Hey guys, for the last year or so now I've been having a VERY annoying whine in my car while I drive, coming from right below the shifter. As soon as I engage a gear and start moving at about 1700-2000 RPMs I hear this whine and it just gets louder as I go higher in the RPM range. I do have an MGW short shifter but this noise appeared a year after that was put in.



I found that video online and it's the EXACT sound I have. No one replied back to the owner of that video on youtube. The five people who replied assumed it was the owners rear diff, however, I know that it is not. I've got a Rick Kim built stock diff that replaced my old broken one, an RPM Level 3 trans, MGW short shifter and an LS7 clutch. This noise appeared a year after the LS7 clutch, MGW and diff were installed, and happened before the transmission. The previous owner lied about a lot of things with my car and I found out he used to track it. Since the diff had gone I assumed the trans was about to bite the bullet and bought a new one. Trans apparently did need to be replaced, but for other reasons and the noise has not gone away.

Some questions asked in the Youtube video owners (McAllister513) thread on here with my answers:

1) Does it begin to make noise at around 50+MPH?

No, it happens as soon as I start moving at any speed.

2) Is the noise clearest under light acceleration while maintaining these speeds (50MPH)?

No, it gets faster as I go faster in the same gear. As in, if I'm in 2nd it'll get louder in the higher RPMs until I switch gears, then it will build up with that gear. It is most definitely RPM dependent.

2) Does it cease immediately when you take your foot off the gas but leave the clutch in?

No. When I let off the gas it will decrease in sync engine RPM. If I put the clutch in the noise drops down as the RPMs drop down. Blow 1700ish RPM the noise stops.

3)Does the noise stop when you depress the clutch and continue to cruise at highway speed?

Yes, but only because the engine RPM drops when the clutch is depressed.

3) Does the noise stop if you depress the clutch while cruising and depress the gas lightly, like you would do to hear the noise at its loudest, but with the clutch in?

No.

As of now nothing has blown up on the car, but i'd really like to get this solved. Any ideas guys?

 

That video sounds like transmission whine to me.

Jack

 

Normally I'd agree and had naturally assumed that's what it was. However, since the wine started I've replaced the transmission with a build unit from RPM. Still have the same noise.

 

I assume you did a slave/tob along with a new pilot bearing during the trans swap, correct? I would then guess torque tube bushings and or bearings.

Jack

 

I did not replace the slave or throwout bearing. Just pressure plate, fly wheel and clutch. I've seen/heard plenty of throw out bearings bearings go south and this doesn't sound like that. Symptoms don't match for a pilot bearing either.

However your torque tube bushing idea is a start. I'd like to get some more opinions before I get this thing up on a lift and start ripping it apart though. Thanks for the input!

 

Here is what I would try and let me know the results. When you're cruising and push in the clutch pedal, leave the shifter in that gear (don't move to neutral) and let me know if the noise is still present. This will tell you if it's TT bearing related. When you de-couple the clutch and leave the transmission in gear, the driveshaft will be spinning while the engine will slow to idle.

 

Thanks for chiming in Rick! When I push the clutch while in motion the sound does go away. As soon as I let it back out again it comes back. The other interesting thing is that if I'm moving and I go into a lower gear (down shifting to 2nd for instance) as soon as the shifter is entering the shift gate, is when the sound comes, but only when I'm in motion. If I'm at a light idling, nothing happens.

 

Are you in gear when you push the clutch pedal? If so, you can eliminate TT bearings and everything behind it (trans/diff). When you are in gear and push the clutch pedal down the TT/transmission/diff are still turning.

 

I sure was. Accelerating up to 45mph in 2nd and the whine was super loud, pushed the clutch in, left it in 2nd and it instantly started to decrease in synch with the RPMs going down. Think it's the clutch?

 

I would get the car on a lift and have someone drive it at speed and check different area of the drivetrain with a stethoscope. That should narrow it down. Clutch usually doesn't make that kind of noise but first time for everything.......

 

This would seem to indicate trans or diff. Engaging and disengaging the mainshaft and differential to the counter shaft via (in this case) the second gear synchro and hub is what controls the noise. That would seem to indicate it being downstream of the TT.

This is contradictory to your post I quoted above. After an acceleration, releasing the clutch with 2nd gear engaged causes the noise to subside and eventually disappear in sync with engine RPM? If the engine stays at idle, with the car still moving at 45 mph, does disengaging 2nd gear, then reengaging with the clutch still disengaged cause the noise to return???

If you can, take a video so that we can listen to the sound, and include all the different driving situations that cause the sound to appear, or that allow you to control the sound.

Jack

 

Sorry I didn't explain myself clearly. If I accelerate up to 45 mph the whine will be very loud as it increases with engine RPM. If I push the clutch in with the car still in gear, the whine will decrease with engine RPM, but will come right back as soon as I let the clutch out. If I'm at a light and engage the clutch and put it into gear no noise will be made until I start moving.

Also I'd take a video for you but my car is extremely loud and the exhaust drowns out the sound on video.

I have taken it to Race Proven Motorsports and they didn't seem too concerned by the sound and said not to worry about it, but it literally just appeared out of nowhere one day, which is why I am concerned.

 

This is with 2nd gear still engaged? Does the noise come back if you re-engage the clutch after you put it in neutral?

Jack

 

Yes that is with 2nd still engaged. If I put it into neutral the sound disappears with engine RPM and comes back as soon as I put it back into gear. It happens through all gears though.

 

The thing that is throwing me off is your statement that the noise starts "as soon as you enter the gate" with the shifter. That makes it sound like the clutch has nothing to do with it, but then you state that disengaging the clutch makes the sound dissipate.

Jack

 

Yeah that threw me off as well. I think I'm going to have to get my buddy who's got a good camera to get in the car with me and film it happening.

 

did you check the fluid level in the trans and diff? just a thought

 

I have, and they're all good!

 

how bout changing the fluid .

 

I would, however it's a newer diff and new trans with new fluid in there that's less than a eight months old. I've had the sound since a little bit after the diff install by Rick and before the new trans went it. When I put the new trans in I had changed the fluid in the diff as well so it's less than 8 months old in both, and the sound was there before the fluid, so I don't think changing it would help. If I hadn't already done that I'd think that would be a great idea