Looking for some help diagnoising a noise. Getting a rhythmic noise from the clutch area when the car is hot and pedal is depressed. Basically a very loud ticking noise. Here is some other info: -Car is a '77 308 GTB. - New gear lube. Valvoline High Performance 80W-90 VV831. Spec in manual is 85W90. Put 5 quarts in via the fill hole in the transfer gear area and it was dribbling out the sump fill when I finished. - Only makes the noise when hot. Drove 60 miles to a car show and back today. Was making the noise when I got home. Let it sit an hour then fired up the car. No noise. - New clutch cable. Linkage all aligned and adjusted for correct freeplay. I am thinking that it is the the throwout bearing or the pressure plate. Leaning to the throwout since the noise will start as soon as the freeplay is taken out of the clutch but before the pressure plate starts gettng depressed. Just looking for ideas/thoughts. I would like to avoid having to pull the clutch until this winter when I was thinking about pulling the engine anyway. I was also thinking about converting to the later "soft" linkage at that time since the clutch in this thing is a beast. Heavier that the Centerforce Dual Friction behind the small block in my '75 Vette. LOL. Looks like a pretty easy swap except for the clutch pedal. Thanks, Steve
That does not sound good. Would they make noise with the clutch depressed (hot only)? With the clutch out in neutral, there is no noise. I would presume that the drop gears are not turning with the clutch depressed.
I have the same problem only the noise goes away when the clutch is depressed. Everything, and I mean everything has been replaced right up to the side of the engine. I have learned to live with it.
Its not a big deal, there are some great threads with pics. There are 3 gears in a stack in the left side pumpkin. The bearing go bad or get loose and rattle. swepco 201 gear oil will quiet it down, Redline 75/90NS tends to make it sound worse (thinner oil at temp).
Hi Steve. Did it start making the noise after the change of gear oil? If so, the first thing I would do is change it back to one of the other recommended oils. (sounds akin to going from a thicker engine oil to synthetic oil and beginning to find seepage. Switch back, and it slows/stops). Just curious. I know that you are doing alot of fluid changes, etc. John
John, I only did 20 miles on the car before doing the fluid changes. Went out the other day afte rit had cooled off for an hour and voila, no noise. So, that may be indicative of a fluid issue since it had time to cool a bit. But it does really seem like a throwout noise and there is no oil (I hope) in that area. It could a grease issue with the throwout or some of the pressure plate springs. I don't think it can be drop gears since it does it with the clutch depressed. At that point, the drop gears should not be turning, especially with the car stationary but in gear. Clutch is working fine. I priced a new one and doing the work myself is not too scary so will just it for now and see.
"Leaning to the throwout since the noise will start as soon as the freeplay is taken out of the clutch but before the pressure plate starts gettng depressed." As noted earlier, this is the classic symptom of a throwout bearing on it's way south.
