RI Fast Eddie

So I am taking my S2 out for its first long ride of the summer and I stop at a toll both and I hear a terrible rattling vibration sound. The sound immediately goes away once I put her in gear and pull off. I don't hear anything while driving but when I get to my driveway I can hear a rattle (not as loud as before) coming from the rear end of the car just ahead of the muffler (transmission?). This morning I started her up and the sound is now very faint and goes completely away once I depress the clutch. Anyone have any ideas what is going on?

WGB

Check the state of your coupling between torque-tube and gearbox.
It is visible after raising the car and removing the rubber plug in the bottom of the transmission bell housing. Mine was breaking up because whoever last removed the transmission left out the right sided dowel and the small misalignment which resulted seems to have chopped out the coupling as well as preventing a new one slipping easily along the shaft when replaced.
I was told the noise was a bearing breaking up in the Box and was happy that it was only the coupling when I decided to remove the box myself.

Bill

Rip It

probably the clutch throw out bearing, noisey with clutch out in neutral, quiet with the clutch depressed.

arbeitm

I have this sound as well. Doesn't seem to affect anything, it's only noticable when you are at idle with the clutch engaged. I'm pretty certain it's not the coupler, because I put the hex bolts back in myself when I replaced the transmission.

I'm due for a clutch job pretty soon anyway...so hopefully it's clutch related and not transmission or torque tube related.

Dal Heger

Torque Tube bearings. If the sound goes away when you press the clutch it isn't the throw out bearing (at that point the bearing is spinning and taking the load). When the torque tube stops spinning the sounds stops, therefore it's the torque tube bearings. I had the same sound on my S2, replaced the torque tube bearings (yes, they were very loose) and now it's silent!

Don't worry if you don't want to do it now, it's not a critical system, it'll just keep on making noise. The only thing the TT bearings do is keep the shaft centered and supported. There is practically no load on those bearings.

Dal.

RI Fast Eddie

How complicated is replacing the torque tube bearings? I am a beginner DIYer and may just bring it to my local guy if its too complex. I would rather do it myself if I can, that is part of the fun of ownership but don't want to cause damage cause I am a mechanical idiot sometimes.

arbeitm

Clarks has a procedure to do it I think. I've never done it but it looks like a PITA, however still doable. Check it out and see if it's within your capabilities.

Dal Heger

Yea, it's a PITA.

You have to remove the TT (which means removing the entire rear suspension and transmission), then you have to bang out or press out the driveshaft, then you have to press out the bearings, then you have to reassemble everything.

Unless it's driving you totally nuts and you have the time and tools to do it, don't bother.

Dal.

Bill Lucas

It could be the Pilot Bearing if it makes noise with the clutch depressed. That one is quite the PITA to get to as well. May as well replace everything in there while there.

Lumbergs Lackey....MmmmKay

this sound is the play that 5th gear has naturally. I have researched this for some time and the dealer stopped doing warranty fixes on this long ago becuase it was considered "normal" Nothing to worry about, though it sounds like a bucket of bolts.

Dal Heger

Actually I heard that it's the reverse idler gear, not 5th gear, but you're correct that makes some noise also.

Dal.

Oddjob

I would guess its transmission noise. With the clutch in, the trans does not spin, but with the clutch out with and the trans in neutral, the input shaft is spinning and none of the bearings or gears are under load, so you can get a very audible rattling sound - the marbles in the transmission noise. Its worse when the car/trans are warm, because the trans fluid is hot and thinner. Usually its quieter on cold startup.

As the transmission wears with age, the bearings get looser and so there is more noise. Also, when original rubber centered clutches are replaced with spring centered clutches, it makes the noise worse - this is because more engine vibration is transmitted through the spring center clutch to the drive line and transmission.

Of course there are other components that can make noise in the drive train (many are listed above), and its really not possible to tell you with any certainly w/o hearing the noise first hand.

RI Fast Eddie

Does everyone agree that this is nothing to worry about? I checked out Clarks garage and it definately looks like something out of my abilities. But it does sound like something that would be very expensive to repair due to the time involved. The clutch is in good shape and only has 30k on it, although its 17 years old. I don't plan on chaning the clutch but if I need to replace the bearings it sounds like most of the work would be done and I could save some money doing them both at the same time. My ideal choice of course would be to hold off till next year. Will doing a DE event make this worse?

The DareDevil

I don't think it's anything to worry about.

I try to idle as little as possible . That way I don't hear any noises.