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Occasional Clutch Sounding Like Clubbing Baby Seals


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So its random when it happens but occasionally when I feather the clutch and the car is starting from a dead stop you hear a noise that sounds like a walrus or a baby seal. RRRRRR. Now I ask if there is ANYTHING besides a clutch slipping that might cause this issue as my clutch is only 25k miles old / 3 years old. I wont say it CANT be a slipping clutch it just sucks balls if it is :( I had this noise before when I was driving up a hill in stop go traffic and that made me decide I needed a new clutch & all internals. I wont get into detail but although I specified I wanted everything from fork, throw out bearing, slave cylinder, fly wheel, pressure plate, clutch puck... I only got the clutch disc, pressure plate, and slave cylinder back. I was charged for everything I specified but that is a whole different shitty me getting fucked over story.

I went searching around on youtube and this seems to be the closest thing I can find. Again its not EVERY time and the car doesn't slip when flooring it in 5th or even dropping it down to 4th mashing the gas. I will say it has happened maybe a total of 4 times in the past 3 years since it has been done but that was when I had a slight spiking problem and it didn't happen consistantly. I'm sure the clutch that went in there wasn't and R clutch, it was simply the OEM from the dealer. (I tracked the scumbags order...)

Any opinions?

Due to my leg being rebuilt I dooo have a different style of driving occasionally depending how my leg feels. This does mean I feather the clutch more often than the rest. Also, I don't "drop" the clutch on starts basically ever. I have done it a few times just to burnout and I have only drag raced my car at the track 1 night (10 runs) and that was almost 9 months ago. Its random when the noise will happen but it is always from a dead stop getting moving when it does happen

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it goes " ERR ERR ERR " as I release the clutch on occasion. Sucks if its the throw out bearing because I wanted it replaced I jus never know if it was or not cause of the shit situation that happened at the shop. the slave cylinder was also said to be "replaced" I will have to check and see everything I got back. You really have to turn it up because its a quiet video but as he is starting from a dead stop you hear EERR ERRR ERRRR then its fine

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yah sounds like a bearing. I'm presuming they didn't replace that when they did the clutch? this is something (some) mechanics do that I will never understand.

edit: Oh I can read.. honest, well that sucks that you don't know if it was replaced. We'll take a listen on Sat

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what really sucks was I just assumed it was the clutch first time around so I decided everything should just get done cause there's no point to be in there and not do it all. It was the first time I ever took my car to a repair shop as I cant do the clutch job myself with only jack stands and a tiny garage + the whole rebuilt hip issue. I dropped the car off on our way to North Carolina because they said it would be done half way through the week and I could pick it up the day I got home. Time wise Ill cut to the chase, it took 2.5 weeks total because he continued to "order the wrong parts" regardless of telling me where he ordered them. I signed the paper work with my vin but there was nothing written on it. The price & parts were discussed over the phone and after 2.5 weeks of giving me the fucking run around it was "finished" to the tune of 1800 dollars and because I signed the paperwork prior I was tied into paying it. I asked for a breakdown in prices and he even refused to do that. He didn't even have anything written down he hopped on his computer and typed something up stating "CLUTCH KIT" right in front of me. When asking for a simple parts breakdown and not even requesting parts so I could find out what was actually done he refused. All he returned to me was the pressure plate, clutch disc, and maybe something else. THAT IS IT! When I filed a claim with better business bureau I ultimately lost because it was his word against mine and he managed to "lose" any and all documentation regarding my claim or anything related to the work besides a shitty little receipt. After driving I felt something clunk down and the fucker didn't even tighten my front motor mount down to the subframe. The bolts were finger loose and I tightened them just so they wouldn't fall out. I took it back in hopes that this would help my case with the B.B.B. but it never happened. The first time the clutch slipped (RPM rose but not speed) I called him and gave him the bare minimum information and he remembered me and hung up. After telling many people turns out this guy is a notorious scam artist and at the age of 20 I was hosed 1800 dollars for roughly 375 dollars in parts and the rest he made up bullshit which I will never know because I wasn't privy to the information in his eyes and it was "lost" when the B.B.B. asked to see. The only reason I know it cost roughly 375 dollars in parts was because after 2 failed attempts of him getting parts from Rock Auto he went to the dealer, which I happened to call and get exactly what was ordered from them which was only the pressure plate and disc. So anything beyond that I am un-aware of what was replaced :(

Thats what sucks is this noise was the EXACT same noise I based my need for a clutch on and only owning the car for 6 months I figured it was clutch slippage and jumped on getting it fixed :( I am hoping it is just the throw out bearing and that it wont have any horrible short term affect or even long term because I dont have the ability to do the clutch myself and I will never trust a shop to do any work on my car again aside from an inspection. Also sucks that if it IS indeed the fork or bearing... I have to open the shit up again just to deal with what was most likely not fixed after being wallet fucked for $1800.

