Clutch woes…. Part Deux

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tdgray

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Well got a couple outings in the car. Everything seemed okay at first. But then the noise came…. Rattling when the clutch pedal was not depressed.

Now… it feels like it’s binding. When sitting without the engine running and pushing the pedal in and out there is a groaning noise… definitely mechanical. Not hydraulic.

My lift is occupied right this moment but when I had the inspection camera up there a bit ago… there is absolutely no gap between the TO bearing and the pressure plate… no depressed but definitely right on it.

Let’s recount what we have because I am totally at a loss here. 3.0 engine. 2800 bell housing, flywheel, clutch fork and slave cylinder. Rebuilt 4 speed from a 3.0.

From my last inspection… pilot bearing looked new as I assumed it should as Korman did this part. The tube that the TO bearing rides on “looked okay”. No measurements were taken.

Any ideas boys? I’m just stumped.
 
Just thinking this through… is the any difference in the 2800 bell housing and the 3.0 bell housing ( early, late etc) other than the clutch fork and slave? Size difference or anything?
 
So the groaning is happening when pushing the pedal in and out or when the pedal is in OR out? Is the groaning happening at all when the car is moving and does it vary at all in different gears or at different RPMs? I know you are thinking it's the clutch, but I had one transmission which had the "Getrag rattle" in which the transmission would have a light shaking and wobbliness which went away when the clutch was engaged.
 
That’s just an observation when I was parked in the garage with the motor off. Don’t know if it groans with the motor on or not… don’t think I could hear it. And it groans both in and out.

The jingling of the TO bearing is intermittent. If I pump the clutch a few times it may go away… may not.

Also the clutch feels extremely heavy. And it seemed to get worse as I drove and everything got warm.

Trans supposedly rebuilt. It’s a ZF I believe. Can double check that.
 
Last edited:
tdgray said:
From my last inspection… pilot bearing looked new as I assumed it should as Korman did this part. The tube that the TO bearing rides on “looked okay”. No measurements were taken.
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In my limited experience, a bad pilot bearing is more likely make a lot of noise before you notice binding. I’m not saying it is probable, but inadvertently “forcing” the input shaft at the pilot bearing one too many times could damage the bearing and abbreviate its useful life. It is also possible that the some debris might be inadvertently introduced into the contained bearing area. Again, looks can be deceiving.

I alluded to this before. Transmissions are often handled by the sleeve upon which that throw out bearing rides. It is unlikely, but if that "stout" sleeve is somehow slightly deformed/out-of-round due to rough handling or poor lubrication and/or rust, that throw out bearing will not move smoothly and result in additional pedal effort as though something is “binding.” Not unlike analyzing piston-to-cylinder wall clearance, it is probably not a bad idea to manually move the throw out bearing on the sleeve to assess roundness, wear patterns and - fit. Even with the best Krytox grease. over time, too much clearance between a throw out bearing and the sleeve can result in more-than-normal friction and “binding.”

As an afterthought, ensure that your clutch pedal has free movement and the clutch fork pivot points are properly greased.


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The sleeve looked good from a visual standpoint. No major deformation or rough spots. I did test the movement after lubricating with a moly based grease. Seemed to slide just fine.

It acts like something is not lined up… which theoretically should be impossible at this point.

Going to head out in a bit when it’s still “cold” and see what the action on the clutch is like.
 
Well without the engine running it was still making the groaning noise when cold…. Not as bad but still there.

Didn’t get to drive it. Kinda afraid to.
 
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