trans noise FAQ

[racepar1]

I have seen a LOT of people automatically pointing to the throwout bearing for ANY trans noise. No matter what the noise sounds like or when it happens everyone automatically points to the TOB. This thread's purpose is to clarify what makes noise under specific conditions.

Throwout Bearing:
The TOB make the most noise when your foot is on the clutch pedal. If your foot is not on the pedal it does not have enough pressure on it to maintain solid contact with the clutch and therefore will make less noise. As a general rule bearings will make the loudest noise when loaded.

Pilot Bushing/Bearing:
The pilot bushing/bearing will ONLY make noise when you are stopped, in gear, with your foot on the clutch. This is the ONLY time that the input shaft is stopped and the flywheel is not. The input shaft and flywheel will turn at different speeds sometimes while up or downshifting, but if the pilot bushing is bad it will not turn freely enough to allow the flywheel and input shaft to turn at different speeds, so there will be no noise.

Input Shaft Bearing:
The input shaft bearing will make noise anytime the input shaft is turning. To replace the input bearing you have to take the trans most of the way apart so you might as well just replace all the bearings and bushings while you are in there.

Other Bearing noises:
If it only makes noise in certain gears then it is one of the bearings for that particular gear inside the trans. If it makes noise anytime the car is moving then it is either the countershaft bearings or a bearing on the output shaft. A bad center support bearing in the driveshaft can also cause this.

Pressure Plate:
The pressure plate springs/diaphragm will generally only make noise when your foot is on the clutch pedal. However clutch noises are much more erratic and unusual than bearing/bushing noises. It will be more of a solid scraping then a whine or grind or it can be a rattle as well.

Clutch Disc/Springs:
Clutch disc/spring noises are very erratic and can be unusual as well. If the springs go bad they will rattle kind of intermittently. If there is a problem with the friction material on the disc the clutch will generally chatter. It takes experience and a trained ear to accurately diagnose clutch noises.

I hope this helps some of you properly diagnose your trans noises! If you have any questions or have anything to add then please feel free to post.

[240boy90]

Humm ok .....What about on a 14? Ive been getting this spooling sound only as I accelerate through each and every gear. Also, while the RPM's are getting higher the shifter starts to shake like a mother! No sounds from the tranny itself though. Everything feels good and engagement feels pretty solid. The sound is coming from somewhere in the shifter.

[SOCAL240]

i hear a diff type of noise from my transmission and i hear it when its on neutral and i turn on my car it sounds like a wind gust type of sound and it stops after i step on the clutch and put it on first but when i put it back on neutral it has that wind gusty type of noise

idk if its makin any sense at all maybe some of u guys can help
or i can hopefully take a video and u guys can possibly hear the sound

[racepar1]

Humm ok .....What about on a 14? Ive been getting this spooling sound only as I accelerate through each and every gear. Also, while the RPM's are getting higher the shifter starts to shake like a mother! No sounds from the tranny itself though. Everything feels good and engagement feels pretty solid. The sound is coming from somewhere in the shifter.

I think the "spooling" sound you are hearing is normal. It gets quieter as you shift to a higher gear right? My s-13 has that whining or spooling sound in 1-3rd gears and then it pretty much goes away. I have haerd others complaining of pretty much the same thing. For the shifter shake, what trans mount do you have? Stock? My shifter would bounce up and down when I was on the freeway till I put a urethane trans mount. If it is not that then check the bushings for your shifter pivot ball, they could be going bad. Some shifter vibration is normal however. This FAQ applies to pretty much ANY car with a M/T.

i hear a diff type of noise from my transmission and i hear it when its on neutral and i turn on my car it sounds like a wind gust type of sound and it stops after i step on the clutch and put it on first but when i put it back on neutral it has that wind gusty type of noise

idk if its makin any sense at all maybe some of u guys can help
or i can hopefully take a video and u guys can possibly hear the sound

Sounds like your input bearing to me.

