anyone else with throw-out bearing problems?

69fb00GT

New Member
May 26, 2004
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Southwestern PA
I just bought my GT with 44k on the odo. I noticed a very slight squeal when i purchased it, but just figured it was a whiney belt. So anyway, the squeal got progressively worse and i eliminated it to the throw out bearing after about a week. It got louder and louder...so i figured i'd call up the dealer and see what they had to say. They said bring it in and we'll take care of it. (Sweet) So anyway i took it in, said it was the TOB and they fixed it that day with a new one. Start it up, and no more squeal....clutch felt ok. So it's been about 2 weeks since this, and about 1000 miles. IT STARTED SQUEALING AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK. So i'm wondering if it's crappy bearings, or the fork isn't lined up right....or i'm gonna sell and get an f-body. (just kiddin)

Anyway...who else has had TOB problems. and did they ever go away? :mad:
 
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yeah, once in a while I'll crawl under there and spray some lithium grease up into the TOB and the noise ceases for a few months or so. (mines more like a chirping noise, tho) Next time I'll spritz some axle grease up there and see if that lasts longer.
 
I have a squeaky TOB as well, but that started happening once I got the King Cobra put in. It's not too loud, but just annoying enough for me to want to try spraying some grease. Anybody have a pic of exactly what I'm supposed to spray at..so I don't miss the bearing and squirt something that I shouldn't?
 
Red mustang Gt 46 said:
Common problem, they probably did the temporary fix and greased it, works for a short while and then...SQUEAL...


Hmm....well...i hope not. I usually ask to see the old parts when i pick a vehicle up from being worked on...but i couldn't as they were closed. I think i'll call tomorrow and complain again.

Where would they spray grease into? I doubt they would go through the trouble of seperating the engine/bellhousing just to spray grease in there...when in another half hour or so they could replace the worn bearing...but you never know. Heck, I'll even pay the 40 bucks for the new one if they'll install it!
 
DaNd4Speed said:
I have a squeaky TOB as well, but that started happening once I got the King Cobra put in. It's not too loud, but just annoying enough for me to want to try spraying some grease. Anybody have a pic of exactly what I'm supposed to spray at..so I don't miss the bearing and squirt something that I shouldn't?
There is a sheetmetal box under the trans toward the front , held on by one 10mm screw. Remove the tin, and grab a flashlight. The TOB is a round gizmo riding on the shaft. The clutch plate face is points toward the flywheel(hidden by the pressure plate), so it is protected. You will also see the pressure plate, and you can't damage it if some grease gets on the back. Just aim carefully with the spray nozzle swizzle stick (or grease gun needle) for the TOB and shaft. As I said, the lithium works a while for me, but I think it dries out in a few months. The axle grease is made of sterner stuff, but not everybody has a grease gun in their toolsets.
 
69fb00GT said:
Hmm....well...i hope not. I usually ask to see the old parts when i pick a vehicle up from being worked on...but i couldn't as they were closed. I think i'll call tomorrow and complain again.

Where would they spray grease into? I doubt they would go through the trouble of seperating the engine/bellhousing just to spray grease in there...when in another half hour or so they could replace the worn bearing...but you never know. Heck, I'll even pay the 40 bucks for the new one if they'll install it!

Let us know...dealers/shops do this all the time.
 
My TOB has been squeeking for 8months. I took it into Ford and they...
1-put 32miles on my car
2-had it for 7.5hours
3-Used up over 1/4tank of gas
4-played my cd's
5-proceeded to go and get lunch (hot dogs) in my mach
6-Then told me they wouldn't even touch my car because it had a prochamber.
 
760-MPH said:
My TOB has been squeeking for 8months. I took it into Ford and they...
1-put 32miles on my car
2-had it for 7.5hours
3-Used up over 1/4tank of gas
4-played my cd's
5-proceeded to go and get lunch (hot dogs) in my mach
6-Then told me they wouldn't even touch my car because it had a prochamber.

I would have thrown a coniption fit if they did that to me. I would go right to the top and rain hell on them.
:uzi: :flame:

I am mad and it is not even my car.
 
i spray my TOB everytime i change my oil. i use white lithium grease and it hasn't made a noise since the first spray at 18k miles(car now has 47k with zero noise). the problem is that the bearing slings all the factory grease out at high rpm's. just grease it every few months if it is a problem.

throwout.jpg
 
You can adjust the stock quadrant to put more tension on the TOB (like if you were pushing with your foot) to keep it from squeeling. That's what I did and haven't heard a peep from my TOB ever since and I haven't had any other problem either. I tried the lithium grease trick and either I didn't get it right or it just didn't do anything. Adjusting the quadrant/cable is the only thing that has kept the TOB quiet permanantly. Do a search for my user name as I've posted numerous times on how to do the adjustment (it's easy).

