clutch????

Do you mean that if the engine is running but the car is in neutral it grinds? Or if you are in gear, but have the clutch depressed it grinds... Or if you are moving in gear, it grinds?

That isnt a lot of miles on that car, really. When you downshifted, maybe you snapped off a tooth or did some other internal damage.

I suspect that, at the end of the day, you are going to have to pull the tranny and check the clutch and internal parts.

Yes, this is a typical symptom of a worn or burned clutch.

--scott

Or a broken clutch cable. Or a bad master and/or slave cylinder or hose or low fluid level (if it's a hydraulic clutch). For some reason the clutch is not releasing when you step on the pedal.

I used to own a 1948 Chevrolet pickup truck.If I let the truck sit up too long, the clutch plate would stick to the pressure plate.I always had to unstick the clutch plate from the pressure plate with a paint scraper.Then the clutch would work. cuhulin

Air in the system, maybe, or the slave cylinder has moved somehow. The clutch is not disengaging. Another possibility is a seized pilot bearing.

Dan