- This topic has 47 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by
.
-
Topic
-
Greetings,
I have a problem with my 99 Pontiac Sunfire 2.4L Manual Trans. and I hope someone can take the time to read this and help out! I am new here by the way.
It started when the clutch pedal got to the grabbing point, a grinding noise was coming from to left front end, the car won’t move an inch! I put in in 2nd gear, 3rd… it won’t move and the grinding continues. I noticed when I press on the clutch all the way down the grinding noise goes away. When I let it off as if I were to move with 1st gear engaged, the grinding comes back on and, again, the car won’t move. I first thought it was one of the clutch components that was shot so I decided to pull the transmission and I did not see anything wrong with the clutch assembly. I decided, however, to replace the clutch as I was not sure if the Release Bearing/Slave Cylinder assembly failed. I also put on a new flywheel. So new LuK Kit installed, bled the clutch and put everything back together, still same issue. Is it the Transmission? Well, I went to the junkYard and picked up one, they told me it’s in working condition. I installed it, same problem. Is it faulty? What am I missing here? I would also like to add that you can shift to 1st gear, without pressing on the clutch, it grinds a little bit, and I just wanted to try that for further diagnosis and may be an important piece of information that you may need to know.I look forward to any response on this issue, Thank you very much!
-
Replies
-
Thank you for the reply.
Yes, they are in a great shape. If it is the transmission, how come I can still feel and hear the grinding while it’s in Neutral?This may sound silly but are your cv’s oK? Other wise i’d guess maybe you bought another bad tranny, which would suck major ass I know, maybe pull one of the trannys apart and inspect for obvious damage.
Also, get someone to step on the clutch while you watch the slave cylinder, make sure it goes through its full range of motion, every car is different, for example my slave should move bit over an inch and a half. If not you may have hydrolic issues, whether its you master or slave, maybe even a leak in the line.
Just throwing it out there.
Slave Cylinder and Release Bearing comes as one unit, it was bled and it seems to function just fine because the grinding stops when I press on the clutch pedal. I checked for leaks, there is none. CV axles are good. I asked earlier if it’s the transmission, the grinding is still present when it is in Neutral.
If it goes away when you press the clutch harder I’m thinking it’s a clutch issue. Perhaps it’s not bled out enough or there is some issue with the linkage or throw out bearing. If it were me, that’s where I’d be looking. This article may also be useful.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-transmission-problems
Keep us posted on your progress.
If you can shift into gear without stepping on the clutch that tells me that the engine is not spinning the transmission gears properly. Since the problem happened with BOTH transmissions, my assumption would be that the clutch isn’t engaging fully and is slipping a lot, causing the gears to rotate slowly inside the transmission. This would explain why there is a little bit of grinding when you go into first without releasing the clutch. I would seriously check the clutch pedal adjustment, as this seems to be (at least to me) the only thing that makes sense, considering you put a different transmission in it and still got the same issue.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=80693]If it goes away when you press the clutch harder I’m thinking it’s a clutch issue. Perhaps it’s not bled out enough or there is some issue with the linkage or throw out bearing. If it were me, that’s where I’d be looking. This article may also be useful.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-transmission-problems
Keep us posted on your progress.[/quote]
Hi Eric, thanks for the link. After further diagnosis, I found where the noise is coming from but I am still unsure of the cause. Here is a video I took, you can hear the grinding gets louder when it’s in 3rd gear as it gets and passes the grabbing point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCepjMXQ5_o
The grinding is coming from the Transmission from the shifter housing area. I checked the linkage, everything is good. I even removed the shifter assembly and changed gears with a screwdriver and I am still having the same issue. I bled the clutch system, the clutch pedal is not spongy and the release bearing seems to function fine, once I step on the clutch pedal all the grinding noises go away, the clutch pedal has a normal feeling, not too hard not too soft. The master cylinder, slave cylinder, anything that ends with cylinder was checked. What I can’t understand is how am I able to to shift without pressing on the clutch. Any idea what prevents the shifter from moving while the engine is on until the clutched is disengaged?[quote=”Xyius” post=80704]If you can shift into gear without stepping on the clutch that tells me that the engine is not spinning the transmission gears properly. Since the problem happened with BOTH transmissions, my assumption would be that the clutch isn’t engaging fully and is slipping a lot, causing the gears to rotate slowly inside the transmission. This would explain why there is a little bit of grinding when you go into first without releasing the clutch. I would seriously check the clutch pedal adjustment, as this seems to be (at least to me) the only thing that makes sense, considering you put a different transmission in it and still got the same issue.[/quote]
The clutch pedal was checked and it’s functioning as it should as far as I can tell. If this was a clutch related issue, why the grinding goes away when I press on the clutch pedal?
