Clutch Release (Throw Out) Bearing Source
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Since before I took it down to do the motor swap and turbo kit, when the car got warmed up, if I started it hot it would make a marbles in a can type sound from the bellhousing area. About 10-30 seconds after startup it would go away. Pressing in the clutch didnt make any difference in the sound. My throw out seems fine and since I couldnt find one while the motor was out I used it. It made the sound again yesterday now that I can drive it enough to get warmed up so I just wanted to replace it while I'm in there putting a new clutch in. Could be the front TT bearing too but *** it. I am sick of working on this thing. I'll put up with the sound until something breaks.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Since before I took it down to do the motor swap and turbo kit, when the car got warmed up, if I started it hot it would make a marbles in a can type sound from the bellhousing area. About 10-30 seconds after startup it would go away. Pressing in the clutch didnt make any difference in the sound. My throw out seems fine and since I couldnt find one while the motor was out I used it. It made the sound again yesterday now that I can drive it enough to get warmed up so I just wanted to replace it while I'm in there putting a new clutch in. Could be the front TT bearing too but *** it. I am sick of working on this thing. I'll put up with the sound until something breaks.
It happens that when you are stabbing in the torque tube/trans/diff you can **** or otherwise molest the pilot bearing causing it to make noise and ultimately fail.
In particular I can see this happening because you're man handling that thing on your back in a garage...
You can check the torque tube bearing for play and sound when you have it all apart and if it's screwed up, get one then.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Yea my pilot in my old motor seemed fine and I put a brand new one in the new motor so I don't think it's the pilot. The input shaft looked good too. I check for play in the TT and it "seemed" fine. It's likely the TT bearing since pressing the clutch in doesn't change the sound at all. The only way to tell is to take it apart and I'm under the gun to get the car together for an airstrip HPDE so it'll have to wait.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Yea my pilot in my old motor seemed fine and I put a brand new one in the new motor so I don't think it's the pilot. The input shaft looked good too. I check for play in the TT and it "seemed" fine. It's likely the TT bearing since pressing the clutch in doesn't change the sound at all. The only way to tell is to take it apart and I'm under the gun to get the car together for an airstrip HPDE so it'll have to wait.
And the pilot is easy to screw up wrestling a drivetrain on a garage floor, particularly if you drew the torque tube in with the bolts (not that you'd do that....
)
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5,022
Likes: 18
From: Tampa FL (formerly Justinjor)
Tech Contributor
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14
Bill, I don't know if it'll help, but I'll be replacing my 30k mile OEM clutch in a few weeks and I'm also replacing the slave cylinder with a new one from GM. I haven't had any release/chatter/strange noise issues or anything, so I assume the bearing is fine. I just want to replace the whole unit while the drivetrain is out.
If you want, I'll be glad to ship the old throwout bearing to you.
Send me an address and I'll get in in the mail as soon as it comes out. I'm doing the clutch swap the weekend of April 21.
If you want, I'll be glad to ship the old throwout bearing to you.
Send me an address and I'll get in in the mail as soon as it comes out. I'm doing the clutch swap the weekend of April 21.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Here's the sound. Stuck my phone under the car when it made it tonight. Don't know that the sound came through very well. Kinda of just sounds like engine noise but it's not. About 5 seconds after I start moving, the sound goes away.
Last edited by 5 Liter Eater; Apr 7, 2012 at 12:18 AM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
So long story but I found out that the noise was the starter not disengaging. Tonight while installing my clutch the starter got grounded out for a few seconds. When I got it all back together and tried to start it the starter kept cranking. Only way to stop it was to pull the battery. It made that same nails in a can sound and when the battery was pulled it made the same spin down noise. So I have to figure out if I fried the starter or something else but at least I found my mystery drivetrain noise.
Track Junky
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,074
Likes: 36
From: Orlando Area
Tech Contributor
Give Mike Yeager at East Coast Performance a call. When I did my torque tube rebuild, he had a couple laying around and sold me one for about $35. I'm almost positive it was him, but it was about 18 months ago.
