dannyak

Hey guys,

I changed my clutch with a clutch kit yesterday (98 civic ex) using a tutorial on here, dropped the trans and got it back in, took a good 10 hours of work. I got everything connected and back together and started it up... there was a horrible knocking noise.

My guess is that I may have tightened the pressure plate down too hard I should have used a torque wrench, would that make a loud knocking noise?

Its on startup, knocks real loud, enough that I turned it back off immediately because it freaked me out. Does it with clutch in or clutch out, didn't put it in gear but it does it in neutral. I am going to tear it apart again tomorrow and hopefully fix it, was just looking to see if anyone else had any other ideas. When I install the clutch, should the clutch disk move about freely behind the pressure plate? mine seemed stuck in place but I know I installed it with the springs sticking out toward the transmission.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks guys.

- D

tony_2018

Seriously man........things like this are hard to tell. Can you get an audio recording or something? I don't really see how a clutch replacement could cause a knocking unless you didn't tighten one of the flywheel bolts and that sucker got loose.

Probably a loose rear mount or the shift linkage hitting against the exhaust........you gotta inspect that yourself.

dannyak

I've already gotten most of the stuff underneath off (axles, starter, slave cylinder) I suppose I will go through and retorque things and see if we have the same problem. If so I will post a video tomorrow. I double checked all the mounts and they're secure. I'm wondering if somehow the transmission while getting wiggled back on somehow didn't correctly insert into the clutch, it went on pretty easy once we had it lifted to the right height.

Thanks for the response.

Former User

The issue will probably be obvious after you drop the transmission.

Two things you definitely need this time - a torque wrench and the service manual.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

The disk is not supposed to spin or move freely when you bolt down the pressure plate. If it did...the car would never move.

You need a torque wrench. You're going to kill yourself or your passenger if that clutch comes apart.

Maybe your flywheel bolts aren't tight enough. Over tightening the pressure plate or flywheel bolts won't cause a knocking noise. But if they snap while the car is on....holy effing crap. Imagine a 20-40 LB buzz saw spinning at 6K RPM (100 times a second) coming through your dash.

Buy a torque wrench.

dannyak

Just got a torque wrench this morning going to go back through again. I had used an impact wrench to remove the bolts without jamming the flywheel, could that have somehow damaged something inside the engine? Otherwise I didn't touch the engine, I'm taking it apart again and putting it back together via honda manual this morning, i'll put a video up if the sound is back

Former User

You also may need the Honda crank pulley hex tool to prevent the flywheel from turning while you torque the bolts.

tony_2018

Good idea, I'll need to do this some time this weekend when I convert to 5spd.

Former User

As an alternate option, the crank bolt could be used as well, but the risk is loosening it. The crank bolt is generally crazy tight, but proceed at your own risk.

dannyak

Same issue... pulled it all apart twice and put it back together in the last 3 days.. i am to exhausted to go on.. here is a video... the clutch is pretty squishy prob still has a little air in it, but it lets me start it up...it gets quieter when i put the clutch in but still a little noise

tony_2018

I doubt the amt of torque that I'll be using on the flywheel bolts and pressure plate will be enough to break loose the crank bolt but thanks for the heads up though.

tony_2018

Your car sounds like its high idle and that has nothing to do with your clutch replacement.

dannyak

That shouldn't make the rubbing/knocking sound coming from the transmission area though right? When it starts up it sounds like the engine is being slowed down or something.. it starts up real slowly

tony_2018

Seriously that short clip only gives me the sound of the engine idling super high, or the mic is that sensitive.

dannyak

hmmm... ill try to get a better video then.. but that one is pretty clear, you can hear an extra rubbing sound thats not normal with a civic.. its wayyyyy louder than normal. My idle is only high because the battery has been disconnected for days.

myEKsedan

iTrader: (1)

Define "clutch kit". What all was replaced using this kit?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Something is rubbing where it shouldn't be. Did you re-use the OEM hardware, or replace it? Did you verify clearances? Are you sure you installed the clutch disc correctly?

Koko4

When you tightened the pressure plate, did you do it in a criss-cross pattern? (like you do with a car's wheel). When you're back in there, go ahead and throw some blue Loctite on the flywheel bolts, just for good measure. BLUE not red.

Does that loud sound go away once you run the engine for more than a few seconds? Did you use grease / lube on the clutch fork and input shaft? Based on your description it sounds like you did install the clutch correctly (it's not supposed to move or wiggle when the pressure plate is tight on top of it).

You sure it's not a heat shield rattling or something? Does it increase/decrease with RPM's?

After my car had been sitting for 3 days, and I hadn't started it up in awhile, it idled higher than usual and made a noise like that for about 20 seconds until it warmed up / got oil to where it needed to go. I just assumed it was from all of the weird angles I had put the engine in while working on it.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

It sounds exactly like a clearance issue I had with clearance between a bolt and the bell housing, thus my previous questions.

dannyak

The clutch kit included pressure plate, clutch disk, pilot bearing and throwout bearing all of which I replaced. I double checked to make sure the disk was installed hte right direction and that the pressure plate was installed correctly (i found I had actually installed it incorrectly previously, so I fixed it this time, torqued down to 19 ft/lbs.

When I opened the transmission, there was a little scrape on the transmission housing like something was rubbing against it, I thought it was that I installed the pressure plate incorrectly but the same sounds remains after proper installation. The pressure plate looks the same as the one I took out, they both say PHT so I am assuming the one that was installed is the same brand that I bought from the auto parts store. the only thing that I believe could have caused that mark would be the pressure plate.

I haven't let the engine run for more than about 20 seconds because I'm afraid i'm about to throw a rod or something, the sound does get quieter when I press the clutch.

I tightened pressure plate in a star pattern, 89ish ft/lbs

Thanks for the replies guys, I've spent 35 hours in the last 3 days ripping this transmission out twice by myself (wish I had a hoist) I suppose when I do it again sometime late this weekend I will see if there are any more markings on the inside of the transmission housing...I can't be sure that it was the pressure plate but i don't recall touching anything inside it. The mark is near the input shaft but on a corner that comes close to the pressure plate. I don't understand how it could not have clearance now, I reused the flywheel, should I try to reuse the old pressure plate?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Unless you had the pressure plate resurfaced, I wouldn't. It's time you inspected the pressure plate and pressure plate bolts to see where it's rubbing. Also, called it.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Pressure plate to 89LB-FT? But...why? Should be like 18LB-FT, IIRC. Flywheel should be like 76LBS....

tony_2018

I'll ask anyways....

Did you install the clutch disk itself correctly?

This time when you take it apart, don't put it back just yet. Take pics of the PP bolts from the front and the side.

dannyak

I'll take photos when I have it back off tomorrow. If i had previously said i installed the pressure plate at 89 ft/lbs that's incorrect, the flywheel was installed at 89, pressure plate around 19.

The clutch disk was installed correctly, flywheel side is on flywheel side, the only thing i can think of is that maybe the flywheel is on a slight wobble.. or this pressure plate is just a few mm too large, its a small scrape on the inside of the transmission housing about 2 cm long and 1 cm high, ill have photos tomorrow.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Are all the dowels in properly?