clutch or trans?

[phoxx]

Hey guys and gals,

So last night i bought a 1992 Ford Festiva!!!! Today while driving around i started to hear a grinding nose?? (hard to tell where its coming from) When i push on the clutch pedal i dont get any nose. I do get some grinding nose while the car is in neutral and my foot is off the clutch pedal. I think i can feel the grinding while im holding the stick thats why i think its the clutch. also the grinding sounds like its on something thats spinning. not sure what maybe flywheel or something? It only grinds in 1st-3rd then when i get into 4th its all good and for that reason i feel like it might be a transmission issue.

Please feel free to ask or answer any questions that could help me figure out this issue.

Thank you in advance!

Phoxx

[jimdigs]

Maybe wheel bearings?

[Gomez]

Does it do it while stopped? Was initially thinking throwout bearing. That would be cheap but would require pulling the engine and/or the tranny. If it does it while not in motion but with clutch out, then yes probably throwout bearing. Especially if it goes away when you push the clutch, even lightly.

[Flw Sock]

Check out this video. Maybe it's the same sound I was having.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu5F1Oq6usw

Forget about what I said in the video. It made the noise whenever it wanted to, which was most of the time. It ended up that an axle seal blew and there was no tranny fluid. I'd start there.

[WmWatt]

If you can put the front end up on jack stands you can start the engine and run in neutral, in gear, clutch in, clutchout and any other combination to try an determine the cause of the noise. You can also take the car to a reputable transmission shop for a free test drive. The shop might be able to tell you what`s causing the noise and if so they will even give you an estimate to fix the problem.

[william]

I would start by checking the fluid, the speedometer gear doubles as the dipstick.
You have to remove the 1 ,10mm bolt then pull up and wiggle side to side. It can sometimes be hard to get out and even harder to get back in. And once it's back in make sure it's seated ALL the way or it will break the mounting tab off when tightening (trust me) .
Good luck ,hope it's something simple.

[phoxx]

Fist off thanks for the all the replies!
I ended up taking the car to a reputable transmission shop...turns out i need to rebuilt the trans
The people at the shop have told me they do not know how much the parts will cost but the labor only
will cost me 650-700 dollars. I paid 900 dollars for the car and have 1000 left in my "car fund". Im thinking
that its is best that i go ahead and do the work to fix the car (after comparing prices of course). I set the
money aside to buy a car that will get great gas milage and will run for a long time so investing in the car
doesn't sound so bad.

What are your thoughts? What would you do?

I really appreciate the responses and thank you in advance for future replies.

Phoxx

[scitzz]

Me? I would look through the sale ads, and post a WTB Want to Buy. You may have to settle for a four speed trans. Swap it in , and use syncromesh. Shoot, it might not hurt to drain the trans and use 3 qts of syncromesh before deciding! It just isn't that hard to replace a trans in these cars, I have done it in 3 hours, give or take. Should be a weekend job in any case. If all goes well...

[Flw Sock]

Have you checked the tranny fluid yet?

Does the car drive fine despite the grinding noise?

If so I wouldn't pay to have it fixed. If anything I would find a tranny on the site here for a couple hundred dollars and swap it myself. That is, unless your car is like in show room condition.

[phoxx]

Checked the fluid it had lost of metal in it. My car is not show room condition in most peoples eyes.....in my show room we like used things!!!
Ill look on the forum to try and find a used one in my area. I might even have friends who could help me this weekend project. Thanks!!!

[WmWatt]

Search here for info and photos on how to replace transmission, also search rest of Internet.
See if you can get hold of a Ford Motors or Haynes manual for the Festiva to study.

[Bert]

Checked the fluid it had lost of metal in it. My car is not show room condition in most peoples eyes.....in my show room we like used things!!!
Ill look on the forum to try and find a used one in my area. I might even have friends who could help me this weekend project. Thanks!!!

You cannot realistically afford to spend $1000 on a $200 car. This lavishness is not going to buy you 10 cents worth of vehicle 'appreciation' and that is the purpose of joining this forum. There are lots of folks on here that can't even give away Festy parts and cars and for sure if you post a WTB just for a good tranny (it might still be in a car, mind you!) there would suddenly be many more options than having to spend a G note on something that nobody else values, and that you're likely to scrap/sell/abandon in a year or two anyway.