Does anyone thing that something as simple and cheap as a transmission fluid flush and maybe some way of aligning things might resolve the noise? And to my previous statement, will this cause any short or long term affects in regard to drivability? Finally, the people who have commented that my clutch pedal comes up slow (leading me to believe a misaligned fork or something) would a fluid flush or anything in that regard help me out until I can spare money for parts (unless people want to donate their time and parts haha please :P )

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I don't see video or audio so not sure what it sounds like; but,my (original) clutch

has made a screeching noise (when let out) for over 120K miles (currently at 171K).

I just live with it since the clutch works fine. Note it only does it when you let

it out kind of slower than normal. Maybe 1 out of 30 first gear starts. After a

while, you learn to let it out such that you don't get the noise.

I also have an external slave and (presumably) single mass flywheel (98 t5m with

01/1997 build date).

One thing that helped was a new lower transmission mount. After that I rarely

heard it and it seems it was much harder to reproduce. Clutch engagement was

also much smoother. I have the IPD mount but I bet an OEM one would help, too.

I think the engine/tranny is moving around a bit when you let the clutch out and that

adds to the problem which a fresh mount addresses. It's a pretty easy part to replace.

But, after about a year, the noise is back so I think that mount is tight for a while and

then loosens up.

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I don't see video or audio so not sure what it sounds like; but,my (original) clutch

has made a screeching noise (when let out) for over 120K miles (currently at 171K).

I just live with it since the clutch works fine. Note it only does it when you let

it out kind of slower than normal. Maybe 1 out of 30 first gear starts. After a

while, you learn to let it out such that you don't get the noise.

I also have an external slave and (presumably) single mass flywheel (98 t5m with

01/1997 build date).

One thing that helped was a new lower transmission mount. After that I rarely

heard it and it seems it was much harder to reproduce. Clutch engagement was

also much smoother. I have the IPD mount but I bet an OEM one would help, too.

I think the engine/tranny is moving around a bit when you let the clutch out and that

adds to the problem which a fresh mount addresses. It's a pretty easy part to replace.

But, after about a year, the noise is back so I think that mount is tight for a while and

then loosens up.

I have 11/97 build date but I have to remember the chassis number to see if Im single mass (which Im pretty sure I am). As for the mounts they are all good cause I have had the IPD HD mount forever. You are right about the 1-30 noise and its when letting the clutch out slow. Obviously I can avoid this noise 99% of the time but as I stated my hip has been rebuilt a few times sooooooo that kinda dictates how I drive from time to time. There was actually times where I went old school 1 foot 3 pedal driving because my leg was locked up... scary shit! regardless its good to know I got a clutch and wallet fucked for no reason and that my current clutch isnt slipping :)

TO THE DRAG STRIPPP (after I get a tire cause I had a blow out today)

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Is this what it sounds like (you can hear half way through the vid)

This was 3 days ago in the parking lot. (98 S70 T5m)

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t10/justin325/MISC/?action=view¤t=clutchnoise.mp4

I can reproduce this pretty much any time I want. I can also prevent this almost any time I want. It's all about how fast I let the clutch out. I've been told it is the throw-out bearing.

It's done this the whole time I've owned the car (4 years), Hasn't got any worse or better.

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PERFECT!!!! that is EXACTLY the noise mine makes... Now I'm mad that I changed my clutch back then not knowing what it was :( :( I wondered why the clutch disc looked decently okay :( Would fluid flush help this at all in any way? Like better lubrosity? Also pisses me off knowing that THIS was the noise I went in to have work done on and its doing it yet again... those fuckers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5lPyYusFrs

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PERFECT!!!! that is EXACTLY the noise mine makes... Now I'm mad that I changed my clutch back then not knowing what it was :( :( I wondered why the clutch disc looked decently okay :( Would fluid flush help this at all in any way? Like better lubrosity? Also pisses me off knowing that THIS was the noise I went in to have work done on and its doing it yet again... those fuckers

I've flushed my trans fluid (due to replacing an axle) and this did not make the noise go away. I used Volvo MTF too.

