noise from 2nd gear

johnr66 · Mar 7, 2011

I have an 04 2.3L 5sp. Makes a faint noise like metal sliding over metal sound (not a squeak) in second gear only. Noise remains even with clutch pushed in. Noise will stop when vehicle come to a stop (I held clutch in, in 2nd gear then stopped to check). Given this, it sounds like it is in the transmission. Operation seems normal.

What could cause this?
Thanks

aaronhahn777 · Jul 12, 2011

Have you solved this? I have the same problem.

Things so far:
-fluid flush - no change (some fine metal dust in the fluid but not abnormal)
-checked slave cylinder fluid.. looks old but could use a flush (I heard air can get trapped in the high points and affect the proper engaging of gears - haven't yet flushed).
-took shifter boot off (interior), plastic plate, and housing. I noticed a broken plastic ring between the transmission top and the shifter knuckle (hard to explain). But I've read blogs about that making a different... though I don't see how it would affect anything.

i will try to find time this month to drain the hydraulics in the shifting line. Here is a really good video link of how to do it once it's removed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNTDGwcjZc

Will post results here when I get around to it.

Explorin94 · Jul 12, 2011

Sounds like you either have a bad input shaft bearing or the pocket bearing is starting to fail. The pocket bearing is what keep the input and main shaft aligned. If you have the noise now and don't do anything with it it will eventually persist in all the gears except 4th.

aaronhahn777 · Jul 12, 2011

Thanks for the tips Explorin94... I'll look into this further. I hope that is not the case as it sounds above my knowledge to fix.

aaronhahn777 · Jul 12, 2011

OK... just spent an hour with an old guy that is a specialist with transmissions. He even had my exact transmission in parts in his garage so I was able to sit down with him with it on the table to discuss.

After the road test, he was still unable to diagnose. He is sure it is not the input shaft bearing. He had a hunch it was the synchros between 1&2... but nothing definitive. I did not mention the pocket bearing... but judging by what we were looking at on the table... i did not see any other bearing that could affect the alignment.

He says "if it were mine... i'd keep driving it". so that is what I am going to do (until more symptoms arise... fingers crossed)

aaronhahn777 · Jul 27, 2011

I replaced the plastic/rubber ring under between the transmission and the stick shift... so far it seems it has made the symptoms disappear? Also... I don't get annoying vibration from the stick shift any more either.

If you take the cup-holders out, lift off the stick-shift boot, remove the black plastic plate screwed to the floor, you will find a plastic ring between the stick-shift and the top of the transmission. This is all that the problem was... and I just used a $0.50 rubber ring and cut it into a c-shape and wrapped it with electrical tape.... lol.

Earl43P · Jul 27, 2011

Wow, that's a nice result!

My "guess" is the slop in the stick was affecting the engagement fork position for second gear, making it sing.

dutchranger · Apr 1, 2012

This is great, hope it works on mine also. I noticed the exact same thing, a slight wine and only in 2nd gear, regardless whether clutch is depressed or not. And only when car is rolling (not when not moving). Will replace rubber ring and see what happens. Thanks for figuring this out!

aaronhahn777 said:
I replaced the plastic/rubber ring under between the transmission and the stick shift... so far it seems it has made the symptoms disappear? Also... I don't get annoying vibration from the stick shift any more either.

If you take the cup-holders out, lift off the stick-shift boot, remove the black plastic plate screwed to the floor, you will find a plastic ring between the stick-shift and the top of the transmission. This is all that the problem was... and I just used a $0.50 rubber ring and cut it into a c-shape and wrapped it with electrical tape.... lol.

noise from 2nd gear

johnr66

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aaronhahn777

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Explorin94

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aaronhahn777

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aaronhahn777

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aaronhahn777

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Earl43P

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dutchranger

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