[jdFKNmVRT]

so what should i check out if it screams when i try to press the clutch? it won't even go in gear when i do press it down while its screaming...

[racepar1]

so what should i check out if it screams when i try to press the clutch? it won't even go in gear when i do press it down while its screaming...

If it "screams" when you press the clutch then it is probably your throwout bearing, but a bad clutch can also make noise when you engage or disengage it as well. Not going into gear is likely a different problem however. That is either a problem in the hydraulic system (master cyl, slave cyl, or air in the system), a mis-adjusted clutch pedal rod (under the dash), or a bad clutch. Try bleeding your clutch, inspect the system for leaks, and make sure your pedal has the proper amount of freeplay (should be about 1/2 in).

[PRADOgy]

soo i have this issue when im off the gas and in gear ut makes a noise like a sick wind and grind combined idk.. its drivable and no issues on throttle.. just when you let off gas and in gear it makes this noise.. and in neutrol too.. its a quiter but i still hear it.. when i push the clutch.. noise is gone.. im stomped..
happens harsh in first. second, quieter in third.. not in fourth and slightly in fifth

[racepar1]

soo i have this issue when im off the gas and in gear ut makes a noise like a sick wind and grind combined idk.. its drivable and no issues on throttle.. just when you let off gas and in gear it makes this noise.. and in neutrol too.. its a quiter but i still hear it.. when i push the clutch.. noise is gone.. im stomped..
happens harsh in first. second, quieter in third.. not in fourth and slightly in fifth

Maybe there are two different noises that sound similar? The one in gear on decel i'm not 100% sure what bearing that is but it might be the input bearing. The input bearing may be getting torqued more or in a different direction on accel and decel so it may only make niose on decel. The noise that you hear at idle and it goes away when you press the clutch is almost certainly the input bearing. Remember that a reasonable amount of noise is normal for all manual trannies, so don't worry too much unless the noises are very loud, very nasty sounding, or are getting worse over time. Also you have to take into consideration the amount of sound-deadening left in the car. When my car was stock I barely heard any trans noise, but after I gutted the holy hell out of it I heard all kinds of weird noises from the drivetrain.

[240boy90]

Thanks racepar good lookin out....

[Landers]

What about a noise that only happens when i go through a decent size puddle with only one tire???? probably not trans related but its a noise that i am very curious about. The noise is wild shit.

[obsolete]

Old thread, but I have couple other scenarios I would like to ask about.

1. whining noise in neutral/idle, stops when clutch is pressed down

2. whining noise getting louder as you rev it; a)in neutral and b) while going in gear

[Bigsyke]

If its in neut. Then its something with your engine belts or engine lubrication system.

[Om1kron]

I'm sure my pressure plate took a shit.

cant start the car with it in gear and the clutch pressed in car will move forward.

while running the car will not go into any gear

there is a nasty chatter at certain rpms it's most audible in this video here. \

fast forward to 2:10

Simone Video Blog : Timing Chain Rattle? on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/5179730)

the rattle has signifigantly gone away after running the engine but when it has a load on it no noise, when i release the gas and the rpms drop the rattle is like that but fast and louder.

i originally thought it was my downpipe hitting the chassis but I will find out tomorrow if i am dropping the transmission.

whats your take?

[xs240]

How about this.

When I press clutch pedal = no noise.

When I let go and I'm in neutral = noise.

[180ways2slide]

How about this.

When I press clutch pedal = no noise.

When I let go and I'm in neutral = noise.

throw out bearing

[obsolete]

lol...this is the confusing shit. If you look at racepar's very first post, it says bad TOB only makes noise when clutch is pressed in. i've read countless threads about TOB and they all contradict.

[slider2828]

There is only pressure on the TOB when the clutch is pressed in. Just thinking about it...

[xs240]

so im confused racepar1 answer lol

[racepar1]

How about this.

