Flywheel noise.
 

Hello everybody. New member here just picked up my fr-s 3 weeks ago. Absolutely in love with this thing, just one issue. There is a noise coming from the flywheel area at almost exactly 2600rpm. It sounds lIke the flywheel is making very light contact with something stationary. Metal on metal. It does it in gear, under acceleration, deceleration, in neutral with and without the clutch pressed in. The dealer told me it was an exhaust heat sheild, but the replaced it to no avail. It did sound very similar to a heat sheild rattle but now I'm certain it's not. Does anyone have expirience in this area? I can't figure how the flywheel would touch anything at only one specific rpm.

Clutch fork not greased enough? Drive 30min, come to full stop, then press clutch in slow. Check for odd sounds.

There is no change with clutch engagement. Also no noise made when clutch is pressed after a drive. Don't even have the common sqweeky pedal! Just an odd scrapping light grind. It's brief too unless I hold the car at 2600rpm then it is constant and doesn't go away. Comes from the bottom of the car around the flywheel area.

HELLO, NatedoggGt86 and WELCOME ....... to ..... The Forum ..... :)

Is your car new .. ??

Any mods .... ??


humfrz

Hey there!

I bought it used with 45k on the clock.

Completely stock as far as I know. Nothing obvious like exhaust or CAI.

Since it only happens at 2600 rpms, I would suspect some sort of vibration is causing the sound.

If you raise the hood, at set the rpms at 2600, can you hear it more clearly ... ??

Maybe use a rod pressed to your ear and poke around, may help isolate the source ... ??


hyumfrz

With the hood opened a friend and I took a listen. It's the lower left(drivers) side of the engine bay right by the flywheel. So in the area the trans and motor meet. It's low though almost under the car but primarily left side.

Could my flywheel be loose or worn and just reacting to resonance at this rpm? Possibly scrapping trans casting?

Exhaust resonating and lightly touching something at that RPM maybe? The area would be about right.

I really expected a loose heat sheild or something exhaust related but the dealer replaced the heat sheilds and there's been no change. It's definitely something spinning, lightly touching something it shouldn't. It's under warranty and I'm dropping it off at the dealer tomorrow so they can get it on the lift and take look. I just want to know if anything like this has been mentioned before. I want to know what to expect.

Broaden your search. You seem to be so fixated on the flywheel you may be overlooking the obvious. Would be extremely odd that the flywheel it self would make the same noise at the same RPM under all conditions. Especially with the clutch either in or out since the clutch would put pressure on it when engaged.

Yeah your right. I get a bit goofy when there's something wrong with my car and I think I'm onto the solution.

I doubt it has anything to do with the flywheel. Flywheels, usually don't wear out (they can have teeth chipped off of them or they can get messed up if a clutch flies apart in their face).

If the flywheel came loose from the crankshaft ...... it would make a really BIG noise for a very SHORT time ..... :confused0068:

If the pressure plate came loose from the flywheel ...... you wouldn't be driving it to the dealer ..... :cry:

I hope you get it sorted out soon.


humfrz

OK so my buddy and I just went out in the parking lot and observed. I put pressure on individual heat sheilds and the noise didn't vary. It stays constant with rpm at 2600. It comes from the back of the engine and its definitely something that rotates in neutral.

Well, as far as "in the back" of the engine, the crankshaft, flywheel, pressure plate and throw out bearing (on newer cars), rotate when engine is running and a MT is in neutral.

Maybe the starter knocked a tooth off of the flywheel and the piece gets bounced up and is caught by the flywheel and hits the bell housing at 2,600 rpms .......:bs:


humfrz - needs a nap

Crickets?

Yeah I have the crickets. I'm dropping it off at the dealer tomorrow. Hopefully I get a straightforward answer. I'll update when its figured out.

Quick update. Drove home, about an hour drive. When I got home I noticed that, with the car parked and in neutral, the car makes a faint noise when the clutch is pressed in. Like a very faint fast paced tapping. Any ideas now?

Now, I reckon, you are talking about a bad clutch throw out bearing ..... :(


humfrz

How much damage is it doing driving in this condition. It shifts fine. I just know one problem unfixed causes worse problems and I've been driving like this for a few weeks now.

Well, if it is a throw out bearing going bad, it could last several miles before it goes completely dry and freezes up.

It has been my experience (back in the day) that a TOB will start to howl, then scream, before it locks up. Worst case is that it will lock up and tear up the fingers of the pressure plate (thus ruining it).

Very worst case it will lock up, fly apart and the pieces will tear up the clutch disk, which will come unglued and tear up the surface of the pressure plate and the surface of the flywheel.

I wouldn't let it go much past the howling stage.


humfrz

Hey fellers. Just picked her up from the shop. The heat shield for the catalytic converter was loose and they had to replace the heat sheild and an exhaust clamp. I guess pretty simple fix. They said the hardware is prone to rusting. But all fixed now! Thanks for all your input.

I would look into having the throw out bearing checked. there is a vent hole on the bottom of the transmission where i pulled out metal shavings and clutch material.

Not every noise the car makes is the clutch and not ever car has had or will have throw out bearing issues (beyond the normal wear and tear they take).

Noise came back the next day. So I dug into it myself. Come to find that I have an aftermarket Borla uel header. Kind of a cool discovery however, from what I read the flex portions rattle on their earlier units. That was the cause of my noise. I'm not sure what the dealer did to silence it but thats it! So for anyone with a borla header and a rattle its the flex section. Does anyone know of a remedy other than replacement. I don't think Borla will warranty me since it was on the car before I bought it.