Grinding when clutch in. Why?

[shiboujin]

Third gear went adios on my bud's car a while ago and he's been double clutching to get around. We picked up an eta trans (he's got an i). and went to shove it in yesterday and decided to test it out before putting EVERYTHING back on. The TO bearing spun freely and looked new (no wear marks on the face of the mating surface and no rust anywhere).

We start the car, and while the clutch is in (foot on pedal), it grinds. Clutch off (foot off pedal) it's fine minus a small amount of chatter when the starter is engaging.

Usually, I'd say TO bearing. But it looked brand new (pretty sure it is brand new).

Notes:
Didn't touch the clutch AT ALL
Starter alignment plate is probably in correctly.
Pilot bearing fell out and was fairly easy to finger press it all the way back in
I wasn't drinking when we did this.

Thoughts?

[jlevie]

Does the grinding occur when the transmission is in neutral? If so the cause would have to be the throwout bearing. If the grinding only happens when the transmission is in gear the cause would be the clutch or pilot bearing.

[shiboujin]

It's when the clutch is out in any gear even neutral.

[jlevie]

I'm confused. The original post says that the noise is present when the clutch is disengaged, but your last post indicates otherwise. The best terminology to use is:

clutch engaged = foot off the pedal
clutch disengaged = clutch pedal depressed

Assuming that this happens when the clutch is disengaged, the noise present when the transmission is in not gear suggests that the cause is the throwout bearing. In that case I'd expect to hear noise as soon as the bearing begins to disengage the clutch.

[blocke]

Just a thought, are you sure its the clutch and not the new Tranny? Layshaft bearing making noise or something?

[shiboujin]

Long story short, we think the input shaft fused with the clutch. Trans won't come back out despite pry bars.

[jlevie]

I can't think of any reasons why the input shaft would seize to the clutch disk or pilot bearing such that you could not pretty easily remove the transmission. But I could see improper installation of the transmission jamming it on the engine. At this point I'd pull the engine and transmission so I could get a good look at everything and have room to work all around the bell housing.

[shiboujin]

How would improper installation make it so you can't get the trans out? I've done probably 20 transmissions and this one was no different than any other time I've done it.

[lbreevesii]

Screwed pilot bearing seizing the input shaft to the crank would do it. hard to say what the cause is though.