Anyone who has any definite answer on the clutch/prop/transmission grind?

[fatuglypaapa1]

Been looking around in both Swedish and UK forums. In the swedish forums a fellow mentioned a grinding noise when releasing the clutch, someone mentioned the clutch being the source of the problem, some mentioned some bearings going into the transmission. And almost everyone else on the forums mentioned that their 340s had the same sound, but never thought about it until they saw another video of it.

Basically when you release the clutch so the propshaft is spinning there is a slight grinding noise, metal to metal. Occassionally a louder crunching noise and this seems to only happen when the car isn't in gear. But, this seems to happen when in gear as well it is just the sound being deafened by the engine and road noise.

Now I'm just curious if anyone here has any definite answer to what this could be? It hasn't worsened on mine, I get some crunchy noises every now and then but mostly it's just a rather stable grinding noise, fairly low in volume. So is this just another features of the 340 series or is it a future problem? Read up on one person in the swe forums who claimed it got worse during the winter.

[bogbasic]

On my 360 I have been getting a whirring noise when I press in the clutch. Probably release bearing? Years ago my 1.4 permanently rattled at the traffic lights due to the spinning prop. It could be stopped by adjusting the idle speed but I was told after selling the car that it was probably due to worn out gearbox mounting bushes. Hope this helps. Both problems seemed to be worse in hot weather ;-0 ;-0

Finally, is yours manual and if so can you run it on axle stands or blocks (safety, etc) and see what's going on? For sure it won't happen when you try to locate it ;-0

[fatuglypaapa1]

On my 360 I have been getting a whirring noise when I press in the clutch. Probably release bearing? Years ago my 1.4 permanently rattled at the traffic lights due to the spinning prop. It could be stopped by adjusting the idle speed but I was told after selling the car that it was probably due to worn out gearbox mounting bushes. Hope this helps. Both problems seemed to be worse in hot weather ;-0 ;-0

Finally, is yours manual and if so can you run it on axle stands or blocks (safety, etc) and see what's going on? For sure it won't happen when you try to locate it ;-0

Well adjusting idle speed does nothing except it slows it down. This is the first time I've heard about transmission bushings being the cause but it would not surprise me.

I am currently working full time so won't have time to do anything to the car, am planning on looking through the car in greater detail in 2 weeks when I have some days off and when I've gotten my haynes manual, my 1.4 is also a 4 speed manual. But the problem still doesn't seem to have a definite answer. The release bearing is one of the potential culprits identified in the swedish forums but yet again someone else will claim to have fixed the release bearing and the sound persists.

[fatuglypaapa1]

Finally, is yours manual and if so can you run it on axle stands or blocks (safety, etc) and see what's going on? For sure it won't happen when you try to locate it ;-0

I had some free time during my last night shift and I went below the car and took a look at all the bushings in the rear. The transmission bushings and whatnot all seem to be in pristine condition.

[360beast]

Finally, is yours manual and if so can you run it on axle stands or blocks (safety, etc) and see what's going on? For sure it won't happen when you try to locate it ;-0

I had some free time during my last night shift and I went below the car and took a look at all the bushings in the rear. The transmission bushings and whatnot all seem to be in pristine condition.

Bushes can look fine but the rubber has gone soft with age, I've had this a few times working on cars where the bushes look fine but when you pry them they move a lot.

[fatuglypaapa1]

Finally, is yours manual and if so can you run it on axle stands or blocks (safety, etc) and see what's going on? For sure it won't happen when you try to locate it ;-0

I had some free time during my last night shift and I went below the car and took a look at all the bushings in the rear. The transmission bushings and whatnot all seem to be in pristine condition.

Bushes can look fine but the rubber has gone soft with age, I've had this a few times working on cars where the bushes look fine but when you pry them they move a lot.

Yhea I've noticed that some of them are somewhat soft, they dont have that hard rubber feel as the new bushings. But when I was feeling around on the transmission mounts I couldn't make a dent in them, they feel fairly solid. Either way, I will in september change out basically all bushings in the car and at the moment the sound is the exact so not that big of a worry personally.

[oldscoolcart]

I do doubt, a 'dynamic' phenomenon as grinding can be caused by static items as mounting blocks.
I.m.h.o. grinding refers to rotational movement.