Ok. I could really use a bit of help here. I recently destroyed the clutch in my 05 stang and decided to go with the Ram Powergrip kit in conjunction with a new Ram Billet steel flywheel. I replaced the pilot bearing but not the intergral throwout/slave cylinder bearing. I shimmed the throwout bearing w/ one shim to compensate for the difference in the height of the pressure plate like Ram notes. After getting everything back together I now have a significant clunkin noise when I let the clutch out in 4 of 5 gear as it engages. It does it slightly in first, second, and third, not when the clutch is released, but when you accelerate lightly, however, it sounds more like a growling noise and goes away as the rpms increase.

I believe I have eliminated the following possibilites:
Rear End? No, I have completely rebuilt the rear end and added a Detroit C Locker - Not the issue, sounds more up front anyways.
Driveshaft? No, Does not appear to be the problem. No noticeable/visible vibrations or loose connections
Engine? No, Not an engine type sound.

This leaves either the clutch or something in the tranny. I'm completely baffled! I guess I'll take it all back apart again, check clearances, and make sure everything is tight. I guess while Im at it ill change the throwout bearing too.

You guys got any suggestions?

 

Sounds like a binding/sticking throwout bearing to me. Was the area that the T/O bearing rides on lubed? Thats pretty critical, as usually thats what will cause binding/sticking. Also, is the thrust housing torqued? (front part of the trans). Im thinkin more along the lines of the sticking rather than the thrust housing because you said there is no noticable vibes as a loose housing would DEFINITLY cause a vibe.
-P.

 

It does have a slight vibration to it. Do you mean the bolts that connect the bell housing to the tranny? What the hell, I got to take it apart anyways, arggg, I might as well check that too. I did wipe off the throwout bearing shaft that the sleeve sides over. Interesting thought.

 

Any other ideas?

 

yep , i bet what you are hearing is gear lash noise and not a issue with the thowout bearing/slave cylinder. couple things to keep in mind the factory flywheel is a dual mass flywheel and the factory clutch has larger springs in the clutch disk - so what this does is reduce the engine vibration and gear lash noise. As long as you got everything alighned correctly and your block was close to specfications it's got to be the compromise factor of using aftermarket high performance parts. I put a spec 2+ with spec steel flywheel in mine and did some research and called speck tech support and that's what the deal was. If the bearings were bad there are different symptons anyway - if you got the shop manual (DVD) you can check & troubleshoot and i bet you will find there isn't anything wrong.