noise in transmission/driveshaft(?) only when moving

[maxima278]

i've always gotten great answers on this forum but let me know if i should be going elsewhere...

i did an engine swap a month ago and ever since, I have had this noise coming from seemingly right below the shifter. It almost sounds like somebody stuck a playing card in a bike spoke only more metallic. It does not matter if the clutch is in or out, the car simply has to be moving. I could not find anything hitting the driveshaft when I looked underneath. I'm just worried that it may be something in the transmission. Could it be low fluid? If not could it have anything to do with the fact that the back half of the driveshaft is from an automatic and the front half is from a straightshift? they seemed to bolt together like they were meant to. the car used to be an automatic.

what would be a good indication of low fluid in the transmission?

I want to trust this car out on the road but I also do not want to drop the transmission the first time I go a few miles away from the subdivision.

thanks very much. I would not be where I am with this car without you guys

James

[maxima278]

oh by the way, this is on a 96/95 240sx, not the maxima pictured below!

[tiger]

U know what.. I just did a rebuild and mine is doing that... it's a loud ticking...did u ever find out what it was??!?

[maxima278]

wasn't so much a loud ticking, its almost stopped, but not quite. Seemed to be related to how well my clutch master/slave cyl was bled. I need to get it bled by a machine or something at a shop, then maybe it'll be good.

[tiger]

well, I found my problem... there was a hugggee zip tie on my driveshaft (????) lol... and at the end of the zip tie..the tail of it was whipping like a weedeater at my e brake cable thingie...

[maxima278]

that's kind of funny. THis one time I had a 90 Pathfinder and I was driving down the interstate and a car in front of me ran over this big plastic painters tarp. when it went under my truck it wrapped around the driveshaft like 20 times! I had to pull over, crawl up under the truck and unroll it from the driveshaft. It also melted onto my muffler so I smelled plastic for months after that

[Red coupe]

I knew a guy who used to zip tie kids axles at school...

Sounds strange that your slave master having air would effect a noise, if the noise happened both with the clutch engaged and disengaged. the clutch is engaged by the diaphragm spring pf the clutch, and disengaged by hydraulically overcoming the force of that spring. the entire hydraulic system for the clutch could be removed and it would operate fine, you just couldn't disengage the clutch.

If you want to check the fluid level with the car off and cold find the square 1/2" bolt on the drivers side of the transmission to fill it with fluid. with the car level take out that bolt and stick a clean finger in to check that the fluid is level with the hole.

How fast did the noise repeate? around engine speed? slower? does it change speed with gear?

Did you swap the engine your self?

[maxima278]

it would only do it with the clutch pedel mashed. like it wasn't disengaging all the way. It hasn't done it much since I bled it again. you're right, I do need to check the transmission fluid level.

yeah, I swapped it all myself. It was an auto with a burned wiring harness including the box with the relays in it and everything. I had to run the new one all the way to the ecu, and around the front where the headlights are and all the way into the steering column!

[tiger]

LOL, you should try unwrapping a ski rope from a jet ski intake... heheh

[komete]

Sorry off topic but nice maxima, I'm allways tempted to see if someone would trade me a Maxima for my 95 240. I want one badly.

[jdm_master_X]

well what the problem could be is the output shaft bearings considering the noise only generates when you are moving, regardless of clutch engagement.

considering that the driveshaft is half auto, half manual, if the fitment was okay, it should have nothing to do with the noise, unless the driveshaft was forced-fit onto the output shaft and slip yoke, then pre-load from the driveshaft could have wore out the bearing.

another cause for this would also be that the driveshaft (since it was pieced together) was not tested for being in phase/out of phase or balance. all driveshafts should have their own specs for balance and phasing, and although the driveshafts are identical, remember that manuals and automatics are driven under different conditions.

all in all, more than likely, 85% of me feels that a faulty output shaft bearing is whats causing this noise. any more details so i can help you diagnose the problem?

-does the noise vanish at 4th gear (direct drive>?)-when is it most noisy (RPM/speed/etc)?

[maxima278]

actually it is only when the clutch is mashed. you can feel it too, its just like an underlying gentle grinding noise. you can let out the clutch, and remash it and it wont do it again.

Sorry off topic but nice maxima, I'm allways tempted to see if someone would trade me a Maxima for my 95 240. I want one badly.

maybe we can work something out...

[jdm_master_X]

input shaft bearing or throwout bearing. common driveability noise when the car is moving. i suggest that you check on those and see if the two are in alignment with its pilot bearing and the clutch splines.

[skydragoness]

Not to hijack the thread but I'm having similar problems: i've been having some pretty loud driveshaft/differential noise myself since September of this year (when I had my clutch/flywheel and new nismo transmission/engine mounts put in). I also swapped in a 5spd from my prev. 240 that was in better shape than the one that came w/ the current car.

Anywho. Ever since September, i've been getting a very audible whirring sound (actually it's pretty loud, you can hear it over the catback+header) only when i'm in gear and only when i'm 1/4 on the throttle. At full throttle the noise disappears and when i'm coasting in gear there's no noise either. We checked my wheel bearings they are fine. Driveshaft looks allright. I already have subframe collars as well.

Any ideas? My bf seems to think it's not the center bearing for the driveshaft but I dunno. Something tells me it's not just 'harmless noise.' And just today while at the mall i noticed a click-click noise when moving too. I think that may be my right rear caliper though because it's been groaning lately and I think that just needs some more grease on the caliper pins.

Any ideas?

[180fan]

A year later ain't a hijack in my book. This is a perfect example of a good use of the search function. Awesome.

