3 brief unrelated questions

[Yorb]

1. my a/c just started making an uneven crunching/rattling sound. comes from right between the engine fan and the radiator. what does it want?

2. i hear a really weird grating/grinding winch sound from the transmission vicinity about half the time when i step on the clutch after the engine has been revved, such as when i'm switching out of gear to coast to a stoplight. also sometimes when i'm sitting with the clutch in in first gear. sound always stops when i take the clutch out and the car out of gear, or when i start moving (i.e., when the engine has a load on it). this has been an on-and-off problem ever since my clutch was replaced a year or 2 ago, seems to be getting worse though.

3. either its my imagination or the gear shift is getting harder and harder to put into gear and take out of gear. even with the clutch all the way to the floor sometimes i have to force it past a few 'steps' into a gear. i have an oil leak on one of my seals, but even after i put a fresh 4 qts in it persists.

i've searched these from time to time, but i thought maybe if someone was browsing and happen to know one of the answers they could help me out. =) thanks.

[180fan]

1. something's probably right at the fan and getting chewed out.

2. probably needs an transmission oil change.

3. check your slave cylinder. see if it's doing its job or if it's letting fluid pass through

[Yorb]

Thanks. I'll change the transmission oil when I do my usual oil change in a week or so. And how do i check my slave cylinder? =/

As for the A/C fan, here's my diagnosis after actually looking at it: none of the fan housing screws are there, so the fan housing kind of rattles loose against the radiator and intake. I think this may have contributed to the actual problem, which is this: the auxiliary fan (the one that turns on only with the A/C) is completely not attached. The only thing that keeps it in the engine compartment is the fact that the fan spindle goes through the middle of it. So naturally, it still works when the A/C is turned on, but there is some noise when it wobbles over to the radiator side and hits the radiator. =P

I searched and found somebody else that asked if that fan was necessary. I don't know if mine is unfixable yet, but if it is, I have to get another one? Suck. What is it for, anyway?

[JNM240]

. And how do i check my slave cylinder?

Visually inspect it. If there is signs of fluid from the rubber boot area, you should replace it, its about to bust. If it is clean and dry, look into bleeding it, you may have somehow gotten air trapped in the line.

As for your noise when the transmission is in gear, my first thought would be throw out bearing, since its only in use when the pedal is pushed in. Whoever replaced your clutch should have offered to replace that as well, just because its right there. And if you say you are leaking from the rear main seal, then thats something that you shouldve been advised to take care of while the transmission was off for the clutch job (its right behind the flywheel).