My car recently started clunking. Many times, not all the time, when I'm shifting from first to second, and less often second to third, the car clunks. I'm going in first, put the clutch in, slight pause, clunk, engage in second gear. There are no drivability issues whatsoever, just a clunk. It sounds as if it is from the front driver side of the vehicle.

Naturally, I'm frustrated because this sound is annoying. I check my CAI. I check my struts/springs (only clunks when shifting, not going over bumps so I figured this wasn't it), I looked at my exhaust, the heat shields, my lower tie bar, front sway bar, shifter linkage...I spent a decent amount of time tugging on things and pushing and found no noises. I really think it's the transmission at this point. Not sure if this is normal, but when I turn a wheel (on jackstands) and stop it, there is a slight clunk inside the transmission. Normally that wouldn't bother me but I'm not so sure what's wrong with my baby.

Also, much less often, it makes the same clunk when I turn the steering wheel to the left, which just confuses me more. (I tugged on the tie rods, seemed ok, couldn't see rack and pinion though).

Thanks for any help guys!

 

how many miles? when was the last trans fluid flush? what fluid did you use? short shifter? what brand?

odd noises are hard to diagnose without actually being there.

 

Just crossed 39,000 miles, changed the fluid sometime during 37,000 with Redline MT-90 (had it since 7,000). B&M short shifter on there. And get this...driving back to school, fill up, and start the car. It bogs a little like it did when my purge solenoid valve was busted. A few miles down the road my CEL comes on. Perfect. (It wasn't on when I had a broken purge solenoid valve from before so I'm not so sure what this is.)

Then...I hear my rear sway bar squeaking. Holy ****. I thought I took care of this with the updated AWR endlinks, it damn well better have only been squeaking for a minute. And I'm hearing weird clunks every now and then from the rear as well...most likely the sway bar again. ******' a!

PS Tranny concerns me the most lol.

 

thats just odd. It sounds like you have other noises to iron out first. Maybe that will make it easier to diagnose the tranny noise you're hearing.

 

Yeah something is up besides that noise too. When I drove over a gravel road today I thought my car was going to fall apart it was making such horrible noises. But on the road...silence. And when I push down hard above the wheels...silence. Something must be rattling around somewhere.

 

Just a suggestion. Since you have a B&M SS, I would check the heat shield. The shifter was hitting mine when I first put it in and it kinda clunked when I shifted. A lil adjustment an all was good.

 

Yeah I looked at the heat shield. I bent it during install as the instructions said and I have had no problems, but ya never know. Changed gears and still good clearance. Good suggestion though.