Caj Darkmoon

Ok, so I've had my Tib since August, and it's my first stick (in fact, I learned how to drive a stick on the test drive. wink1.gif) so I'm not as familiar with the manual transmission aspect of it as I am with the rest. So I'll explain my problem to you all and I'm sure you can point me in he right direction. smile.gif

When I first got the car it would sometimes make a metallic grinding sound and bounce the shifter back against my hand when I shifted into third. I believe that's what 'grinding' is, so when I say grinding from this point on that's what I mean. Anyways, it wouldn't do it very often, but sometimes.

Lately (last few weeks) it's been doing it in more gears. I'll get it downshifting into 1st, 2nd, or sometimes 3rd and upshifting into 2nd and 3rd. It sounds really unhealthy and I can't imagine it's good for the car... It tends to happen more when the engine's cold (like this morning... did it a ton on my way onto campus).

Not sure if this last part is related or not, but if I've got the engine revved too high while upshifting into 3rd or 4th it will sometimes not catch when I let off the clutch. Engine RPMS stay high and it makes a little different sound without actually putting power to the wheels. To get it to catch I let off the gas until I feel it grab and then it's fine. End result is a burnt smell. Only happens when I'm gassing it fairly hard out of a shift, but doesn't seem like it should happen at all, this being a sports car and all.

So yeah, does it sound like my clutch is going or something else? The grinding worries me the most...

I've also got a CEL related to fuel mixture lean at idle, but I forgot the code so I'll have to go get autozone to run that for me again before I can ask for advice on that. smile.gif

xxxmonoxidechild

its more like the trans itself. mainly the syncros inside the trans. time to start hitting up junk yards....

Caj Darkmoon

Agh, no, don't tell me that. I keep hearing about how one can get a cheap clutch off of e-bay... I don't want to find out I have to replace the whole transmission... can't afford that crap.

geesmith

You may have a leak in the intake manifold after the MAF, that could cause a lean idle....air getting in after the metering has been done, so you get more air than the sensor "sees".


It's difficult describing noises...if your clutch smells of burning you may be slipping it too much. It also sounds like the clutch isnt fully disengaging which would make the previous suggestion almost impossible.
I really don't mean to insult your intelligence but if you have burning smells (clutch slipping by not being fully engaged...or overpowered by too much revs) and also sometimes get grinding when you change gear ( clutch not able to slip enough cuz it doesnt disengage fully) it does make it sound like operator error. I'm only suggesting that cuz you said you were new to stick, we've all been there.

If it was operator error, to make it grind you would be pressing the pedal too little (as in not far enough down).
If it was operator error, to make it smell like burning you dont let it up quick enough or far enough before putting power through it.

It could be one error and one clutch fault but it's hard to say if both things are occurring.
If you push the clutch pedal and get a burning smell without over revving the engine, you're clutch is too worn. Or your revs way too high for the wheels to catch up with the engine speed so the clutch takes the strain like a torque converter but smellier.
If you push the clutch to the floor and the gears grate when you change, the clutch needs adjusting or your cable is stretched or your floor is too high... smile.gif

funkypc

the burnt smell sounds like your clutch, so maybe you could replace that to wink1.gif

hamhead

Grinding = synchros

Burnt smell = clutch


Essentially your pwning all of your tranny. As for a cheap clutch off of ebay, if you take the tranny off and take it to a shop, them replacing the synchros and clutch would be easy. Most of the price of a clutch/synchro install is taking the tranny off and putting it back on.

Caj Darkmoon

This morning especially when I was getting the griding I was making sure I had the clutch absolutely floored and I was still getting griding going up and down between 1st and 2nd (low speed limits and stopping). Serious grinding too, as in I'd floor the clutch, let all the way off the gas, and try to push the stick into gear 2 or 3 times and it would grind. I'd have back it all the way out into N and then try again to get it into gear.

How would I go about adjusting the clutch?


EDIT: How hard would replacing the synchros on my own be? With thanksgiving weekend coming up soon I'd feel comfortable tackling it myself with a Haynes manual and my dads help.

geesmith

If your gear changes are quiet and smooth when you drive with care, and you don't get noises from the gear box as you accelerate in gear then your tranny is okay. Slipping the clutch too much with lots of revs can cook your input shaft so that it snaps due to being re-tempered. It would take some effort to achieve that. I've done it.

Caj Darkmoon

But see, that's the thing, they aren't... see my post above yours. I purposely was as methodic as possible with it this morning and had the worst of my grinding yet.

geesmith

1st gear synchro is often the first to go. This can be overcome by raising your rpm while the clutch is down to let the gears spin at the same speed. Once you have the technique mastered it not only allows you to select 1st smoothly but also sounds like you drive race cars. If you are braking at the same time you need to use the brake foot to rev the engine too. Ballet lessons help. smile.gif

Sorry for missing that..I think we posted around the same time.

There was a time before synchros......when double clutching was necessary to get gears to mesh. My Alfas all had trouble with 2nd and 1st gear synchros.... sounds nice blipping the throttle as you smoothly change. In no time at all you could be the wizard of stick. I once drove a truck for miles with no clutch....just a junction on a hill brought me to a stop.