Loud squeal when clutch pedal pushed in, throwout bearing?

[Chythar]

I'm still new to a manual transmission, not really sure how to diagnose noises and squeals yet. Just noticed tonight a metallic squeal whenever I pushed the clutch pedal in, the squeal goes away when I let off the pedal. It's noticeable when shifting at lower RPM, can't really hear it if I shift around 3K or so. It got noticeably worse on the way home, much louder. Also noticed a chirping with the clutch in and the car in neutral. Can't tell if the chirping is there while in gear, too much road noise.

After going through the search, it sounds like my throwout bearing is dying pretty fast. I wanted to confirm that with you guys before I tore things apart.

I've also read that it's better to replace the clutch, t/o bearing and input shaft bearing all at once. Anything else I need to replace while I'm at it?

Also looking for recommendations on clutches. I have no idea what's in the GT now, some sort of "performance" clutch according to the previous owner. I've been out of work for a while, so price is a big factor. I won't go cheap on the bearings, but I can't spend $500 on a clutch either.

I'm not planning on doing any engine upgrades for a while, so stock parts aren't necessarily a bad thing. But I wouldn't mind an upgrade if the price is right.

 

[yukisho]

Sounds like the TOB. Is the sound of the squeal different when you press the petal in vs when you depress it? If so that is your TOB, the pilot bearing could be out too. The TOB is roughly $45-$70 and the pilot bearing is roughly $15-$25. I would get in there, tear it apart and check it out.

 

[HISSIN50]

A KC (Valeo) clutch kit is probably the cheapest for the performance and should do fine on a stockish car. Check Astro's prices.

Consider doing the RMS and pilot bearing. I'd consider a new fork too. The pivot stud can need replacement but yours should be ok (93K miles).

Because some TOBs suck so bad, your clutch might not be that bad off. It's just a crap shoot. If yours looks mint, you can shelf the disk and PP for when you do need it.

If you wanna try it, you can remove the inspection cover and try to carefully get some lithium grease on the bearing retainer and bearing. Obviously dont get any near the friction surfaces.

Good luck Matt.

 

[Chythar]

A KC (Valeo) clutch kit is probably the cheapest for the performance and should do fine on a stockish car. Check Astro's prices.

Astro's?

I took stock of my finances since my first post, and I'm not doing as bad as I thought. I'm leaning towards the King Cobra kit 'cause it comes with a new pressure plate and t/o bearing. Any opinions?

Consider doing the RMS and pilot bearing. I'd consider a new fork too. The pivot stud can need replacement but yours should be ok (93K miles)..

Can you give me a list of parts you think I should consider? The rear main seal is not a bad idea. My local parts store lists two RMS from "National Oil Seals" - one says it's a PTFE seal. Teflon, right? Is that any better? Never replaced a RMS before, so I have no idea.

This post said to replace the input shaft bearing at the same time as the t/o bearing - is that the same as the pilot bearing? I'm still learning the names of these parts.

I feel like a n00b all over again, just now learning the manual tranny. But I won't go back to an auto for anything.

Because some TOBs suck so bad, your clutch might not be that bad off. It's just a crap shoot. If yours looks mint, you can shelf the disk and PP for when you do need it. .

Fair enough. That might be a good reason to buy a stock clutch locally, I can return it easily. I don't know what to look for on the clutch to see if I can re-use it. Ideas? I've also seen recommendations to resurface the flywheel when changing the clutch. What should I look for on the flywheel to tell if it needs to be resurfaced?

If you wanna try it, you can remove the inspection cover and try to carefully get some lithium grease on the bearing retainer and bearing. Obviously dont get any near the friction surfaces.

Good luck Matt.

Nah, I'm not gonna do this the cheap way. Saving money does not equal cheap - I'd rather do it right the first time and spend the money once.

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF QUESTIONS. But I is-a learning quick.

 

[HISSIN50]

It's tough to go wrong with a KC (if they're still around 170 bucks).

Astro:
Astroperformance.com - Your Manual Drivetrain Specialist

You might end up having Summit price match parts from different sources.

The TOB that comes with the KC clutch should be fine.

If buying locally, some have reported that some parts store clutches are Valeo (OEM in Stangs. Valeo is a very good company, making clutches for many Italian exotics).

Teflon seals are a PITA to install. They're generally for cars that blow oil out the RMS otherwise (read boosted). I use Ford rubber when I can. Otherwise a Felpro would be my choice.

That's the input shaft bearing retainer. It's what the TOB slides on. Stock, ours are aluminum and they get ridged up. That might be more than you want to do. If you can afford down time, wait and order one if needed (40 bucks or so).

If you're going to keep the car, you might as well swap the clutch. That way you know you're good for a long time. Otherwise, you can measure the lining (note how close you are to rivets too). Look for hot spots on the friction side of the PP. Look for hot spots and cracks on the flywheel.

Always resurface a flywheel when installing a new clutch. Remember to remove the dowels before you take it in (the dowels are easily lost).

Here's a real nice write-up that David did. I used the part numbers when ordering parts last time around.

http://forums.stangnet.com/707250-86-95-5-0l-clutch-swap-help.html

It delves into things like the cable and quadrant (I recommend the MM universal cable, quadrant and FWA) and other ancillaries that I'd never remember to bring up.

I think the article will give you a good idea of what to replace. Post up any questions.

 

[Chythar]

Bit of an update

Finally got around to tearing the car apart. One thing to note about that write-up: I presumed that the engine would tilt FORWARD, not BACKWARDS. Basically jammed the input shaft into the throwout bearing until I realized what was going on. Easy enough to then lower the tranny until the back of the heads hit the firewall, then the tranny slid out easy.

Two carnage photos. My squeal was definitely the throwout bearing. First here is the t/o bearing still on the fork. Looks a bit bad, eh?

I tried to get the t/o bearing off the fork, and it literally came apart in my hands! Ball bearings everywhere. Next photo is of all the pieces, plus the ball bearings I could find.

Slept late today, so I only got up to removing the bellhousing. The clutch itself is tomorrow.

 

[Adam95GT]

half of mine were gone... i had these warped balls melted all together... lol

 

[HGFireHazard]

Carnage indeed. It's good you got to this when you did.

 

[Chythar]

Just got the clutch and flywheel off. The previous owners said it was a new clutch - new clutch my @$$! One rivet had a bit of a shine on it, the rest were almost there. The fingers on the pressure plate are all galled up too, as I expected. Also, my rear main seal WAS leaking - couldn't really tell until the flywheel was off. Looks like I'll be using all of my "just in case" parts I bought.

A few questions - the flywheel has all these very tiny cracks all over it. Will these come out when it's resurfaced? Will the machine shop tell me if a crack is too deep?

Also, how can I tell what brand clutch this was? It looks just like the King Cobra clutch I just bought.