Clutch problems
 

I just put in a new clutch and am now noticing something I'm afraid of. When the car is in neutral and I let the clutch out it starts making a slight noise that goes away when I push in the clutch pedal. I'm afraid it might be the pilot bearing. Any ideas? Is there a way I could have installed it wrong? I can't think of any. I used anti-seize on the input shaft.

Scott

The throwout bearing is only ' working' when you have the clutch depressed... if your bearings were shot for instance then that is when you would hear and probably feel it...
I would activate everything through the gears a few times and see if you can still hear it...then report back...

It's the gears turning inside the tranny. Unless it's really loud, don't worry about it.

Lets guess at the logical scenario...
you took out the trans fluid to make it lighter to handle doing the clutch job...you forgot to put it back in...
and now it is dry and screaching ?
LOL
hopefully not...
but have you put Redline MTL into it ?

Here's what I've got. When the car is sitting completely still, the tranny is in neutral, and the clutch pedal is not pressed down, I hear the noise. Once I push in the clutch, the noise goes away. There are no other times I get that sound. It's only when the car is still, in neutral and the clutch isn't pressed down. I'm thinking pilot bearing but I'm by no means a clutch expert.

Any more ideas?

Thanks,

Scott

It's full of Redline MTL. Recently changed. The car is NOT moving when I hear the noise and the car has to be in neutral with the clutch OUT.

Scott

That's the sound of the gears turning.

I think FI is correct.
Put more sound deadening over the trans hump...
LOL

I don't see how it could be the pilot bearing because the input shaft and the flywheel/pilot bearing are turning together when the clutch is not engaged.
It could however be the throwout bearing. I have heard such sounds in the past on other vehicles. The sound goes away when the bearing is loaded up by stepping on the clutch. It could be caused by just a light pressure on the throwout bearing. Try adjusting the slave cylinder or clutch pedal so that there is more freedom for the throwout bearing.
Did you put in a new throwout bearing?

I'm just thrilled now that I don't have to pull everything again. I never would have thought it was just the gears turning. Thanks a million.

Scott

My only experience with that noise was on an old Peugeot diesel. It was a bad throwout bearing.

I installed a new throwout bearing and a new slave cylinder. I've put about 1,000 miles on the clutch so far and swear it only started doing this today but who knows. How do you adjust the slave cylinder? I didn't think there was any adjustment.

I've only looked at the slave cylinder on one MB, my 307d, and it was a number of years ago and I wasn't interested in adjusting it so I can't comment with any authority. However, many clutch activating systems have an adjustable rod which allows the throwout bearing to the moved closer/further away from the clutch. Is the rod which is activated by the slave cylinder adjustable? Can the slave cylinder itself be adjusted?
I'm speculating that as the clutch has worn in, the fingers which activate the clutch have moved outwards, slightly touching the throwout bearing when not engaged, causing the noise.

When I replaced my slave cylinder, there was a plastic "gasket" between it and the tranny where it mounted. The plastic piece was very thin and crumbled away when I removed it. I replaced the slave cylinder without the plastic piece, not thinking much about it at the time. I wonder now if that is coming back to bite me? If so, at least that is a quick fix.

Does the sound change when you rev up the engine?