All:

First off, I'd like to say that I own a 2001 Integra Type-R. It is approximately 15 months old. About 9 months ago, I put in a Fidanza Flywheel and ACT Clutch. About 2 months ago I put in H&R sport springs. About 2 weeks ago I put on a APEX dunk exhaust (axle back). The temperature here has been in the mid 80's.

Today I drove my route to the office as any other time, and all things appeared fine. The average speed I drive is usually with the flow of rush hour traffic (72MPH). Today, I cut out of work early and took that back roads home. I noticed that upon starting from a stop and turning to the right I would ocassionally here a deep click, click, click noise coming from what appeared to be the passenger front wheel. In addition, now and then I would here a deep click, click, click coming from what appeared to be the center (i.e. transmission) of the car when starting from a complete stop.

I got home and let the car cool down about an hour or so. I jacked the front of it up and got underneath. When rotating either driver or passenger tire in a rocking motion left or right (forward or backward) about an inch or so I heard a click, click noise. It didn't appear to be deep, nor the "exact" sound that I heard, but sure enough I traced the noise to what would be the transmission. It sounds like gears on gears.

My question: IS THIS NORMAL? Does something need to be lubed up or am I noticing this due to the hot weather. ? Again, I put in the Fidanza Flywheel and ACT clutch in the Fall of last year. Everything appears to be functioning just fine from what I can tell, but I am nervous.

Can anyone out there give their 2 reasonable cents?

Please advise.

Thanks!

- Brian

 

Remember to fill the tranny fluid w/ the clutch/flywheel swap??

 

cv joints?

 

If you are in 1st gear and you move off slowly does it click?
When you are driving in 1st or 2nd gear does it click as you come to a near stop?

If yes then it more than likely your cv joints on that side. I had the same problem about a month ago. It was great have the click gone! Got a rebuilt axel for $60!

Good luck

Graham

 

I have that prob...CV's WArranty?

 

If it does it mainly when you are going straight slowing and accelerating, it may be your front control arm bushings. If it's not that, it's probably your axles or CV joints.

 

All: (long post)

Checked the CV boots and joints. In perfect condition! I did notice on the front passenger side, my H&R spring seemed to move about 2" within the perch (i.e. I guess I didn't seat it well on install). I fixed that, what a bitch though! The drivers side the same way, but said (ahh screw it for now). The rears are perfect!

Okay, since I had the car on jacks I decided that I might as well do my 15K oil change a little early. I have about 14,100 miles on my car and if I remember correctly, the last time I did an oil change, I was 500 miles early. I think I'm going to start changing my oil every 2K miles, it seems things appear to sound and feel better.

Regarding the "clicking noise". Since I was going to do an oil change, I decided to "check" my transmission fluid. Instead of checking it, I decided to all out drain it and fill it with new. The fluid was pretty black. When it appeared that as much fluid as I could get out drained out, I rotated the tires and stared in the drain/fill holes. The clicking sound became louder than before and it really wasn't a clicking sound it was a GEAR-ON-GEAR engagement noise at my becon (i.e. I made it, clunk, clunk) Hmm... Remember, I had a flywheel/clutch swap about 9 months ago. I starting thinking and wondering about the guy that did my swap. I had a pretty good hunch he might have put in Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic versus Honda's MTF. I'm not too sure. Anyhow, I heard that it was fine to put 5w-30 synthetic as long as you keep to a good maintenance plan. So, how many miles should I flush and replace 6K (every 2-3 oil changes)?

I fishished with the tranny and proceeded to do my oil change. Holy cow! The oil was about as black as it normally is, however, I only filled about 60% of a milk gallon (to recycle) versus the milk gallon and another one by a little. I think that between the winter-current I must have really done something! Who knows!

I cleaned up the garage, put everything back together and started the car up. I can definitely say the engine had a different hum. I mean, not as loud, and much smoother sounding. I backed the car out of the garage and right and put the car in neutral. I heard a weird "click or shall I say rub-a-rub-a-rub noise. Ahh, the same noise as when I turned the car right. Then I noticed that my shift **** was vibrating more than normal. I pushed down on it and heard a lighter version of the "rub-a-rub-a-rub" noise. Ahhh...two weeks ago I did a axle-back swap of an Apex Dunk muffler and piping off an LS and put it on my R (with a little modification = another story). The muffler and everything is very tight and sturdy (nice and firm). What I figured out is that the main cat piping was moved up a little bit and it seemed that my shifter when in first gear and pushed down or in a position when driving barely touched the pipe (not always) and rattled the shift linkage to the polyurethane bushings. I believe that with the spring compressing issue that was the noise. Not really a "click" but a "deep thunk-thunk-thunk" like taking a hammer hitting part of the exhaust pipe.

Took the car for a drive and holy ****, the car did feel a looooooooooot smoother. I tried everything possible to make the gear on gear noise within the tranny and couldn't reproduce it. Hell, I was doing donuts and acting like a maniac around the blocks I live - nada. The only difference is it had just rained out and the engine had cooled down (some).

Soooo, for now, I'll have to drive the car more and see if anything happens. I'll update you all. I am still wondering if someone should hear a "gear on gear" noise when they slowly and I mean slowly within one inch rotate the front tires either way. Is it the LSD? Hmmm...Let me know!

Thanks for putting up with this long post!

- Brian

 

Its normal to hear the clunk sound when you wiggle the tires about an inch or so back and forth. There's suppose to be some play as the gears mesh and remember you had your head down there in a quiet garage engine off its amazing what you can hear under those circumstances. I'll say it was all the springs very common with aftermarket springs if there're not settled in the seats to well.

 

Thanks for the response. I figured the clunking noise of the gears was NORMAL. Regarding the springs - yeah, I just didn't seat them well when installing. Just a lil' paranoid - this is my 4th project car and so far it has been the best!

- Brian

 

started hearing this exact thing tonight. thanks for the diagnosis