When I press clutch pedal = no noise.

When I let go and I'm in neutral = noise.

Some noise in neutral is normal. My trans is noisy as hell in neutral. It is probably the countershaft bearings or maybe the input shaft bearing.

[flip3d]

is a bad input shaft bearing common problem on SR motorsets?

[Om1kron]

I'm sure my pressure plate took a shit.

cant start the car with it in gear and the clutch pressed in car will move forward.

while running the car will not go into any gear

there is a nasty chatter at certain rpms it's most audible in this video here. \

fast forward to 2:10

Simone Video Blog : Timing Chain Rattle? on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/5179730)

the rattle has signifigantly gone away after running the engine but when it has a load on it no noise, when i release the gas and the rpms drop the rattle is like that but fast and louder.

i originally thought it was my downpipe hitting the chassis but I will find out tomorrow if i am dropping the transmission.

whats your take?

flywheel bolts backed out... ouch

[racepar1]

is a bad input shaft bearing common problem on SR motorsets?

DO NOT be all sketchy about a little noise in neutral. Shit happens all the time and the trans still lasts forever. It is common for 240 trannies to be a little noisy and SR trannies are the same basic transmission.

flywheel bolts backed out... ouch

That's just a little dangerous right there. Good thing nothing happened.

[flip3d]

DO NOT be all sketchy about a little noise in neutral. Shit happens all the time and the trans still lasts forever. It is common for 240 trannies to be a little noisy and SR trannies are the same basic transmission.

I was just wondering if it was common for them to go bad because my trans is noisier than other cars I've had. Runs great even with the noise.

[Bigsyke]

Om1kron have you ever thought about putting loctite purple on the flywheel bolts?

[Om1kron]

Om1kron have you ever thought about putting loctite purple on the flywheel bolts?

jesus christ they have another color? I put red on them but I believe one of them started to strip (the teeth on the bolt head) when tq'ing it down (socket broke) so that's most likely the one that started it.

I have yet to dismantle the rest of it to see the extent of the damage. I will update my blog monday night with the damage. If everything looks ok i'm just going to throw it all back on. I have already purchased brand new pressure plate bolts and flywheel bolts and will properly tq them down with a heavy duty star socket this time while locking the crank with a breaker bar.

[Bigsyke]

I Never used loctite on the flywheel bolts, the red is the heavy strength. Man you mustve stripped the bolts to get them to backout with "red".

Ive snapped new M6 bolts with "red" by just trying to remove them. I believe you have to heat the loctite up to 510*f to even break the seal on the bolt

Purple is the weakest of the strengths, however it still provides corrosion/shock resistance and gives 100% proper torque lubrication while torqing a bolt. So instead of the threads giving the resistance, the head of the bolt and the surface is the only thing giving the resistance - thus you get a proper torque reading. However thats usually the case with all loctite colors.

[Om1kron]

yeah, i'm thinking the vibrating and the weight of the clutch just caused them to back out but it's all assumption until I complete the teardown. After having the tranny fall on me after getting stuck on the trans tunnel up top I was a little unmotivated to keep trekking on.

[Bigsyke]

^^same situation, Almost died after the bellhousing came crashing down on my neck. after my 5 day trans install I just about gave up, untill about 11pm the night before I had to work the next day. Good luck man, Next time im pulling the engine to check on anything internal on the tranny.

[flip3d]

^ IMO its a lot easier to just pull it but its kinda pricey since you have to buy more fluids when you put everything back in :P

[Om1kron]

^ IMO its a lot easier to just pull it but its kinda pricey since you have to buy more fluids when you put everything back in :P

yeah tell me about it, this is the third time i've filled it with fluids.

