Bad pilot or torque tube bearing symptoms?
06-28-2011, 08:15 PM
#2
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i have an 09, C6 auto trans. the rubber-steel couplers somehow collapsed inward shortening the propeller shaft, which caused the front bearing in the torque tube to get unseated. it started with a vibration at 4k rpm in any gear, and gradually got worse. it eventually started vibrating around 2500 rpm. at that time it was almost undrivable. Howard from Redline drove the car and suggested it was the propeller shaft out of balance. i ordered a carbon fiber shaft, but it was for a manual tranny about an inch too short. i replaced the factory couplers with stock, and reinstalled the original shaft. still have slight vibration, but will get a proper length shaft of carbon fiber soon. hope this helps.
jerry
jerry
06-28-2011, 10:47 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
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i have an 09, C6 auto trans. the rubber-steel couplers somehow collapsed inward shortening the propeller shaft, which caused the front bearing in the torque tube to get unseated. it started with a vibration at 4k rpm in any gear, and gradually got worse. it eventually started vibrating around 2500 rpm. at that time it was almost undrivable. Howard from Redline drove the car and suggested it was the propeller shaft out of balance. i ordered a carbon fiber shaft, but it was for a manual tranny about an inch too short. i replaced the factory couplers with stock, and reinstalled the original shaft. still have slight vibration, but will get a proper length shaft of carbon fiber soon. hope this helps.
jerry
jerry
I grenaded my TT letting it go to long. I had a prop shaft bolt shear and I backed a few out too. Not good
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07-01-2011, 09:55 PM
#6
07-01-2011, 11:17 PM
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Ok I see. I did not experience this. At idle you have no vibration im assuming so the linkage should not be affected. If you are driving and its shaking like crazy you may have shifting issues.
Is your shifter rattling pretty good?
If you have had severe torque tube vibrations in the past I guess it could have thrown off your shifter positioning since its mounted on the torque tube. I think this is unlikely though. If you are having issues try re-keying your shifter.
http://rpmtransmissions.com/files/c5...adjustment.pdf
On a side note my car has always had momentary issues going into reverse fully. I usually shift into 2nd and then reverse and it works like a charm.
Is your shifter rattling pretty good?
If you have had severe torque tube vibrations in the past I guess it could have thrown off your shifter positioning since its mounted on the torque tube. I think this is unlikely though. If you are having issues try re-keying your shifter.
http://rpmtransmissions.com/files/c5...adjustment.pdf
On a side note my car has always had momentary issues going into reverse fully. I usually shift into 2nd and then reverse and it works like a charm.
07-02-2011, 02:27 AM
#8
Track Junky
When my torque tube bearing went out I had a hollow scraping noise beginning around 2000 rpm and varied with engine speed, not vehicle speed. With the clutch pedal pressed, noise went away.
I think a pilot bearing problem would be constant no matter what the position of the clutch.
I think a pilot bearing problem would be constant no matter what the position of the clutch.
07-02-2011, 02:31 AM
#9
Track Junky
i have an 09, C6 auto trans. the rubber-steel couplers somehow collapsed inward shortening the propeller shaft, which caused the front bearing in the torque tube to get unseated. it started with a vibration at 4k rpm in any gear, and gradually got worse. it eventually started vibrating around 2500 rpm. at that time it was almost undrivable. Howard from Redline drove the car and suggested it was the propeller shaft out of balance. i ordered a carbon fiber shaft, but it was for a manual tranny about an inch too short. i replaced the factory couplers with stock, and reinstalled the original shaft. still have slight vibration, but will get a proper length shaft of carbon fiber soon. hope this helps.
jerry
jerry
07-02-2011, 10:25 AM
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jerry
01-29-2014, 04:09 PM
#12
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My 2005 C6 Corvette is currently in the shop for a pilot bearing failure, so I can give you the symptoms of mine. I have the LS2 with a 6 speed manual. The failure mode of my bearing was frozen / seized. This resulted in the bearing acting as a bushing. Unfortunately, bushings usually have different tolerances, and are usually made of a softer material.
About 1 year ago, I felt a slight vibration in the clutch pedal and heard a chatter as I let the clutch out. The chatter occurred with the car stopped and at about 800 rpm on the clutch release. It did it twice and then I did not hear it again for two months. Two months later it began to happen in the morning when the car was cold, and only in first or reverse. no chatter in other gears. The car had no vibration issues when the clutch was disengaged. I scoured the forums and found no smoking guns. Infact, I saw many posts about chatter when letting the clutch out that said this was sometimes normal / could be the transmission doing its thing. I had it checked, but short of pulling everything apart, there were no symptoms of an issue beyond the chatter.
