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Clutch/ gearbox metallic crunch / grinding
Magh - 6/5/19 at 05:21 PM

After some help please guys. After a good day at Stoneleigh yesterday had a few issues once I got near home. Car drove faultlessly until I stopped about 8 miles from home.
I’m running a pinto with 5 speed type 9.

There is a horrendous metallic clunk/crunching coming from what I think is the gearbox/ bell housing area.

So when stationary and out of gear the noise happens in a constant pattern and does seem to increase with engine revs.



If I then put my foot to the floor on the clutch after about half a second the noise stops completely.



I can can select all gears fine and drive with no slip of the clutch. Gears 1-4 continue to make the noise extremely loudly but the strange thing as soon as I engage 5th it’s all whisper quiet and perfect. The drive to Stoneleigh was 150 miles each way almost all motorway and in 5th the whole way.


Obviously i I realise it’s engine out and maybe box. I’m thinking maybe the release bearing or arm is catching something if it was a bearing in the box surely 5th would do it too???

Thanks mike.

[Edited on 7/5/19 by Magh]


ian locostzx9rc2 - 6/5/19 at 05:56 PM

Firstly I thought it sounds like clutch release bearing but if it’s noisy in 1st to 4thand not 5th it Sounds like layshaft bearings in the gearbox


Magh - 6/5/19 at 07:31 PM

I was hoping it was the clutch release bearing but fearing it may well not be.


rusty nuts - 6/5/19 at 08:28 PM

If the lay shaft bearings were at fault the noise would more likely to disappear in 4th gear not 5th . 4th gear basically means the input shaft and output shaft , otherwise known as 1st motion and 3rd motion shafts are locked together and rotate at the same speed . Think I would remove the engine and check the clutch, the clutch fork and the spigot bearing


ian locostzx9rc2 - 6/5/19 at 09:20 PM

I thought on a type 9 because the 5th gear is an add on on the back of the gearbox that’s why I suggested layshaft bearing


rusty nuts - 7/5/19 at 06:20 AM

Did you notice if the noise changed in each gear or is it just engine speed related?


Magh - 7/5/19 at 07:30 AM

The noise remains the same but is certainly worse in some gears most especially 4th which seems even more strange as that is the 1-1 gear ratio.


Angel Acevedo - 7/5/19 at 03:37 PM

This noise was heard on the gearbox I commented in the "transmission Collision Damage" thread and would be heard at idle, and very faintly at any other gear...

In my case, I am almost 100% sure it was due to crash damage.


Let´s see what the manufacturer say...


Mash - 8/5/19 at 09:30 AM

My vote is release bearing. You'll have to take the box out to find out anyway, so hopefully you'l have a relatively easy job.