[Om1kron]

Violent Running » Simone: Transmission Submission (http://www.violentrunning.squidd.org/news/2009/06/simone-transmission-submission/)

[gsxr141]

i just installed a new clutch set and light flywheel. everything seemed ok for about 20 miles. now i have a noise on decel. in any of the first four gears, theres a loud noise as the tach gets down around 2500rpm. it goes away below 2k rpms, and also when you push the clutch in.
it sounds to me like it's in the trans. i was having problems with 2nd gear grinding before, so i think i'll change the trans to a spare i have.

[gsxr141]

well, i just swapped transmissions and the noise is worse. now it comes and goes while revving up the engine. it doesn't matter if it's in gear or not. strangely, it went away a few times when i put the car in 4th gear sitting still.
the noise seems to be rotational, like maybe the clutch, pressure plate or even throwout bearing.
if anyone has any advice, please post. i don't want to keep yanking this thing out on the ground.

[boozy]

I ahve a prob with my tranny/shaft, when i drive my car ( s14 sr20det) my car makes rumbling noises from the tranny/shaft when i drive in like 2.3.4 and then let go of the gas( like i take the pressure of the tranny) its sound like a rumbling noise, what could that be??

here is a vid of it:

YouTube - S14 sr20det tranny noise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFPB66Kceds)

[gsxr141]

that's almost what mine sounds like. it looks like yours starts at 2500 rpm also. does it go away at 2000 rpm? i've tried 2 trannys, 2 throw out bearings, and 2 driveshafts. i guess i'll have to try another clutch and flywheel next, even though the one in there has only 60 miles on it.

[chetacheese]

i dont know if contributions and technical issues with our clutch systems is still relevant with this post. it doesnt look current. but i have an issue i wanted to figure out. im sure my clutch throwout bearing is going out but just want to confirm.

sometimes, once a week or so, i would be at a red light and as soon as it turns green, i let go the clutch in first gear, right when the clutch engages, it seems something is yanking on the clutch. a screeching noise occurs. kind of a combination of grinding, whining, screeching, and screaming together. its pretty loud and embarrasing when pedestrians are trying to cross the street while im waiting for them.

also, since this started happening. approximatly about 2 out of every 5 starts, it feels like the starter is weak and hesitates to start. but it starts everytime.

any help is appreciated and pm of solution is encouraged. thanks.

[1Fast80sx]

^sounds like maybe a loose belt?

[project-D180]

I HAD THAT HAPPEN to me when i 1st did my 5 speed swap.i replaced the pilot bushin and it went away..before i changed it i was hearing all kind of noises when i decel n accel

[chetacheese]

i kinda figured it was the pilot bushing. but with that bushing, how far is it supposed to go in? because i pushed it in as far as it can go, is the pilot bushing supposed to be flush with the hole? maybe pictures can help, i dont have any.

doubt its a loose belt. it wont make this much noise. and every symptom relates to the clutch.

[mack97]

I ahve a prob with my tranny/shaft, when i drive my car ( s14 sr20det) my car makes rumbling noises from the tranny/shaft when i drive in like 2.3.4 and then let go of the gas( like i take the pressure of the tranny) its sound like a rumbling noise, what could that be??

here is a vid of it:

YouTube - S14 sr20det tranny noise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFPB66Kceds)


i had what sounds like the same issue im my ka tranny and it was the countershaft bearing in the intermediate plate. All bearings were in great condition except for that countershaft bearing. replacing this thing involved completely disassembling the transmission(gears and all) to remove the counter shaft. The gentleman that helped me said this was a common issue on the older nissans because of the location of the bearing(just below the reverse gear and near first and second). He said people would grind those gears more often and the metal shavings would fall in the bearings area destroying the bearing.

He could have made up that explanation or maybe not, all i know is that replacing that bearing stopped my noise and saved me from multiple tranny drops

[270R]

I have an rattling issue : in any gear, on decel my trans rattles like a mofo. Also Id like to add that I have the Nismo pivot installed on my s14 sr20 if it matters.

another question what would the trans do if it had a bad or no pilot bearing? which is what im suspecting.

[270R]

bump.......