You could also accomplish the same thing with an aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster.

It seems to me that most (if not all) people that have had new TOB's installed (OEM or aftermarket) still get the notorious TOB noise eventually.
 
interesting... I've got a fairly quiet noise than sort of sounds like a power steering pump growling, but only when I push in the clutch, minute I take the clutch our, it stops... I was thinking TOB... anyone else with a noise like that? or always a whine?
 
Bill9000 said:
interesting... I've got a fairly quiet noise than sort of sounds like a power steering pump growling, but only when I push in the clutch, minute I take the clutch our, it stops... I was thinking TOB... anyone else with a noise like that? or always a whine?

Well when you push in your clutch pedal you are engaging the TOB which is spinning and makes a "whirring" sound. Nothing loud or obnoxious but you can hear it. It is normal since it's just the sound of a spinning bearing. If it was squealing while you push in the clutch pedal then I would say that it is not properly lubricated and/or defective.

The TOB noise that is most notorious is a loud chirping/jingling noise when you are NOT pushing in the clutch pedal. The noise goes away as soon as you put a little pressure on the clutch pedal. It's a definite "somethin' ain't right" kind of noise that you can hear inside or outside of your car, and is pretty embarrassing to be sitting in traffic in a nice Stang while it's making that hideous noise. My suggestion to adjust the stock quadrant essentially just puts slightly more pressure on the TOB to keep it quiet. It will always be making the whirring noise since it will always be spinning but I'll take that sound over the chirping sound anyday. I've read conflicting info anyways if the TOB should or shouldn't be spinning constantly. Like I said before, I haven't had any problems yet with the TOB always spinning but the noise is definitely gone.
 
Ajax_02GT said:
Well when you push in your clutch pedal you are engaging the TOB which is spinning and makes a "whirring" sound. Nothing loud or obnoxious but you can hear it. It is normal since it's just the sound of a spinning bearing. If it was squealing while you push in the clutch pedal then I would say that it is not properly lubricated and/or defective.

The TOB noise that is most notorious is a loud chirping/jingling noise when you are NOT pushing in the clutch pedal. The noise goes away as soon as you put a little pressure on the clutch pedal. It's a definite "somethin' ain't right" kind of noise that you can hear inside or outside of your car, and is pretty embarrassing to be sitting in traffic in a nice Stang while it's making that hideous noise. My suggestion to adjust the stock quadrant essentially just puts slightly more pressure on the TOB to keep it quiet. It will always be making the whirring noise since it will always be spinning but I'll take that sound over the chirping sound anyday. I've read conflicting info anyways if the TOB should or shouldn't be spinning constantly. Like I said before, I haven't had any problems yet with the TOB always spinning but the noise is definitely gone.


OK, but this noise you can hear pretty good, I mean someone standing outside the car would probably hear it, and it does it from the time you abrely put ANY pressure on the pedal, even setting my foot on the pedal makes it start, minute I take my foot off, it stops???? So youre saying it might be ok?
 
Bill9000 said:
OK, but this noise you can hear pretty good, I mean someone standing outside the car would probably hear it, and it does it from the time you abrely put ANY pressure on the pedal, even setting my foot on the pedal makes it start, minute I take my foot off, it stops???? So youre saying it might be ok?

From what you are describing it sounds like what you are hearing is normal TOB noise. When you press on the clutch pedal (even with the slightest of pressure) you are causing the clutch fork to press on the TOB which in turn pushes on the fingers of the pressure plate. The TOB is a donut-shaped bearing that spins with the motion of clutch and it does make a little noise since it is a moving part. I can hear mine when I'm in or out of my GT, but not over my exhaust if I rev the engine or if I'm behind it with the engine running. It should sound like normal gear whirring noises, not squeeking or chirping, etc. It somewhat sounds like the noise your tires make when you're moving with the windows up and radio off, that kind of sound.

When you take your foot off of the clutch pedal you are releasing the pressure of the clutch fork against the TOB against the pressure plate so the TOB stops spinning. Thus the sound goes away.

I adjusted my stock quadrant so that slight pressure is always being applied to the TOB so it always makes the "normal" TOB whirring noise. But by doing so I got rid of the notorious chirping noise permanently. On a scale of 1 to 10, the normal whirring sound is a 2 and the bad chirping sound is a 7, IMO.

Now if the noise you are hearing becomes a screech, squeel, chirp, etc, like a slipping belt or something then yeah, you probably have a problem. Otherwise I think you are a-ok.
 
Subscribing - good thread guys (and a picture too!)...this is a common problem, especially after a clutch swap. My 02 makes no noise, but my wife's 01 with a KC clutch makes the TOB noise that we've just put up with til now...maybe I'll try to shoot it with grease while I'm changing oil next time.