When the noise happens...the engine is rocking a good bit. I always had a feeling it was some sort of engine mount making the noise, but it hasn't got worse/better in 4 years.

I bought a new R clutch kit / PP and throw-out bearing. It's all sitting in my garage. I'd like to make the noise stop, but since my clutch performs great still I'm having a hard time tearing into this project....

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Is this what it sounds like (you can hear half way through the vid)

This was 3 days ago in the parking lot. (98 S70 T5m)

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t10/justin325/MISC/?action=view¤t=clutchnoise.mp4

I can reproduce this pretty much any time I want. I can also prevent this almost any time I want. It's all about how fast I let the clutch out. I've been told it is the throw-out bearing.

It's done this the whole time I've owned the car (4 years), Hasn't got any worse or better.

That is what mine does. I am the original owner and it started doing that around 60K to 70K miles.

Over time it got slightly worse in I sometimes would hear it on 2nd and 3rd gear shifts (but

not since I replaced the lower transmission mount). I think these cars wear the lower mount rather

quickly. I might swap in the IPD black bushing as an experiment. Or, just throw on an inexpensive stock mount

to see if it puts it back to where it was a year ago when I switched to the IPD lower mount

(which initially helped). My upper mount is an IPD poly mount also about a year old.

For the OP, my local independent Volvo mechanic quotes $1600-$1800 to replace the clutch

(parts included). I live in the Bay Area so labor is very high and I think that would

be on the top end of what you would pay. They are also Volvo specialist (and quite good).

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That is what mine does. I am the original owner and it started doing that around 60K to 70K miles.

Over time it got slightly worse in I sometimes would hear it on 2nd and 3rd gear shifts (but

not since I replaced the lower transmission mount). I think these cars wear the lower mount rather

quickly. I might swap in the IPD black bushing as an experiment. Or, just throw on an inexpensive stock mount

to see if it puts it back to where it was a year ago when I switched to the IPD lower mount

(which initially helped). My upper mount is an IPD poly mount also about a year old.

For the OP, my local independent Volvo mechanic quotes $1600-$1800 to replace the clutch

(parts included). I live in the Bay Area so labor is very high and I think that would

be on the top end of what you would pay. They are also Volvo specialist (and quite good).

As my clutch only has 25k miles on it as of now I dont really want to have to go back in just to stop this noise. Maybe I will take your advice and see whats going on mount wise as well. I have the HD poly mount from IPd but that was before they were cool and sent you with both bushings. I will see if I can get the black one as well and also check any other motor mounts and see if that will help.

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That is what mine does. I am the original owner and it started doing that around 60K to 70K miles.

Over time it got slightly worse in I sometimes would hear it on 2nd and 3rd gear shifts (but

not since I replaced the lower transmission mount). I think these cars wear the lower mount rather

quickly. I might swap in the IPD black bushing as an experiment. Or, just throw on an inexpensive stock mount

to see if it puts it back to where it was a year ago when I switched to the IPD lower mount

(which initially helped). My upper mount is an IPD poly mount also about a year old.

For the OP, my local independent Volvo mechanic quotes $1600-$1800 to replace the clutch

(parts included). I live in the Bay Area so labor is very high and I think that would

be on the top end of what you would pay. They are also Volvo specialist (and quite good).

is this the mount you replaced??

fullsize_1233.jpg

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That's it. If you go to their site (IPD) you see testimonials about what a difference it

makes (autos and manual). I was skeptical, but it made a big difference in clutch

engagement. But a year later, it is not nearly as "tight". A new stock mount

might be just as good a change (I don't know). Also, my old mount looked good from a

visual inspection point of view.

ScanTech after-market is $50. OEM is $51 from tasca (part number 9141042). IPD is $100.

OP, people sometimes sell the black bushing since it can be used on the upper motor mount

at the firewall (but that would be too much vibrations for most people). I've seen them

for sale in the used parts section, here.

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