shift and not make it go away, although often getting completely out of the throttle and then back on seems to clear it. "

It sounds like you have 2 things going on.

1) grinding, Your not disengaging the clutch, probably the slave cyl.

2) sounds like the end of life for your clutch

Your post is 4 months old, let us know what you found out.

 

I haven't put mine all back together yet but i plan on putting alittle grease on the collar where the TOB will rest. That sleve i guess you could say.

Just from previous clutch experience i put the car back together and didn't lightly lube that and there was alot of squeeking and odd noises coming from the tranny with the clutch engaged or disengaged. Re dropped the tranny threw some grease on there and it was gone and completely, silent immediately

 

Just a follow up- it appears I was the recipient of "Fix by Corvette"
in other words, after the TOB squeling , I bought a Kwiklift, when I took the car out of the garage to put it on the Kwiklift, THERE WAS NO NOISE!

I've been driving it around most weekends, waiting for the noise to reappear- talking to several ME friends of mine the concensus is it might have been some trash or "something" that caused it to hang up but now it's gone.

So next weekend I'm off to Corpus Christi for the Vettes and Jets on the Lex, and I know if it is going to go bad, it will be while I'm riding up the aircraft elevator to the flight deck.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

 

Oh boy, I wish I knew this. My stuff also came from Carolina clutch and has 10,000 good miles on it.

Let me prepare myself mentally that way when it blows up all I can say is "I knew it".

Thanks

 

Was your throwout bearing

'Made in USA'

or

'Made in China' ?

**Note the picture of my 'made in china' one above. Specifically how 'sloppy' the inner and outer race of the thing was.

In the picture above, im trying to show the right side has a 'gap' (opposite of my fingers pinching the left side together)

All this said, I am running the 'Made in China' one, no issues 12k miles later. \