Trios

My car is in the shop right now getting the new clutch installed. New LS7 clutch/flywheel, new slave/throwout bearing, pilot bearing, and remote bleeder was $1800. When they got the torque tube out, they found my rear main was leaking so that's an additional $80 to replace since they already have the driveline out.

Then, finding the old pilot was grenaded, a new torque tube input shaft is $600 + $200 labor. So I'm up to $2600, but only because I am an idiot and continued to drive after the bearing noises started and annihilated my input shaft.

Don't drive once you hear this noise. Really, don't.

turboffr

I know this is an old thread but my car is doing the same thing with only 200 miles on new clutch setup. What would cause a new pilot bearing to go bad? And what exactly is grinding when engaging the clutch?

alabaster z

Hi, yes this is an old post, but the problems seems to live on.Are you hearing the noise in first gear and reverse, or just one or the other?
The grinding noise I had went away after some spirited take-offs in first, the noise was probably from clutch glazing. It seems unlikely that you would have bearing issues so soon after replacement

turboffr

1st and reverse makes a grinding noise just as the clutch is engaging. The clutch shifts fine otherwise and no grinding when shifting other gears. Sounds pretty horrible though. What's strange is that it doesn't seem to do it when cold. This video is it doing it in reverse.

turboffr

Here's a better video. I'm going to pull it apart and see what's going on.

alabaster z

Ouch!..yeah rttmike, the originator of the post had a sound very similar to what mine was doing, but nothing like this. I got rid of it by doing some hard launch's...you know, revving a little and just dropping in the clutch and letting it come off the line with a good chirp. I don't know why that fixed it...though, the Textralia 6-puck was grabby and didn't like being slipped-out slowly.

The pilot bearing seems to be the culprit for what you are hearing, and maybe the torque tube as well. Did you change the tube, or notice any scouring?

I know you are frustrated, and people give advice so easy, but don't lose it. Pull everything apart and take a look at some of the great video here on the forum if you need visual help.
Hang in there bro, you'll be back to normal again

turboffr

I hear you. I've got it almost apart now. It actually wasn't too bad. Just need to get another jack to support trans when I pull torque tube out. I didn't pull the tube apart before the clutch install because there was no issue with previous clutch (LS7). I was just upgrading at the same time as putting a LS3 in the car. I do plan to pull it apart now and go through everything so I don't have to pull it apart again. Will let everyone know what I find.

turboffr

pulled it apart today and here is what I found:

- clutch looks good as new
- pilot bearing is destroyed
- input shaft is scored pretty bad from the pilot bearing
- input shaft on TT wobbles when spun and I could hear a noise inside the TT
...pulled TT apart
- rubber couplers look brand new
- input shaft bearing looks toast and there are aluminum shavings inside TT (appears bearing took out part of the tube)

my guess is that the bearing was making that awful noise

......so looks like I'm in the market for a torque tube