[hC]

So I recently took my car in to the shop to get my clutch replaced, since it was starting to go, and I had an odd ticking noise coming from that area that I was hoping would be fixed.

Here's my log of events that is making me very uneasy, hopefully someone here can explain some of it. I plan on taking the car back in to be looked at again, but just follow along here and see what you think.


The ticking noise:
When at idle, in neutral, not moving, I sit with the clutch to the floor. nice and quiet. I let the pedal off the floor and i start to hear a whirring noise. An abnormal whirring noise. I push the pedal to the floor again, and it goes away. Hmm.

So, I go to take off in 1st gear. I start to accelerate, and i hear a ticking noise sort of like tapping valves, that increase as i go faster. While accelerating, I push the clutch to the floor, and the sound goes away. So it seems to only be while im putting the engine under load. If i take off off the line badly and i lurch, the sound comes with each lurch, and is absent while the car isnt grabbing. After about 20k, I cant really hear it anymore. Probably just because its ticking so fast its become something of a hum.

Sometimes, When I start out, the sound is totally gone.. Nice and quiet and i get all excited that its finally disappeared. Nope, after about 15-20km/h it goes from nice quiet acceleration to POP-ticktickticktick.. as though its slowly engaging something when i engage the clutch, and hten the ticking ensues.

Also as I discovered last night, i was going down the highway at like 70km/h. I push the clutch to the floor and hold it there, and its nice and quiet. I shift into 5th (still with the clutch pedal to the floor) and its silent. Now into 2nd, or 3rd, and i hear the ticking faintly.. (clutch still in). into 5. nothing. hmm, seems to be gear-related.

I just had my flywheel resurfaced and the throwout bearing replaced, which i though it was before. However, the shop i took it to were a bunch of assholes and i really cant verify what they did or did not do.

the first day i had the car back from having the clutch replaced, the sound seemed to be still there, but ALOT better, and alot quieter. The clutch pedal was a million times softer to push to the floor (i could do it with 1 maybe 2 fingers). Then after the day of driving, the pedal started to stiffen up, and i have to use like 4 fingers to push it to the floor now, and the ticking is quite loud again. Did they maybe not bleed the lines? At first when I got in while picking it up, it felt like the lines were empty, it was so soft. I chalked it up to not being used to that soft of a pedal, as my last clutch had quite a bit of pressure..

On my way home, i slipped the clutch a little to get over a speed bump (lowered) and the car started to shake really violently. Like the clutch was chattering. My passengers didnt really notice as the music was on, they were talking etc. I pulled into my parking lot and slipped it on purpose to try to get it to happen again. It did. I parked the car and went inside for the night.

the next morning I came out and when i started my car it was obvious something was wrong. It was ticking REALLY loudly, like a SUPER bad valve ticking, almost like someone was holding a metal object into a fan.

Pissed off I opened the hood, and it sounded as if it were coming from the clutch area (left of the valve cover, underneath the header sort of). The ticking increased as i revved it.

Got in the car and decided to gun it down the road. At the end of the road i pulled over and listened again. Sound was gone. Hmm...

Now, when i slip it, i can occasionally feel a LITTLE chatter (Especially in reverse) but nothing like the last time.

My pedal is getting quite a bit stiffer again, and the smooth gear engagement i was starting to enjoy is disappearing, and its engaging quite hard and quick, making smooth starts a real pain. I some what chalk this up to the pedal getting stiffer.

Now I think that the stiff pedal is attributed directly to needing to bleed the lines on the clutch, but what would the rest of the problems be because?

Please help! I fear for my cars life!

TheBlazer

What year is you car? G3?

BonzoAPD

This does not sound good. It may be a tranny problem since it is still doing all of this weird stuff after the clutch was replaced.

AcuraFiend

I have a very similar problem. The whirring problem is the same for me but i dont really have the ticking noise, it makes a horrible noise ~3k when accelerating, same problem if i take off the line badly, it lurches. I havent had any clutch/tranny work done to my car. I can faintly hear the gear grinding when i shift.


Ryan

thx247

well the lack of smooth gear shifts might be beacause the clutch is not disengageing fully.

I don't know about the ticking noise. I have a ticking noise but I KNOW its the release bearing in my clutch. It dosen't affect my driving and I'm really not worried about it but it is an annoying noise.

Can you shift smoothly by driving, letting off the gas slightly and upshifting without using the clutch?

The key is to be smooth but you should be able to upshift smoothly without lurching. If you can shift smoothly without the use of the clutch then it sounds like your clutch or the resurfaced flywheel is at fault. Does your shop offer a warrenty on labor?

Charged-GSR

the new clutch must be broke in for 500 miles before doing any hard driving this is probably why you get the chattering from it now

[hC]

Yes its a 97. I didnt drive it hard at all for the first 1000km and a few people have suggested my ticking is a bearing in the transmission since it wasnt affected when i replaced the clutch. it seems to come and go a bit, but its more noticable after the car has gotten warmed up.

I can shift smoothly if i only press the pedal down say, half way, rather than to the floor, I find if i go to the floor, its too springy coming back out and requires far too much effort to do a nice smooth shift.

Im taking it back today to get them to look at whats up.
Thanks for all your input guys, any input is soooo helpful.

dubcac

That ticking and whirring noise coming from the tranny, sounds like your main shaft is going out.

AcuraFiend

i just have the whirring sound w/out the ticking, would that be the mainshaft too? the car has 125k with (i think) the original clutch. Exactly how much would a mainshaft set me back?

thx247

whoa wished you mentioned that earlier. It sounds like the clutch was poorly installed. Since you find it easier to push the pedal half way to the floor it sounds like the pressure plate is kicking the clutch back towards the flywheel when you push the pedal all the way to the floor. The shop should warrenty that install. Sounds like they messesd up.