Ow! My clutch! (need help diagnosing/picking)

[kronus]

Well, it sounds like my throwout bearing is on the way out. In neutral and not touching the clutch, there is a distinct hissing/rubbing sound coming from under the car. This noise disappears when I depress the clutch; it is my understanding that this is a sign of a bad throwout bearing. Is this right?

Since this is an '87 eta, it's weird and has a dual-mass flywheel, which means that I need a different clutch than every other damn e30 on the planet. Is there anything I can do here, or am I stuck getting the specific clutch?

Looking at clutch refresh kits, I found a few:

BMA's kit
Pelican's kit
Ebay kit

Any +/- on any of these? The Ebay kit is significantly cheaper, but it claims to be the proper clutch kit and also includes a pilot bearing and an alignment tool. Both BMA and Pelican are more trustworthy in my book, but there might be something I'm completely missing here.

Steer my mind, for it is feeble and moldable to your whim. Thanks.

[Farbin Kaiber]

They all look to have Sachs components. I can also suggest calling the guys at Clutchmasters in Rialto, Ca. Just down the way from you, they can put a complete kit together, and even make adjustments to the grab, and slip of the clutch with fine tuning by a conversation with you. They also will have all the bearings and required stuff for a cluch job on-site. They have saved me on some strange applications in the past, including custom builds. Call them tomorrow at (909) 877-6800. They are in the area we went yard adventuring in.

[kronus]

I was actually going to call/visit Pelican sometime this week. They also have the oil pan gasket that I need and probably a bunch of miscellania.

I will call these guys tomorrow morning though, thanks.

[einstein57]

My trans has been growling for 2 years. My dad said its not uncommon and i don't really need to worry about it unless it gets louder. He suggested putting in a heavier weight trans fluid as that normally shuts it up. Yours did not sound to bad. Did you ever figure out if it was your cat or heatshield rattling.

[kronus]

^^ I will be dropping the exhaust to check it out whenever I have time.

Do you think it's the tranny growling, not clutch components? This is more of a "fshhhh" than a growl.

[wagonizzle]

I believe it is the throwout bearing if the noise comes on when you press the pedal. With the pedal out and in neutral, the noise is most likely the layshaft bearing. Do a search for getrag rattle. It is highly common and viewed by most as an annoyance but not problematic. In my car Redline MT-90 made a huge difference in silencing the rattle. Good luck!

[kronus]

^^ I took a look around, and 'getrag rattle' seems to be what I have. My driveline is super quiet with the clutch pressed in - is a layshaft bearing the same thing as a pilot bearing?

Thanks for calming my nerves!

[wagonizzle]

I believe it is linked to the input shaft, or perhaps the terms are interchangable... I am no tranny guru. But I read alot of R3V and methinks you need not get all upset. Getrag rattle = no big deal :up:

[einstein57]

I believe it is linked to the input shaft, or perhaps the terms are interchangable... I am no tranny guru. But I read alot of R3V and methinks you need not get all upset. Getrag rattle = no big deal :up:

Zackly. My dads replaced some under warranty for the super anal and they sounded the same if not worse sometimes.

[AlarmedBread]

Yeah, not a throwout bearing. I put a new one on when installing a new clutch and the good old rattle is still there. :)

[Adrian_Visser]

i've had this problem for as long as ive owned my car... solution turn music up louder!