Clutch knock
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2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Clutch knock
I have a 96 Lt4 6 speed I had the clutch replaced with hen I got the car with one from summit racing but it knocks loud unless you push it in or going fast does anyone know a better clutch or where I can find a OEM one
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,103
Likes: 1,985
From: St. Charles MO
Something is wrong with the installation or one of the parts. I don't think it's just a matter of quality. You should take it apart and see what's causing the noise. Something is hitting something else, possibly the fork hitting the pressure plate. You cannot buy an new OE clutch anymore. Every replacement clutch you can buy new these days starts its life in the same foundry in China, which is the only place that has a mold to cast the pressure plate frame. It doesn't matter what brand name is on it. The replacement throwout bearings are no good either. You might be able to find a legit new-old-stock original (labeled "INA" on the green plastic seal) but it will cost you probably $300. Unless you can find a reconditioned original clutch and a NOS bearing, I'd probably buy parts from Carolina Clutch. At the very least, it sounds like they have good customer service and tech support.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,103
Likes: 1,985
From: St. Charles MO
Oh, that's a good point. I'm so used to single-mass conversions that I forget about this issue. It depends on what the OP exactly means by "knocks loud." Because the other side of the coin is that if his flywheel was replaced with a single-mass unit when his clutch was changed out, then maybe he's referring to the rattle that is a normal transmission sound when you no longer have the dual-mass flywheel to damp it. This would correlate with his note that the noise goes away when you push the clutch in (because the input shaft is no longer turning) or when you go fast enough that things smooth out. The noise is a normal part of a ZF6 transmission, but it could also be especially obnoxious if a solid-hub disk was used instead of a sprung-hub disk. Although the car came with a solid-hub disk from the factory, that can only be used with a dual-mass flywheel. If you switch to a single-mass flywheel, then you should use a traditional sprung-hub disk.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 716
Likes: 135
From: Buchanan, Michigan
Conversely, if it has been converted to single mass and the bell housing not dialed in and trued up, and the countershaft shim kit not done it could be the sound he is describing. Without more details of what's been done to the car it's impossible to give sound advice other than to say... Start checking everything!
