Clackety-clack rolling in neutral ('89 GT)

Hey all,

I have an '89 GT with a manual tranny, and a problem that used to be minor is becoming majorly annoying. Whenever my car is rolling and the tranny is not under load, I get this damned clacking metal-tapping-metal sound. What I mean by not under load is in neutral or in gear with clutch in while rolling under

30 MPH. The speed of the tapping sound corresponds with the rolling speed. At 5 MPH it is like a clank... clank... clank. At 20 MPH is like a bicycle with a playing card flapping in the spokes. I put the car in gear, and it stops, unless the car is rolling "with" the tranny, I.E. the point where you are neither applying gas or decellerating. Then the sound is just kinda at random, not rhythmical. Above 30 MPH, you can't hear it. It has gotten worse over the past 6 months. I have been told it could be the throwout bearing. If so, the name fits it. I think it will be a pain in the ass to replace it, and a pain in the wallet to have someone else do it. I am pretty sure that it's one of those things that requires pulling off the transmission. It's kinda embarrasing to be the guy whose car is making weird sounds. I remember from the last time I was at a stop light and that guy pulls up with the fingernails-on-chalkboard SHREEEEEEEIKing brakes. Someone want to throw me some ideas?

Thanks in advance!!

Matt

Reply to
Matt
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That doesn't sound like the TOB, roll down your driveway with the engine off, clutch engaged, and in neutral to check. The TOB wouldn't move a bit in that situation so you could rule it out. Sounds more like a gear, bearing, or linkage problem within the trans. It also sounds like the problem is coming from the output shaft, it turns whenever the car is moving. The input shaft would not be turning when in neutral with the clutch disengaged and the secondary shaft is directly connected to the input shaft so the same would be true. I only had the T-5 apart once in my '89 GT when I bent a shift fork and replaced it myself. Although this is a T-5 from a Jeep, it's the only exploded view I could find on line.

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Reply to
WraithCobra

I had that problem in a 4-cylinder, and it got worse until the whole thing vibrated badly in neutral at speeds around 30MPH. Whole transmission was replaced as the part that died (the main shaft, if I remember correctly) had a little dimple in it, almost too small to see, and cost more than the replacement transmission did.

JS

Reply to
JS

I know well already that the sound happens whether the car is on or off, neutral, in gear with clutch in, whatever situation that the tranny has no load, that sound is present. Even if I'm going 1 MPH, it will roll smoothly, then *clank*. It really grates on my nerves. When I stop at a light, if I'm cruising in 4th, I'll wait till the engine is about to stall out before I push in the clutch, then stop quickly to minimize the sound. Hell, I even do it if I'm the only car on the road, come to think about it. I know very well I need to rebuild my tranny, cause the synchros in 1 and 2 are shot. 2 especially. To put it in first, I have to go to third first, then slap it into first to avoid a grind. But second is a bear and will grind regardless. To minimize it, I rev 1rst to 3K on the tach, and double-clutch and slap second quickly and firmly. So first to second looks like this. At 3K, I push in the clutch, pull the stick to neutral, let out clutch, press in clutch, slam second and hold it firmly while I slowly release the clutch to make sure it's actually engaged. Sometimes, it will feel "in", and then pop out when you release the clutch. I think I have a rounded tooth on the gear. Third, fourth, and fifth are all good. Hell, the car has 240K miles on it, and the only major work done was a upper half rebuild 5 years ago. The tranny is tired, and it needs rebuilt, but I don't have the dough to take it to the tranny place to have them hand me a

1500 dollar bill. I've been trying to find a used T5 that I can run a rebuild on so I can spend the time to rebuild it, then swap them out with maybe 2 day's work. I don't have lazy weekends to spend all day tinkering, cause I work 2 jobs and I can't afford to have my car down for a week while I rebuild the tranny. Another problem is that I want to get the world class to start out, and the people who have even a busted one know what they are worth, so a deal is hard to come by. Speaking of which... Is it possible to rebuild a non world class into a world class, or are there fundamental differences which make it cost-prohibitive?

Thanks in advance

Matt

Reply to
Matt

Man, don't tell me that!!! I'm going to bust a vein in my forehead!! :(

Matt

Reply to
Matt
20 MPH is like a bicycle with |a playing card flapping in the spokes. I put the car in gear, and it stops, |unless the car is rolling "with" the tranny, I.E. the point where you are |neither applying gas or decellerating. Then the sound is just kinda at random, |not rhythmical. Above 30 MPH, you can't hear it. It has gotten worse over the |past 6 months. I have been told it could be the throwout bearing. If so, the |name fits it. I think it will be a pain in the ass to replace it, and a pain |in the wallet to have someone else do it. I am pretty sure that it's one of |those things that requires pulling off the transmission. It's kinda |embarrasing to be the guy whose car is making weird sounds. I remember from |the last time I was at a stop light and that guy pulls up with the |fingernails-on-chalkboard SHREEEEEEEIKing brakes. Someone want to throw me |some ideas? | |Thanks in advance!! | |Matt

Is this a hollow sounding clank or a high pitched clank? If a hollow sounding clank, you should hop underneith and check for clearance issues with the exhaust/heat shields etc. A worn tranny mount with the engine under load will let the driveline move just enough to fix these clearance problems sometimes.

hope that helps.

Jason

Reply to
John Smith

From my experience it would be better to rebuild one yourself, I had the trans rebuilt in my '89 GT and it ended up close to $1500 which will get you a new one. You need to either buy a new one, rebuild yours if you have another vehicle, or rebuild a used one to swap out later. Start saving now...

Reply to
WraithCobra

Now thats an interesting question. I haven't looked for that kind of thing. I know that when I was replacing my starter I heard the same clank sound from inside the bell housing when I wiggled it one particular way. By the way, anyone ever replace a starter on a GT? That's a friggin nightmare!!! I don't think there's a problem with the driveshaft hitting anything, in any case. For all I can determine, the sound seems to come from the bell housing.

Matt

Reply to
Matt

I thought it would be cheaper that way. Has anyone out there actually done a rebuild? Does an '89 come with a world class in it, or is it a non world class? What's the difference? Can you rebuild a non world class to be a world class? And with the second gear popping out or going half into gear on my tranny, will I have to replace that gear? Man, what a can of worms!

From my experience it would be better to rebuild one yourself, I had the

Reply to
Matt

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