So.... after a year of my mind telling me something was wrong and others telling me it was normal, I took it to a Corvette Specialist in Pensacola. He took the time to drive it, put it on the lift, and do extensive testing. Eventually he told me that it needed to come apart as something was amiss. He did not have an exact part, but he knew there was a problem and something mechanically was wrong. He gave me a best and worst case based on the parts that may be defective. Before I get a bunch of responses on taking apart something without knowing the exact issue, I applaud him for saying "I don't know what is the problem, but I know it is in there", pointing at the clutch bell housing.
What he found after tearing the vehicle down to the clutch:
Failed Bearing, it is frozen and has rust on the race New Bearing $.
Hot spots on Flywheel, he is going to polish out, no $$
Uneven wear on clutch disk, new Clutch $$$
Throwout bearing excessively worn, new slave and bearing $
Tourque Tube Prop Shaft .1 inch groove at Pilot bearing, New Tourque Tube $$$$$$
I was invited by the mechanic to look at all the damage before buying a single part. It is nice and very rare to find a garage with an open door policy on your garage. Awesome Mechanic!!
So, the symptoms for a failure may be just a sound and a slight vibration in the clutch pedal. My advice to you is: If the car changes the way it sounds and feels, and begins making new sounds, something is wrong, get it checked.
Two things I would look for for pilot bearing failure:
1)Chatter and vibration when letting the clutch out from a stop. In this test the pilot bearing and prop shaft can chatter as forces are applied to the torque tube if there is play. Once the clutch is out, the chatter will go away because the prop shaft is not rattling around in the bearing and the clutch will lock it in position.
2)Slight Vibration or chatter in the gear shift **** when the car is at 30 MPH, in 2nd gear, and the clutch is engaged (pushed in). Under this test, the engine will be at a different speed than the prop shaft. if it vibrates, the shaft is moving around in the pilot bearing and transferring vibration to the shifter.
I hope this helps anyone who searches for this failure or clutch chatter.
About 1 year ago, I felt a slight vibration in the clutch pedal and heard a chatter as I let the clutch out. The chatter occurred with the car stopped and at about 800 rpm on the clutch release. It did it twice and then I did not hear it again for two months. Two months later it began to happen in the morning when the car was cold, and only in first or reverse. no chatter in other gears. The car had no vibration issues when the clutch was disengaged. I scoured the forums and found no smoking guns. Infact, I saw many posts about chatter when letting the clutch out that said this was sometimes normal / could be the transmission doing its thing. I had it checked, but short of pulling everything apart, there were no symptoms of an issue beyond the chatter.
So.... after a year of my mind telling me something was wrong and others telling me it was normal, I took it to a Corvette Specialist in Pensacola. He took the time to drive it, put it on the lift, and do extensive testing. Eventually he told me that it needed to come apart as something was amiss. He did not have an exact part, but he knew there was a problem and something mechanically was wrong. He gave me a best and worst case based on the parts that may be defective. Before I get a bunch of responses on taking apart something without knowing the exact issue, I applaud him for saying "I don't know what is the problem, but I know it is in there", pointing at the clutch bell housing.
What he found after tearing the vehicle down to the clutch:
Failed Bearing, it is frozen and has rust on the race New Bearing $.
Hot spots on Flywheel, he is going to polish out, no $$
Uneven wear on clutch disk, new Clutch $$$
Throwout bearing excessively worn, new slave and bearing $
Tourque Tube Prop Shaft .1 inch groove at Pilot bearing, New Tourque Tube $$$$$$
I was invited by the mechanic to look at all the damage before buying a single part. It is nice and very rare to find a garage with an open door policy on your garage. Awesome Mechanic!!
So, the symptoms for a failure may be just a sound and a slight vibration in the clutch pedal. My advice to you is: If the car changes the way it sounds and feels, and begins making new sounds, something is wrong, get it checked.
Two things I would look for for pilot bearing failure:
1)Chatter and vibration when letting the clutch out from a stop. In this test the pilot bearing and prop shaft can chatter as forces are applied to the torque tube if there is play. Once the clutch is out, the chatter will go away because the prop shaft is not rattling around in the bearing and the clutch will lock it in position.
2)Slight Vibration or chatter in the gear shift **** when the car is at 30 MPH, in 2nd gear, and the clutch is engaged (pushed in). Under this test, the engine will be at a different speed than the prop shaft. if it vibrates, the shaft is moving around in the pilot bearing and transferring vibration to the shifter.
I hope this helps anyone who searches for this failure or clutch chatter.
Last edited by NavarreVette; 01-29-2014 at 09:22 PM.
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03-26-2023, 04:19 AM
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florida vette tech
My 2005 C6 Corvette is currently in the shop for a pilot bearing failure, so I can give you the symptoms of mine. I have the LS2 with a 6 speed manual. The failure mode of my bearing was frozen / seized. This resulted in the bearing acting as a bushing. Unfortunately, bushings usually have different tolerances, and are usually made of a softer material.
