ok....situation.

car is in the sig, 64K miles, ~3K on cam and clutch

car is not a daily driver...or at least it doesn't get driven often due to riding a bike...so it sits for days at a time between drives.

i back out of the driveway with no issues what so ever. put the car in 1st and let the clutch out and i get a high pitched grind coming from mid car. lasts for about 1-2 seconds...and then doesn't happen again all day, not at stops (even the light 50ft from my house), even after shutting the car off and parking for a little while (sometimes all day).

THEORY:

1st gear synchro is going, takes a little while for the trans fluid to lubricate it. although it doesn't pop out of gear, and doesn't do it other than that initial clutch release in 1st.

SIDE NOTES:

i spilled trans fluid out when i pulled the clutch, replaced what i eyeballed as what i lost. i also have a SMALL drip leak from the rear tran seal around the driveshaft. have not had a chance to recheck it lately.

could the fluid be low enough to not be lubing the synchro and it takes a few seconds to get the fluid up to it? but wouldn't having it in reverse do that?

or is the synchro just shot totally??

questions, comments, rude gestures???

 

Once a gear is fully selected a syncro does nothing. all a syncro does is act like a break to match the speed of the input shaft to the speed of the gearset. If its already in first gear and it starts making a noise while bringing the clutch up its not the syncro. MY money would be on the throw out bearing.

 

FYI, the trans fluid should be level with the bottom of the fill hole on the side of the trans. If you put your finger in it, you should get a drop of fluid on it.

 

"MY money would be on the throw out bearing"

replaced the TO bearing when i did the clutch 3K miles ago...not that it's impossible ...but damn.

and why would it ONLY make noise for 2 sec when i first pull forward in 1st? and not in reverse? or any time afterward that day??

 

I noticed from your sig that you have a Hurst w/Lou's short throw shifter.

Is it possible that the stops on the shifter have been moved out due to vibration and are causing the shifter to not fully engage into 1st?

I'm just throwing it out there........could be way off.

 

it's the factory option hurst (slp) shifter out of a 96 SS...not the normal aftermarket hurst shifter.

didn't think it had stops.

but an interesting thought.

 

My car started doing this a few days ago! The grinding sounds like your trying to put it in gear with no clutch, even though the car is IN gear. Mine doesn't pop out of gear at all either. I'm worried for my T56

 

does your go away after the first time? that is what's stumping me. it only does it the first time i let off the clutch in 1st each time i drive it (days apart). doesn't do it in reverse leaving the driveway...just in 1st when i start to pull ahead

 

ok...guess it's time to get the rear seal fixed on the trans...

pulled the plug to check the fluid level...stuck my finger in it...couldn't feel any fluid

needless to say i can just barely feel fluid after adding 1qt of fluid. gotta buy more tomorrow and top it off.

hopefully it fixes it...and hopefully i didn't **** anything up

 

well...topped off the trans fluid...still does it like always.

reverse out of the driveway with no problem.

put it in first with no problem, let the clutch out and "creeaaakkk" (best description). it happens right as the clutch engages and i begin to inch forward.

pulled 50ft up to an intersection and came to a stop, did the same thing pulling out on the road. didn't make a sound when i shifted to 2nd...or any shift...even starting in 1st...after that.