Usually there's other stuff I've come to associate with the caliper pins, like it dragging. Last time I had a clicking from the rear calipers it was because of a pin bolt that was working loose. Then again having a well greased set of caliper pins is always a good idea. They become a real pita to get out when the grease starts to wear away and pack up into the rubber seal and the other cupped section that they slide in and out of...

If you're positive it's coming from the rear near the driveshaft area, then I'd suspect one of two things. 1. the bearing for the driveshaft carrier and 2. it's possible that your catback could also be rubbing/hitting the driveshaft as well. That was something I discovered with my 5zigen Proracer, I saw a small curved cut out on the resonator and a thin ring appearing around the driveshaft.

If you're not so sure if it's coming from, the clicking noise I'm dealing with is actually from the bolts coming loose on the power steering cooling loop right at the engine cross member and it rattling while the car's in motion.

[skydragoness]

Well I have a custom-made cat-back, the only thing it was rubbing agaist were my aftermarket swaybars but i went back to the shop and they fixed the rubbing.

I have a feeling the noise is driveshaft related, and the clicking caliper-related. Thanks for the insight.

[180fan]

I wouldn't doubt your assessment of your noise situation. Sorry I couldn't be of more use in your situation.

[skydragoness]

New idea I just thought of:I was thinking of picking up one of the Driveshaft Shop's steel 15lb one-piece driveshafts. On the stock driveshaft would the center bearing be in the middle near that joint or is it near the diff ? I figure a one piece from them might eliminate having to replace it depending on where that bearing is located.
Modified by skydragoness at 11:15 PM 12/24/2006

[KFL]

It sounds more like a trans issue..from the symptoms.. I have all sorts of noise from my trans..gear whine..mainly. Sounds like reverse when I take off in 1st..when up to speed 3,4,5 noise dissapears but when on throttle lightly noise appears and when I'm at WOT it goes away. I swapping in another trans quite soon hopefully my car will be QUIET at least from the trans situation. Why buy a steel driveshaft? opt to save more for alum. The center bearing is more towards the diff end.. Bearing noise would be much low key..its pretty insulated.. I have heard of the u-joint going bad but unsure what that sounds like.

[skydragoness]

It sounds more like a trans issue..from the symptoms.. I have all sorts of noise from my trans..gear whine..mainly. Sounds like reverse when I take off in 1st..when up to speed 3,4,5 noise dissapears but when on throttle lightly noise appears and when I'm at WOT it goes away. I swapping in another trans quite soon hopefully my car will be QUIET at least from the trans situation. Why buy a steel driveshaft? opt to save more for alum. The center bearing is more towards the diff end.. Bearing noise would be much low key..its pretty insulated.. I have heard of the u-joint going bad but unsure what that sounds like.

I was told it was my transmission, but it sure as hell sounds like it's emanating from the rear. The reason why I don't think it's the transmission is because it was swapped in from my prev. 240 which was in better shape than the one that came w/ the car (would not go into 2nd sometimes). It never made this noise before in my prev. 240 and it goes into all the gears perfectly.The sound --as best as i can describe it--is a very loud whirring sound. Kind of like a woo-woo-woo-woo-woo (w/ the pauses in between) only when 1/4 on the throttle. Like you said, it goes away WOT, and goes away if i just coast in gear. Hard to describe on the internet.

And why do i want the steel driveshaft instead? Well, because it's a.) $100 cheaper than the aluminum and b.) still a good 4lb weight savings. But the biggest reason i want one is just the attraction of eliminating that joint in the middle (is it called the u-joint? not sure, i'm not at home while I type this so i can't consult my FSM).

[KFL]

I was told it was my transmission, but it sure as hell sounds like it's emanating from the rear. The reason why I don't think it's the transmission is because it was swapped in from my prev. 240 which was in better shape than the one that came w/ the car (would not go into 2nd sometimes). It never made this noise before in my prev. 240 and it goes into all the gears perfectly.The sound --as best as i can describe it--is a very loud whirring sound. Kind of like a woo-woo-woo-woo-woo (w/ the pauses in between) only when 1/4 on the throttle. Like you said, it goes away WOT, and goes away if i just coast in gear. Hard to describe on the internet.

And why do i want the steel driveshaft instead? Well, because it's a.) $100 cheaper than the aluminum and b.) still a good 4lb weight savings. But the biggest reason i want one is just the attraction of eliminating that joint in the middle (is it called the u-joint? not sure, i'm not at home while I type this so i can't consult my FSM).

If your sure its coming from the rear only things I can think off.-Subframe bushings? when u insert the collar you get noise..its more off when lifting off the throttle and slowing doing. If you don't have any collars/new bushings you'll get more of a clunking sound on take off possible for vibrations to be heard as well..these wear down a lot on s14s would say s13s have same issue.

-driveshaft u joint possibly it looks a U rubber seals. center bearing holds d.s up into chasis probably produces whirring sounds when bearings go bad. -wheel bearing these make a whinning sound..more so when the start to go mostly see s13s.

-brakes..caliper possibly dragging against rotor..sometimes the slide pin seizes up..1 side will wear down pads a lot, brake pad indicator will start to rub on rotor on/off.'

Differential stock..I know one or two guys who actually had these go bad on them..made all sorts of noise..then my buddy sold them his open diff fixed problem.

About the steel driveshaft.,.you can find the alum. one for a tad under 400~ The steel saves you 4lbs, alum 8lbs, 2x's weight for just a 70-100 difference kind of worth it if ur going for most performance.(D.S only carries steel I believe, other companines source out alum. shaft from d.s)