About 1 year ago, I felt a slight vibration in the clutch pedal and heard a chatter as I let the clutch out. The chatter occurred with the car stopped and at about 800 rpm on the clutch release. It did it twice and then I did not hear it again for two months. Two months later it began to happen in the morning when the car was cold, and only in first or reverse. no chatter in other gears. The car had no vibration issues when the clutch was disengaged. I scoured the forums and found no smoking guns. Infact, I saw many posts about chatter when letting the clutch out that said this was sometimes normal / could be the transmission doing its thing. I had it checked, but short of pulling everything apart, there were no symptoms of an issue beyond the chatter.
So.... after a year of my mind telling me something was wrong and others telling me it was normal, I took it to a Corvette Specialist in Pensacola. He took the time to drive it, put it on the lift, and do extensive testing. Eventually he told me that it needed to come apart as something was amiss. He did not have an exact part, but he knew there was a problem and something mechanically was wrong. He gave me a best and worst case based on the parts that may be defective. Before I get a bunch of responses on taking apart something without knowing the exact issue, I applaud him for saying "I don't know what is the problem, but I know it is in there", pointing at the clutch bell housing.
What he found after tearing the vehicle down to the clutch:
Failed Bearing, it is frozen and has rust on the race New Bearing $.
Hot spots on Flywheel, he is going to polish out, no $$
Uneven wear on clutch disk, new Clutch $$$
Throwout bearing excessively worn, new slave and bearing $
Tourque Tube Prop Shaft .1 inch groove at Pilot bearing, New Tourque Tube $$$$$$
I was invited by the mechanic to look at all the damage before buying a single part. It is nice and very rare to find a garage with an open door policy on your garage. Awesome Mechanic!!
So, the symptoms for a failure may be just a sound and a slight vibration in the clutch pedal. My advice to you is: If the car changes the way it sounds and feels, and begins making new sounds, something is wrong, get it checked.
Two things I would look for for pilot bearing failure:
1)Chatter and vibration when letting the clutch out from a stop. In this test the pilot bearing and prop shaft can chatter as forces are applied to the torque tube if there is play. Once the clutch is out, the chatter will go away because the prop shaft is not rattling around in the bearing and the clutch will lock it in position.
2)Slight Vibration or chatter in the gear shift **** when the car is at 30 MPH, in 2nd gear, and the clutch is engaged (pushed in). Under this test, the engine will be at a different speed than the prop shaft. if it vibrates, the shaft is moving around in the pilot bearing and transferring vibration to the shifter.
I hope this helps anyone who searches for this failure or clutch chatter.
About 1 year ago, I felt a slight vibration in the clutch pedal and heard a chatter as I let the clutch out. The chatter occurred with the car stopped and at about 800 rpm on the clutch release. It did it twice and then I did not hear it again for two months. Two months later it began to happen in the morning when the car was cold, and only in first or reverse. no chatter in other gears. The car had no vibration issues when the clutch was disengaged. I scoured the forums and found no smoking guns. Infact, I saw many posts about chatter when letting the clutch out that said this was sometimes normal / could be the transmission doing its thing. I had it checked, but short of pulling everything apart, there were no symptoms of an issue beyond the chatter.
So.... after a year of my mind telling me something was wrong and others telling me it was normal, I took it to a Corvette Specialist in Pensacola. He took the time to drive it, put it on the lift, and do extensive testing. Eventually he told me that it needed to come apart as something was amiss. He did not have an exact part, but he knew there was a problem and something mechanically was wrong. He gave me a best and worst case based on the parts that may be defective. Before I get a bunch of responses on taking apart something without knowing the exact issue, I applaud him for saying "I don't know what is the problem, but I know it is in there", pointing at the clutch bell housing.
What he found after tearing the vehicle down to the clutch:
Failed Bearing, it is frozen and has rust on the race New Bearing $.
Hot spots on Flywheel, he is going to polish out, no $$
Uneven wear on clutch disk, new Clutch $$$
Throwout bearing excessively worn, new slave and bearing $
Tourque Tube Prop Shaft .1 inch groove at Pilot bearing, New Tourque Tube $$$$$$
I was invited by the mechanic to look at all the damage before buying a single part. It is nice and very rare to find a garage with an open door policy on your garage. Awesome Mechanic!!
So, the symptoms for a failure may be just a sound and a slight vibration in the clutch pedal. My advice to you is: If the car changes the way it sounds and feels, and begins making new sounds, something is wrong, get it checked.
Two things I would look for for pilot bearing failure:
1)Chatter and vibration when letting the clutch out from a stop. In this test the pilot bearing and prop shaft can chatter as forces are applied to the torque tube if there is play. Once the clutch is out, the chatter will go away because the prop shaft is not rattling around in the bearing and the clutch will lock it in position.
2)Slight Vibration or chatter in the gear shift **** when the car is at 30 MPH, in 2nd gear, and the clutch is engaged (pushed in). Under this test, the engine will be at a different speed than the prop shaft. if it vibrates, the shaft is moving around in the pilot bearing and transferring vibration to the shifter.
I hope this helps anyone who searches for this failure or clutch chatter.