[confuzed240]

RacePar1 you are the man

Mods this thread needs to be a sticky. Theres 10 posts a week about trans noise.

[live2c2morrow]

My hear like what sounds like a grumbling sounds when pressing on the clutch. Happens when RPMS are above 1k and does not matter if I am in gear or not. I would like to find out what it is so I could have it replaced or fixed. Thanks in advance.

[obsolete]

I have an rattling issue : in any gear, on decel my trans rattles like a mofo. Also Id like to add that I have the Nismo pivot installed on my s14 sr20 if it matters.

another question what would the trans do if it had a bad or no pilot bearing? which is what im suspecting.

check your mounts?

[270R]

check your mounts?

yeah their fine. its coming form the within the bellhousing. i feel like something is loose in there. also is I have the nismo pivot do I need the nismo slave?

[270R]

Im just gonna replace all the hardware. its old any ways..


Can I get KA tranny parts to fit on my sr tranny?

[racepar1]

My hear like what sounds like a grumbling sounds when pressing on the clutch. Happens when RPMS are above 1k and does not matter if I am in gear or not. I would like to find out what it is so I could have it replaced or fixed. Thanks in advance.

That sounds like the throwout bearing, pretty "textbook" symptom...

Im just gonna replace all the hardware. its old any ways..


Can I get KA tranny parts to fit on my sr tranny?

The only difference between the KA and SR tranny's are the bellhousings. Everything else is the same. Honestly though your noise sounds more like it could be the trans itself. Also it could be in the clutch, maybe a dmamged hub or broken springs. I would pull the trans off and inspect the clutch and driveshaft and go from there. If the driveshaft and clutch both seem to be OK your problem is likely the trans.

[locoluna825]

Heres one for you all. I just swapped out my old tranny for a supposedly known good one. The previous tranny made no niose at all. It just wouldnt go into reverse sometimes and would pop out of second gear.

This new tranny makes noise (a low and a high pitch whine almost sounds like a grinding.) When excelerating in first gear. And makes another noise while Deaccelerating from high rpms like a noisy bearing., also makes the the first noise for a brief second while shifting from 1st to 2nd and some times to from 2nd to 3rd.

The previous s13 the transmission was in never made any noise. The only difference from my car and the previous car is I am using a J30 Diff. I am temptated to just swap out the rear end back to the stock open diff. But I dont really want to waste the gear oil if it really is the tranny. im gonna put a few more miles on it before i start swapping things out again.

[Ramonesfreak2010]

Didn't want to make another thread but heres what I'm dealing with:

1. Clutch pedal feels dead. Its not stiff at all compared to my friends 240's.
2. When in neutral/at a light, the tranny makes some noise unless the clutch pedal is pressed down.
3. At high RPM's (Atleast in 1st and 2nd gear), it makes a nasty rattling sound.
4. With the clutch pressed down, its hard to put it in gear.

Looks like I got a can of worms.

[smoked240]

I think the problem I am having is in my differential. I know it has to be either one of two things or both. Pinion bearing is going, or backlash is to much. A month after I got the car I started to hear a howling/drone from the back passenger side, I thought maybe a wheel bearing. but that was tight and didn't bind, So I replaced my carrier bearings, still there. And now that I installed Solid bushings it has multiplyed the sound by 50. It's terrible. I am getting that other differential, but this one is going to be a track differential since I will have my spool in it. any ideas?

[EJ8 944]

I hate making new threads when there are already 300+ trans noise issues out there. I need some help though, I am having some problem unlike anything I have read (I've searched and read through close to 50 threads now). I'm tempted to make a new thread only because I have't come across anything like I'm experiencing. Info below:

Car:
95 S14, stock engine/trans wise, minus the cusco 2-way LSD.

