I'm still in the break in process (about 300 miles now) of my Monster Stage 2 clutch with new GM TOB. I took a cruise this weekend and heard a faint ringing sound at low rpm's when accelerating. I did a few searches and thought it might be glazed, but it's not chattering. I put about 50 miles on in this weekend and it still has a quiet ringing bell sound. Nothing at idle, nothing at higher rpms.

I tried to do a little trouble shooting today and saw a little fluid at the bottom of the bellhousing. My first thought was a slave cylinder issue. Unfortunately I wiped the fluid off with a shop rag, then couldn't tell what it smelled like. I traced the fluid drip up the bell housing and noticed I had a little coolant around my coolant temp sensor, and wonder if it was dripping down and onto the flywheel? I started to pull the temp sensor and the adapter broke off, so I ordered a new one, but can't do any clutch testing until the sensor adapter arrives.

FWIW, my clutch engagement point was at the very top of the pedal. I have a McLeod adjustable clutch, so I adjusted the engagement point down a little, but again, haven't be able to test it.

So I'm just thinking out loud and open to suggestions. I wonder if the slave wasn't fully disengaged and the ringing was coming from the clutch fingers? Or if the fluid was dripping down onto the flywheel and causing noise? Or if my slave is leaking fluid and that's what is causing the noise?

 

So the noise is happening when the clutch is already fully engaged? Sounds to me like it could be the fluid, definitely want to get that fixed asap to ensure it doesn't contaminate the clutch.

 

Yes, it only happens when the clutch is fully engaged, rpm's between 1000-2500 under some kind of acceleration.

The problem is, I don't know if was:
-The engine coolant dripping down from the rear side of the passenger head into the bellhousing.
-Or if the slave is leaking fluid.
-Or if the two are completely unrelated, and it had to do with the engagement point of the clutch. i.e. the engagement point was too high and even with the pedal all the way up the slave was still engaging the clutch fingers?

 

Just a quick update. It wasn't the clutch. The fluid I saw and the clutch noise were unrelated.

I had a crack in the brass adapter for my coolant temp sensor (passenger rear) that was dripping coolant down along the bellhousing, but not actually in it. I had assumed that the fluid was either dripping into the bellhousing from the coolant leak and onto the clutch, or that the slave was leaking and throwing fluid up and out of the bellhousing.

It turned out that I had a loose bracket on the back of my PS pump. It was causing a ringing sound at low rpm's under load. It didn't do it at idle because the rpm's weren't high enough. While driving, when I depressed the clutch the ringing went away, but it went away because the rpm's dropped as well. I fixed the bracket and all is well. Just waiting to hit 500 miles so I can beat on this thing!

 

Glad to hear you got it figured out! Patience grasshopper

 

i was gonna say...fluid that causes a ringing sound, what?

glad you got it figured out.

 

Thanks guys, glad it was an easy (and unrelated) fix.

I posted the question because I wasn't sure what was causing the sound and was looking for ideas. I thought the fluid might have glazed the clutch, or the slave wasn't fully disengaging causing the clutch fingers to make the sound. I realize it was a jumbled set of thoughts I was putting out there. I was just looking for suggestions.

If someone had come along earlier and said "There's no way fluid would cause a ringing sound", then I could have eliminated that possibility sooner...

 

no worries man...that's what forums are for.