[quote=”Xyius” post=80704]If you can shift into gear without stepping on the clutch that tells me that the engine is not spinning the transmission gears properly.[/quote]
Can you elaborate on that?
Thanks!
If you shift into neutral and release the clutch and the transmission is grinding, I will have to disagree with Eric and say it is most likely a transmission problem. The reason the noise goes away is because when he pushes the clutch in everything spins down and what was making noise is no longer turning, so no longer making noise.
He pulled the transmission cause the grinding noise, installed a new clutch and it was still grinding, I will bet cash it is NOT the clutch. Either the transmission is hung in 2 gears or the differential is bad and slipping on the output.
We had a Cavalier here with similar issues about 2 years ago, no movement, grinding when clutch out, owner did same thing replaced clutch and no difference. Turns out when we cracked the trans open the output shaft bearing was bad and caused the shift collar to get free of the shift fork and he was hung in two gears simultaneously.
Edit:
Sorry if I come off gruff or crabby, spent the day with a nasty migraine. I get the blasted things alot and they tend to ruin a perfectly good day.[quote=”barneyb” post=80720]Both disc and pressure plate replaced?[/quote]
Yes, flywheel as well and torqued all bolts to the specs.
[quote=”Raistian77″ post=80722]If you shift into neutral and release the clutch and the transmission is grinding, I will have to disagree with Eric and say it is most likely a transmission problem. The reason the noise goes away is because when he pushes the clutch in everything spins down and what was making noise is no longer turning, so no longer making noise.
He pulled the transmission cause the grinding noise, installed a new clutch and it was still grinding, I will bet cash it is NOT the clutch. Either the transmission is hung in 2 gears or the differential is bad and slipping on the output.
We had a Cavalier here with similar issues about 2 years ago, no movement, grinding when clutch out, owner did same thing replaced clutch and no difference. Turns out when we cracked the trans open the output shaft bearing was bad and caused the shift collar to get free of the shift fork and he was hung in two gears simultaneously.
Edit:
Sorry if I come off gruff or crabby, spent the day with a nasty migraine. I get the blasted things alot and they tend to ruin a perfectly good day.[/quote]That’s what I suspected because it gets super quite and I can only hear the engine idling smoothly when I press on the clutch pedal all the way down. Like stated before, when it is in Neutral, I can still hear it grinding and it sounds like it’s stuck between gears. When I took the transmission out the 2nd time, I checked the release bearing/salve assembly, no signs of failure noticed. There is nothing that I have not checked yet in the clutch system. I am just hoping that i’s the transmission because I don’t mind removing it, I have done it a few times, plus it did not cost me arms and legs to get one, $275. I contacted the junk yard and said I could exchange it. As I have asked before, what is the component that is responsible for not letting the shifter to move into gear when the engine is on?
Thanks and I hope your migraine goes away real soon!
Does the speedometer work while this is happening? I have a hard time believing that 2 transmissions have the same problem but I don’t see it being anything else if the axles are ok. If the noise goes away when the clutch is depressed and makes the noise when released I would say that the clutch is engaged and turning the input shaft in the transmission.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.