whip8888

Hey guys,
I'm new to the site and new to 4th gen f-bodys
Well I just bought a 94 LT1 Trans Am and I have been chasing what I thought was an exhaust shield rattle for the last 2 weeks.
When I pulled her in to my garage the other day I notice that there was a very small rattle the entire time that I had the clutch disengaged. I could barely hear it over my exhaust. But once I engaged my clutch the noise would stop. This led me to believe that it's a bad pilot bearing. I wont have time to drop the tranny for next couple of weeks but I have been reading some horror stories on this site about people having to rebuild that tranny over the pilot bearing failing. I am just hoping you guys can put my mind at ease and tell me that these are rare occurrences and that my input shaft is going to be ok
Thanks

BALLSS

if it is a bad pilot bearing and you hear noise with clutch pedal depressed...than you would need to pull tranny to confirm.

Depending on how long this has been going on, and it is in fact a bad pilot bearing, the chances of scoring the tip of the input shaft is high. It is a FU grooved tip that means you need a new input shaft on tranny...not a cheap job

Often though there is just some minor scoring and some emery cloth can clean up the tip with a new bearing or bushing installed

I use this "blind hole puller" I get at Autozone under their loaner tool program to remove the old bearing. Works very well # 27128

whip8888

Well my fingers are crossed
I've only driving the car about 6 or 7 times like this but who knows how long the previous owner drove it like this.

I wish I would have noticed it when I took it for a test drive i probably could talked him down a little more.

BALLSS

by "disengaged" you mean you had the clutch pedal depressed and the noise happens, right?

and when you release clutch, engine running, in neutral it does not make this noise, right?

chrysler kid

iTrader: (14)

It's not a bad pilot bearing, it's a bad throw out bearing, the bearing on the end of the clutch slave.

So you should drop the trans and replace the clutch slave which has a throw out bearing on the end of it that contacts the clutch pressure plate

Pilot bearing would make noise all the time and usually have a vibration

You should also change your motor mounts at the same time when you drop the trans. Bad motor mounts can affect the life of the pilot bearing

whip8888

Thanks Chrysler Kid. I will look at that when I have it down,
Would the throw out bearing also cause a slight rattle under light load like a slow take off or a down shift??

I figure I will still change the pilot bearing while i'm in there, I'm probably going to put a bushing in





Yes I was pressing the clutch pedal down. And when I let go the noise is gone.

2ToeRacing

iTrader: (5)

Check the clutch and rear main seal while your in there

whip8888

Thanks 2Toe it was already on the list
I figure while i'm in there I will replace
Rear main seal
Input shaft seal
Pilot bearing
Throw out bearing
replace the tranny fluid
and check my U joints
Am I Missing anything?

One more thing I forgot to mention is that this only happens when the car is hot
Is this normal for a throw out bearing??
This morning I jumped in the car for the first time since I found that the rattle is coming from the bell housing area and even with a 10 min ride I couldn't reproduce any of the noises.

BALLSS

if front tranny seal appear to be leaking, replace. If not I would leave it alone

you may be over extending clutch and fork is buzzing PP making the sound you hear when clutch is depresses

does the noise happen if you don't push the clutch pedal all the way down but enough for the tranny to shift?

whip8888

Hard to say,
the car sounds perfect when it's cold, If the weather stays nice and I see no snow the next couple of days I will take her out and get her nice and warm and investigate exactly when it happens
But if the fork was over extending I would have to imagine that it would make noise hot or cold right??

By the way I really appreciate everyone's help on this

BALLSS

no, if fork was buzzing the PP it would do it all the time

we can't hear what you hear from this side of he internet.

If you can determine noise is coming from bellhousing/clutch/tranny area....pull tranny and clutch and ideally something will be clear to see as to wtf the problem is. pilot bearing, TO bearing...or tranny itself

Don't know why heat would cause it other than something expanding enough to then have contact with something

whip8888

Well good news
I dropped the tranny today and it looks great
but the throw out bearing sounds like it has sand and one rock in it
Hope that takes care of my rattle