'95 Pathfinder Manual 2WD Rear - Noisy Transmission

[jasenpeters]

The SUV has been getting noisier over the past 6 months and seems to be related to the transmission.

It's so loud you can hear it coming in the neighborhood.

Of course, the sound is coming from the clutch/transmission area and is quiet in neutral or in gear with clutch in, ie not moving.

The shifting is as easy as it always has been, but the "winding" up sound is getting louder and louder in the past 6 months. Manual transmission fluid is full and relatively clean.

Strangely, 4th gear is the quietest, so quiet, in fact, we sometimes drive it in 4th instead of 5th or 3rd if the speed is appropriate.

The clutch is 120k miles old and was changed back at about 120k miles.
Total miles about 240k on the SUV.

We plan on changing the clutch ourselves, and if the noise does not quiet down, we plan on taking it to a transmission specialist, as a rebuild or repair is beyond my desire. (unless it's a simple repair)

Any ideas or advice is appreciated.

Thanks

[atraudes]

Welcome to Nico!

From the basic understanding I have, it sounds like it's the input shaft bearing going bad. The reason you're probably not hearing it in 4th is because 4th isn't geared and the engine output to driveshaft is 1:1. If it is indeed the input shaft bearing, you might as well get the transmission rebuilt while it's pulled out. The good news is that it's a manual which should be significantly cheaper than an automatic.

I'd bring it to a shop and have them drive it to see what they say. Most reputable places will give a free diagnosis and be able to tell you what's going on before they finish circling the block. The noise may be an indication it's going south, so get it checked out sooner than later.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[jasenpeters]

Thanks atraudes,

Is a rebuild more than just the bearings?
I wont hold you to it, but what would you estimate the cost, including removal?
(which, btw, I'm willing to do, if it can save a lot)

Is the Nissan dealer any better or worse than a strictly transmission shop?
How long could one go driving with bad bearings, what could happen, etc?

Thanks for the feedback and glad to be here.
We love this car and want to keep her going strong.

[atraudes]

I don't know what's entailed in just replacing the bearings; like, if it's something accessible from the outside vs. having to tear it down completely. A rebuild means replacing common wear items like gaskets and anything else that's reached its effective end of life so overall it would be more costly, but will save you from needing to do it again later. As I understand it, transmission repair costs are mostly labor which is why it's usually recommended to do as much as possible while it's out. I couldn't even take an educated stab at the cost; again, I'd call a shop. They should be able to give you a ballpark of your options. If you're down for taking it on yourself, here's the link to the transmission section of the FSM. If you end up bringing it in, have them replace the rear main seal on the engine. They go bad and cause slow oil leaks over time and the only way to access them is pulling the transmission.

I wouldn't recommend a dealer because my experience is that they're slower, significantly more expensive, and usually don't even offer a competitive edge on knowledge. Check out the posts on the corrosion recall thread for some firsthand accounts of the bang-up jobs and complete lack of accountability dealerships are known for. I go to them for repairs and work that is covered under warranty and that's it. Things may be different if we're talking about exotic cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche where a record of dealership service is paramount, but certainly not for Pathfinders

You're much better off finding a place that's worked on your vehicle before and that has a good reputation. Car Talk's Mechanic Files is a good starting place to find a shop near you if you don't know of any.

http://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files

[jasenpeters]

Thanks so much for the advice, I'll keep you updated.

[jasenpeters]

I found this link in another forum:

1994 Pathfinder General - Fix Contents
http://beergarage.com/Pathfinder.aspx

Manual Transmission Rebuild
http://beergarage.com/PathTransmission1Remove.aspx

For those who might want to take in on themselves.