Skippy

I've made the same post on the Grand Sport Registry forum:

Okay, I'm going to need some serious help here - I'm so pissed, but trying to keep my composure the best I can.

I went to Chicago this weekend for a big get together of friends. Well, a bunch of us had gotten new cars lately. Myself with the Grand Sport, and other friends with 350Z, Boxster, and Infiniti G35. So in the spirit of sharing the experience, one friend in particular took the boxster out for a ride. He was back within 5 minutes. So he asked if he could take mine around the block. I said sure. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE! But I trusted the guy, you know? Well, he doesn't come back for, I'd say, a SOLID ten minutes. When he gets back, the car smells like burned rubber and roasted clutch. He says he didn't do anything. Uh-huh.

So, NOW, upon engaging first gear, there's an audible "click." Hard to describe the sound exactly, but it was never there before. As I said, "mad" doesn't exactly describe how I feel right now. Back to the noise. It's kind of a metallic-sounding click, and it pretty much does it almost every time. If I stay in first gear on a roll, then kind of stab (not hard) the throttle, it will make the noise again. This is my first stick shift car, and I already am driving it well; but I'm just not familiar with this type of noise. The car seems to drive fine - but I must know what this noise is.

As for the friend, we are friends no longer.

Please help me if you can!!!!

Thanks, all.

jfb

Now you know why no one but you should drive your vette!

MrNuke

EIther go and beat his azz or sue him for the cost of diagnosis and possible repairs for what he f-ed up..

Not to sound like an ahole, but the lesson learned is NEVER let anyone drive your car without you in it..

joecaver

sounds like maybe a chipped gear tooth. As for your x friend, some people just need killing.

ericcer

Can you tell if the sound is coming from the transmission or drive train? Can you feel it and well as hear it? Maybe it is a u-joint given that he hot rodded the car.

It may not be anything serouis because that drive train is really tough.


[Modified by ericcer, 1:41 PM 8/25/2003]

luvmy92

Is it a click or a clunk? Does it only happen when rolling out of the hole slowly? Does it happen when you turn right or left? Does it also happen in reverse?

If it's a clunk, it could be your C-Beam (Torque Arm) plates. That's what was happening on mine. Look at the following diagram and check under the car and see if the bolts are loose.



If you need to order the kit, get it from http://www.zfdoc.com

Mike

TravisD

Good excuse to do a fruid change on the ZF. Drain it into a clean pan - maybe even strain it thru some cheescloth and if there's any debris.

Skippy

Before I say anything else, YES, I know it was a totally bone-headed thing to do, seeing that I've only had the car a little over a week. But I just thought that he'd respect my car as much as he did the Boxster. I've already given myself enough guilt over this as it is.

OK, the noise is much more of a loud click than a clunk. I haven't heard it make the noise in reverse, or while turning. But again, I've been babying it out of the hole since this happened. It just doesn't seem like it could be a HUGE problem, since it drove fine in all gears 3 hours home from Chicago yesterday. But obviously something happened to it. I appreciate the suggestions, and I'll look at the torque arm plates. I'm having a mechanic friend look at the car tonight. This had better not be an expensive lesson, I will snap if it is.

Thanks for the information, guys.

Jeffvette

Does it happen in first only, or does it make the same noise when you start in second?

Skippy

I haven't tried it out starting in second gear. But there's only been a few times that I heard the noise in any gear but first. When I have heard it, say in 2nd or 3rd, it's when the car is coasting along, then gas is given lightly. The rear U-joints went out on my 91 a few years back - but this noise doesn't really sound like that. This noise is a much more defined noise, even though my descriptions about this problem may appear to be a symptom of a bad U-joint. I don't know, this whole thing has got me pretty much screwed up.

Thanks for the help.

Xander

Could the car have made the sound the whole time but you never really listened that hard because you didnt have reason to believe that the car was beat on? Only reason why I mention it is because I had an 02 SS brand new and it made a similar sound,mostly out of 1st gear. It was under warranty and the GM told me (get this) "all SS's make that noise to varying degrees because it is steel gears in an aluminum housing (or vice/versa) exaggerating the sound. He also went on to say that Corvettes make the same exact noise but the cabin has better sound proofing."

tkrussell

Look at the car from the engine back:
Engine: looks like it is OK, but you probably need to change the oil and filter. Strain the oil and cut open the filter for debris.

