clutch noise is driving me insane!

[Luis]

90 accord ex coupe 5spd. I have what sounds like a dry drive belt, like a squeak. It only happens when my foot is off the clutch. When I push the clutch pedal down it goes away. I only have to put minimal weight on the pedal for it to go away I don't even have to push it down all the way. Once I take my foot off of the pedal the noise comes back.. also I have another noise sounds like a slide whistle.. this noise isn't always there only sometimes. Sound slike a hum as I go to shift into 1st and I start to take my foot off the pedal and give it gas it makes that slide whistle noise. Any thoughts? I gotta drive to vegas nxt week and I'm wondering if the car will make it there

[nine_deuce]

The squeak noise you're talking about sounds like your throw out bearing.

[PakaloloHonda]

The squeak noise you're talking about sounds like your throw out bearing.

Yep Yep .. what he said up there ^ ..

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[YK86]

Actually, if it goes away when you press the clutch pedal, it's the input shaft bearing. If it whines with the clutch pedal pressed down, it's the throwout bearing.

In your case, it's the input shaft bearing. I have the exact same problem with mine. It's not bad but it's only going to get worse so I'm going to be ripping apart my tranny in a couple weeks. Parts aren't too expensive for the oil seal and bearing (under $100 from Honda) but it's taking the tranny out and tearing it apart that's the huge hassle.

[Luis]

So do you think I'll have a problem I'm I drive it to vegas? Its a 4hr drive. I don't have a problem when I shift all the gears go in smooth and they don't pop out

[mj213]

If it seizes, you'll have problems. Would you drive that far on a donut that has dry rot?

[YK86]

It all depends on how bad/noisy it is. Mine is just a light whirling sound and I wouldn't be afraid to drive it long distances. I decided to fix it now because I'm picky and it's also off the road right now anyways.

On the other hand, if it's loud/sounds almost like metal on metal, I wouldn't drive it at all. My friend's CB was so bad you can really hear a loud WAAAAAAA when you where slowing down for a light and something like that I would get fixed asap.

[Luis]

Its not that bad. I don't hear any metal noises. So I'm not too concerend abt it might take the chance

[JDMDriver]

If i was you i would change all i can while the tranny is down (costs aside). Since personally i dont want to keep opening the tranny and wasting time and effort in 2, 4 or even 6 yrs time.

What ever bearings (throw out or shaft), seals etc i can change i will change.

If you havent changed the clutch (or still original) dont be surprised if its close to needing one and may be a good idea to change while you've got it down.

In any case i'd budget for all the parts (unless you dont mind dropping tranny's).

[deevergote]

I ignored that sound when it happened to me. What ended up happening? EVERYTHING associated with the clutch was destroyed. Throwout bearing seized, and the clutch, pressure plate, and pilot bearing all went with it. I had to drive home 2 hours without using the clutch pedal.



Replace that throwout bearing with an OEM Honda piece. It'd be wise to replace the clutch and flywheel in the process. Exedy makes great stuff... stay away from crap brands like F1 and XTD (like I have above... my bearing that failed was XTD, and it failed in 2 years.)

Replacing the rear main seal while you're in there would be smart as well. If that fails, your engine is done.

[Luis]

I ignored that sound when it happened to me. What ended up happening? EVERYTHING associated with the clutch was destroyed. Throwout bearing seized, and the clutch, pressure plate, and pilot bearing all went with it. I had to drive home 2 hours without using the clutch pedal.



Replace that throwout bearing with an OEM Honda piece. It'd be wise to replace the clutch and flywheel in the process. Exedy makes great stuff... stay away from crap brands like F1 and XTD (like I have above... my bearing that failed was XTD, and it failed in 2 years.)

Replacing the rear main seal while you're in there would be smart as well. If that fails, your engine is done.

Wow! So how bad were the noises u heard a few days before all this damage happened? Cuz like I said all I have is a squeak

[deevergote]

The noises started sounding like chirping birds, and shifting was hard. Then the problems seemed to clear up. Remember, automotive problems NEVER fix themselves!

When it went, it went quick... and I was 2 hours from home. It started making a whirring/whining noise... and then it stalled the car. Basically, when it all gave out, I wasn't able to disengage the clutch anymore.

[YK86]

Like I mentioned above, make sure you know which bearing it is. Throw out and input shaft bearings are 2 totally different things.

And to add to JDMdriver's post, you should inspect all the gears, syncro's, and bearings while it's apart. I actually also ordered 2 new diff bearings since I'm throwing in a lsd, and will be inspecting the other stuff once I crack it open.

[deevergote]

If the issue is just clutch related, he won't be opening the transmission case.

And honestly, if the transmission is coming off, all clutch-related components should probably be replaced anyway. If they're not fairly new, they're worn enough to warrant replacing. It's too much work just to take things apart for one little thing. Changing the rear main seal at the same time would be very wise as well.

[YK86]

If the noise goes away when you press the clutch, it's the input shaft bearing, not the throw out bearing. The noise going away when you press the clutch is because the throwout bearing is doing the bulk of the spinning instead of the input shaft bearing.

I'm just trying to make this point clear because the OP will be very disappointed to find the noise is still there after changing his clutch. It's a very common problem on the EF Civic and CRX 5 speeds.