I have a 97 turbo integra with that has been dyno tuned around 500hp with a stock transmission with a quaife lsd and a stage 5 competition sprung hub clutch for about 3 years. It's a weekend warrior and is barely driven 6000 miles a year. Lately it has been making a new noise. Say I'm driving 40mph and slow down and drop it into 2nd gear, I let off the clutch and it makes a louder than normal engagement noise. Also now when I accelerate the whole car sort of vibrates. It only vibrates when I'm at full throttle in 2nd and 3rd. Even in first taking off it sounds like a turbo winding up but I know it's not. Do you think it's a clutch going bad? Maybe a flywheel coming loose? Lsd taking a dump? Or is my tranny ready for a rebuild. I hate thinking of dropping the tranny with no clue of what it may be. Anyone have the same scenario?

 

My guess is the clutch or flywheel, maybe throw-out bearing, either way you will have to drop the tranny to find out.

When was the last time you replaced/checked the fluid? 94

 

I replaced the fluid when I installed the motor about 3 years ago. I haven't noticed any leaking in my garage. I guess I'll just have to rip the tranny out and see. Not looking forward to that with no lift :/

 

Check the fluid first, just because there is none on your garage floor does not mean there is no leak, it may only leak when you are driving it, it would save a hell of a lot of work, [time and money] if that was all that was wrong and it is easy enough to check. 94

 

Tranny has enough fluid. I just drained it to remove it. In the process of removing my tranny I found the driver side axle spline to be twisted. I'm guessing that's what the vibration could be on hard acceleration. I'm not sure that would cause the chatter/rumble strip noise when I downshift though. Here is the spline.
Next is getting the tranny off to investigate more :/

 

Here is the noise it was making.

 

And here is a longer video of it.

 

Yea that's ugly, but hard to tell what it is over the internet. 94

 

UPDATE: I removed the tranny and found that the pilot bearing was not smooth to spin. I replaced that and had the differential bearings and input shaft bearing replaced while it was out. With all that and a new axle installed, all the noises are gone and no vibration on acceleration anymore. Not sure why the clutch pedal engages pretty far out of the end of stroke, newish comp stage 5 sprung hub. And now the leaky turbo is being sent back to precision so once again the poor teggy is down for the count.