Clutch: Sounds like a new disk at least from the smell. Maybe the whole unit if he really overheated it.

Tranny: The clicking sound is worrisome. Change and strain the oil for debris. If it is a chipped gear, sent the trans to a very good shop, such as the zf doc.

Driveline: Check the ujoints on the driveshaft and halfshafts. Look at the halfshafts for twisting. Good news is that without slicks, damage should be less.

Take your friend alligator trolling in the back bayous of Louisiana.

DougSilver

Just a thought on how to handle the cost of diagnosis/repair. If the "friend" has insurance, can you make a claim that he damaged the car? For that matter, will your insurance cover damage done by others? I'm not a lawyer and really don't know the answers but it might be worth researching.

jimmyd

At least drive the dog shizit out of his car, You'll fell better.. :steering:

jsquared94

I let tons of people drive my car, but a few conditions apply:

-It's day
-It's dry
-I know they have respecet for my property
-I'm riding along

Don't let this experience jade you. Take out your anger on him and him alone. Just think of all the smiles you could create if you let RESPECTFUL friends drive your car (with you in it!)!!!!

Jared :flag

TheCorvetteKid

Well...you've obviously learned your lesson, and I'm certain you won't ever EVER let anyone drive your Corvette (this or any other) ever again. Of course, the fact that this person 'asked' you if he could drive it tells me that he didn't respect your property from the beginning. Would YOU ever ask someone if you could drive their Lambourghini? Not likely! At most you would ask for a ride. Why? Because you respect the person's property. And it is this disrespect towards personal property that has spurred me to do the work to my '89 6-speed myself.

And speaking of the 6-speed, I would definitely suggest you call the guys at the ZF Doctor (www.zfdoc.com). As I mentioned, my car is a 6-speed and it doesn't make ANY kind of 'clink' or metallic 'clunking' noise of anything of the sort when put into 1st gear. I'm not trying to scare you or say that there is something wrong with your car, but if there's a noise where there wasn't before, it's worth your own peace of mind to speak to the experts.

And as for this 'ex-friend' of yours...well...some people definitely deserve a severe beating! If you ever do speak the guy again - even in passing - tell him to stick to driving little 6-cylinder German runabouts that couldn't chirp their tires from a stand still if you lit a ritual fire and chanted!!! It's obvious that the man doesn't know what he's doing at the wheel of a REAL car!

CentralCoaster

I have this problem also. I get a metallic clink when engaging first gear.

Ii've been told the problem may be a damaged input shaft main bearing. When the tranny engages, it puts thrust on it and causes the noise, cuz it moves around. Except, what doesn't make sense to me, is it does it in revers gear too, and that gear is straight-cut like your entire gearbox, and wouldn't put any thrust on the bearing.

I have yet to figure out the problem.

GS Ragtop

Send a message to Bill Boudreau at billb@zfdoc.com. He's the expert on the ZF and associated powertrain noises.

Good luck,
Brad

Skippy

Okay, here's the update. BIG SIGH OF RELIEF*** I believe it's either the (you guessed it) u-joints or maybe a shot wheel bearing. We were able to kind of isolate the noise last night. The car will actually get up on a lift Thursday. But it does not appear to be a transmission problem. Wow, what a scare...but no, I will not be speaking civilly to my "buddy." He can keep driving his Xterra-garbage. Thanks for the posts, guys, my lesson has been learned. I don't ever plan on getting rid of this Grand Sport, and I sure don't ever plan on letting anyone else drive it!!!!

Cheers!

George Dickel

The burning rubber smell you describe was probably from an overheated clutch that was slipping either from an experienced driver not operating it properly or it is getting worn from previous drivers and mileage. You said this was your first stick shift car. How much did you slip the clutch when you were learning to drive it? How hard did the previous owner drive the car? Driven properly a clutch will last for thousands of miles but if it is worked hard or abused or driven by inexperienced drivers, a clutch will wear out very quickly. One time I drove a friends Mustang GT that had a manual transmission. If I drove normally the clutch operated properly but if you got on it a little hard it would start slipping. Your clutch could be at this point and when your ex-friend drove it he may have pushed the car enough that the clutch slipped and got hot. It's a good possibility he didn't even realize the clutch was slipping. It's only a guess but if your clutch is getting worn it may be at the point where it isn't completely disengaging and the transmission input shaft is still turning. When you put it into 1st gear the noise could be from the 1st gear engaging with the moving input shaft gear.