Symptoms:
My car will make a LOUD humming sound on deceleration, and at idle (only if ithe idle is higher then 800 rpm). It's quiet when the engine temp is cold, and gradually gets louder as it reaches operating temp, its the loudest once it's fully warmed up. The clutch being engaged or disengaged has zero effect on the noise. The only way it stops making noise, is if my idle is at or below 800 rpm, or the engine is receiving any sort of load (accelerating or cruising).

It's extremely annoying, I can clearly hear it in my car, even over the radio, and outside the car its obviously more audible. Does anyone have any idea what this might be? Or where I can start checking?

I can best describe the sound of the noise as a weak, and almost dead car horn being honked continuously. I've checked all placed in my engine bay, the noise definately sounds like its coming from around the firewall.

[240sx-pat]

Hey, can you identify this whining noise for me please I'm trying to figure if its from my ps pump or tranny. It sounds like its from p/s pump but i cant be to sure


YouTube - ‪Idling/ stalling issue‬‏ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUVORK_9_-g)

I fixed the idling issue in the video already. Now I'm trying to get rid of the whinning noise

[jsu1012]

bump for an old thread .



soo i have this issue when im off the gas and in gear ut makes a noise like a sick wind and grind combined idk.. its drivable and no issues on throttle.. just when you let off gas and in gear it makes this noise.. and in neutrol too.. its a quiter but i still hear it.. when i push the clutch.. noise is gone.. im stomped..
happens harsh in first. second, quieter in third.. not in fourth and slightly in fifth


im having the same issues this guy has/had. any ideas, or suggestions?

[racepar1]

bump for an old thread .






im having the same issues this guy has/had. any ideas, or suggestions?

The issue described in the post you quoted sounds like a bad pilot bushing.

[cotbu]

light sort of hollow clack at low speed. slightly higher speed more of a ticking sound. 50mph horn sound.

I've done all the clutch in out, coasting test, the sound is not there in neutral. So it's rotational.

low speed clack clack clackity clack.
35mph tick tick tickity tick.
50mph hooooooooooooooooonk hoooooooooooonk hoooooooooooooooooonk
I'm thinking drive shaft!
I'm gonna pull the drive shaft, and examine, then run the transmission through some gears, at varying speeds.

Broken Drive shaft

[LadyS13]

From the dead. This is my last effort before i scrap this Fu***** tranny. Whining noise in neutral, foot off the clutch. 1st - 3rd on accel and 5th. Ive replace every bearing in this trans including input and pocket input several times. Using mtl and redline heavy duty shockproof. No issues with any shifting. Looking for any help or suggestions. Also replaced pilot with bushing and bearing. :picardfp:

[smoked240]

From the dead. This is my last effort before i scrap this Fu***** tranny. Whining noise in neutral, foot off the clutch. 1st - 3rd on accel and 5th. Ive replace every bearing in this trans including input and pocket input several times. Using mtl and redline heavy duty shockproof. No issues with any shifting. Looking for any help or suggestions. Also replaced pilot with bushing and bearing. :picardfp:

Thread from the dead! Run it till the dirty bitch blows bud!

[racepar1]

From the dead. This is my last effort before i scrap this Fu***** tranny. Whining noise in neutral, foot off the clutch. 1st - 3rd on accel and 5th. Ive replace every bearing in this trans including input and pocket input several times. Using mtl and redline heavy duty shockproof. No issues with any shifting. Looking for any help or suggestions. Also replaced pilot with bushing and bearing. :picardfp:

Due to the lack of noise in 4th, I am thinking countershaft bearings. 4th is 1:1 so the input and output shafts are essentially locked together in that gear. I was thinking maybe a gear wear issue, but that might not explain the noise in neutral. Does the noise in neutral go away when you put the trans in gear?

[LadyS13]

Ive replaced the counter shaft bearing and pocket bearing 3 times now thinking I had a bad bearing, or had them installed weird. Noise goes away anytime the clutch is pressed. My only other thought is that the counter shaft bearing is spinning inside the transmission bell housing.