Whirring sound after replacing clutch on 2.3 Ranger

Joined
Feb 7, 2013
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Location
st louis, mo
Ok, this is a wild one...

Clutch slave cylinder gave out on my 315k mile Ranger. Two teens learned stick on it, but they didn't wear out the disc!

Anyway, spent most of my Christmas break sliding under that thing replacing the clutch. Kept the old flywheel, but put in a Sachs kit with new pressure plate, clutch plate and slave. Replaced the pilot bearing, which was destroyed, nothing but the outer race left! Got it all bled and took it for a test ride.

Every time I got on the gas, it made a whirring sound, kind of sounded like metal sliding along metal. I noticed it in the lower gears, not so much in the higher gears. Sound would go away when you let off the gas or pushed in the clutch. Wouldn't do it in neutral.

Here's the clue: it would sometimes happen as you went over bumps, and it would happen as you started the engine.
 
Another vote for checking the pilot bearing, they're a known issue in the rangers w/ 2.3s.

See if the sound changes when the clutch is out, in N, vs in gear with the clutch in.
 
So here's what happened: the bolts in the trans crossmember were rusted so solidly into its bushings that I cut off the crossmember and replaced it with a junkyard one. That one must have positioned the transmission just a little higher. On acceleration in the low gears, the transmission would move just enough for it to contact the screws holding down the trim around the gearshift boot, which would then conduct the sounds of the transmission directly into the passenger compartment.
 
Start with the easiest, as mentioned fluid level is reading full, and of course correct fluid for the gearbox.

Also, how old is the driveshaft center carrier bearing? It could have been covered up by the sound of a failing pilot bearing / slave cylinder (or both) and now that they are quiet you are hearing the center support bearing in need of replacement.
 
Our '02 Silverado had a manual t-case (praise The Lord) and the t-case lever developed an obnoxious rattle. I was able to just get a rubber washer and put it on the pivot between the lever under the floor and the shift arm on the t-case. Solved the noise 100%
 
So here's what happened: the bolts in the trans crossmember were rusted so solidly into its bushings that I cut off the crossmember and replaced it with a junkyard one. That one must have positioned the transmission just a little higher. On acceleration in the low gears, the transmission would move just enough for it to contact the screws holding down the trim around the gearshift boot, which would then conduct the sounds of the transmission directly into the passenger compartment.
Good find. I hope you didn’t have to pull the trans to figure it out.
 
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