Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

I have a knocking noise that started while driving the car it is coming from the bell housing area. The noise started after I ran out of gas, put gas in the car and was heading home. the noise goes away when the clutch pedal is in and the clutch stops spinning. I have viewed this through the inspection opening in the transmission. I pulled the transmission, clutch and pressure plate. Turning the tranny by hand nothing seems out of sorts and visual inspection of the clutch and pressure plate don't reveal anything obvious to me but I may just not know what I am looking at.

I am attaching a video link. Any help on what to look at would be appreciated.

https://youtube.com/shorts/5WbLKaHCXcA?feature=share

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Did you have the proper 3/4 to 1" free play on the clutch pedal? Sometimes, a throwout bearing going bad will get quiet when theres pressure on them, and may make noise while spinning loosely. It should not spin or be in contact unless your foot is on the pedal. No other signs of something hitting in the bell housing area?

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

When you depress the clutch you also move the weights on the pressure plate. Could the weights be hitting the bell housing?? look for very small abrasion marks.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

I do have the proper play in the clutch pedal and I forgot to mention that I started with the throw out, put it all back together and the noise was still there.

Terry, I thought about that.

I'll see if I can see any signs of something hitting in the bell housing area. Nothing jumped out at me on initial inspection.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Does it make the noise whith the clutch out and the car in neutral ? Tim

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Have you checked the springs on the pressure plat? Any broken or missing?

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

On my first car a’50 Ford the ring gear got cockeyed on the flywheel and it wore a groove on one side of the block. I tapped the gear back into place and a local shop laid a couple of beads equal distance around the edge. I kept the car for a couple of years and didn’t notice any balance issues.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

pilot shaft bushing in flywheel

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

The noise starts when the clutch pedal is out and stops when the clutch pedal is in correct? With the clutch pedal out in neutral the only thing turning different is the clutch plate, the input shaft/ cluster gear, and pilot bushing. The throwout bearing shouldn't be turning with the pedal out so I would look at the mentioned parts.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

drain the trans oil and look for broken gear tooth

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

In your video look at the area the arrow is pointing to, looks like something moving back and forth possibly hitting the bearing.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Clutch pedal out across the in neutral = noise

Clutch pedal in and clutch not spinning, no noise.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Checked the springs on the plate and the disc. everything looks fine.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

When I first started troubleshooting I did this. The was a broken tooth off of the cluster gear sitting in the bottom of the tranny. I removed it.

When spinning the tranny by hand now I don't hear or feel anything different when that broken tooth comes around on the gear.

Have had other tranny's with broken gear teeth and not heard this noise, could the broken tooth be the culprit?

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

I'll look into this.

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Went back out and turned the Tranny by hand and sure enough there is a "knock" sound every time that broken tooth on the cluster comes around.

I missed it last night, but it's there. Here is a video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/AeLKNMEjyc8?feature=share

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Brad, My Dad and I have been trying to solve the same noise you describe in our 33/34 pickup. The ticking noise only occurs when the clutch is out, minute push clutch in, noise is eliminated. This occurs in neutral as well as when in gear but only able to hear it at low rpm before engine noise overpowers it. In addition, the loud ticking noise increases frequency with engine speed. We are preparing to swap out the transmission and hoping that your find of a broken tooth is the issue for us as well. Would you say that the other potential sources are all ruled out for you? Our first step will be to look for a broken tooth it appears. Thanks a lot put putting this issue out there and for all who tried to help you solve it. Could you please let us know if noise is eliminated after reinstall with all the teeth in place? Thank you. Steve

Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Steve,

Not 100% sure but I don’t see any other issue and that knock noise does happen turning the input shaft by hand every time the broken tooth comes around.

I don’t see any evidence of the pressure plate hitting anywhere and it’s been running quietly for around 1000 miles..

These tranny’s are pretty easy to rebuild. Check out Van Pelt sales. They have all the parts and Mac wrote a really good step by step rebuild manual.

Please let me know what you find with yours, I’m curious if it is a broken tooth.


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Re: Any ideas? Clutch, Pressure Plate or Tranny?
 

Brad, Thank you for your insights on this, great info including likely not the pressure plate.
I appreciate the suggestion to head to Van Pelt sales. Fortunately we have a trans that Mac and Will rebuilt for us last year and plan to swap it out.
This all started due to the loud tick and our desire to fix it.

I'll keep you posted but may be a few months before we tackle that swap. When your coupe is back in service and your V8ing again please let us know if you have solved the issue. Thank you. Update to follow on the pickup this summer. Steve