I've been getting this weird grinding/scraping noise from what I think is my clutch or gearbox.

It only occurs when my clutch is in, and happens occasionally either when I change into a gear (slight scraping sound as if clutch is not in completely) or when I'm using clutch control on an incline or something. The sound intensifies the faster I go e.g. when accelerating from standstill, but sometimes it'll happen and sometimes it won't.

My girlfriend's dad checked it out the other day and said my clutch and gearbox are in excellent condition, and I only just had the car serviced about a month ago too.

Any ideas as to what could be wrong?

(The car's a '97 Tazz, if that helps.)

If it only occurs when you have your foot on the clutch, its probably the thrust bearing.
This usually happens either when the bearing is starting to wear or if you have have been driving in moist condition, for example if you went throught a puddle while driving in the rain, the contact face of the bearing gets rust on.

Not like scratching gears?


With your foot on the clutch?

EDIT:
If it is there everytime you put your foot on the clutch, it is time to replace.

Sort of like that, they sometimes feel a bit sticky and require a bit more force to push into.


Only during clutch control i.e. it sometimes occurs when releasing the clutch during takeoff, but once it's out completely the noise won't occur.

It doesn't happen every time though.

Strange, service or no service, for safty sake, have the gearbox oil checked.

Edit: I am not sure wheter the Tazz has hydrolic clutch or a cable, if its is hydrolic, check the fluid, other wise it MIGHT need adjustment.

Will I have to go to a proper service place to have the gearbox oil / hydraulic fluid checked? I don't want some dude charging me a ton of cash for such a minor issue

I don't think they have a hydraulic clutch.

If they do though there will be a self inspection point in the engine bay (will be either yellow or orange).
I would check the user manual to see where you add fluid/top up the fluid.

Some hydraulic clutches have a seperate dipstick for the gearbox or they will have a fluid resivoir.

If you are in the JHB area I can come have a look.

Service station, you are best off going there and getting things sorted out over there

I think the '97 Tazz has a hydraulic clutch. I can sometimes hear the "shhhhh" when I press in the clutch. I also remember seeing something about clutch fluid somewhere.
I have a '97 tazz as well.

I've checked the clutch fluid and it's cool, but if it's a hydraulic problem then it's probably gonna cost a bomb

Not neccesarily, if it is only the hydraulic seals it can only be cheaper than removing the gearbox to replace the bearing or the whole clutch.

Forgot to ask, can you feel it on the gear lever? (like one feels gears scratching)?

Yeah the gears sometimes grind a bit, as if the clutch isn't fully depressed

I suggest that you get someone to check the clutch play setting for you, it is possible that the clutch linings have worn a few millimetres thinner, and like said before get oil checked, that is about all i can think of.

Right, so I took my car in on Monday and they had a look on Tuesday, and apparently nothing's wrong

They drove it around a bit and it made no noise (which it occasionally does), so they figured there's no problem. I get halfway home yesterday and the damn thing starts grinding again. Wtf.

Guess it's off to another service centre this weekend

Aaaah yes... I see Murphy paid you a visit too...

Did you find out anything yet?

Ok, went to another service place and this is the deal:

* Engine mountings are buggered, need replacing
* Two CV joints are shot, need replacing
* Clutch is fried too, needs replacing

Total quote for all of this is just under R7k

Is this reasonable, or am I being ripped off here?

What is the milage on your tazz?

Almost 155 000.

Theyre ripping you off.

If your cv rubbers arent leaking, and you dont hear a clack- clack sound when accelerating while the wheels are turned, your cv's are fine.

Toyota engine mountings last well beyond 500000 km's if they are not abused.

Well there is that clicking sound but it happens even when I'm using clutch control, not just when the wheels are turning, so take it that has nothing to do with the CV joints?

Bugger I don't know what to do now, need to sort this thing without being ripped off

Its a bit of a bitch to give you a diagnose without being able to fisically check it out.

Just come back from the service place. They took me to my car and showed me all the parts, and the clutch and mountings are indeed buggered. He even spun those little thingys on the clutch around and it made that damn clicking noise that started all this shit in the first place!

So, for the new mountings (front and back), clutch, and a few other bits and pieces, it comes to R5400 including labour (of which R2k is the clutch and gearbox alone). Still hectic but not as bad as R7k, especially seeing as I got to see the actual damage.

Guess I'm eating cat food for the next month

Well as long as the problem is sorted.

The thingies he spun around, what dit it looks like? springs?

Yup like springs, there were four of them. Made a hectic noise when he spun them.

That will explain it, i have never heard those springs make a noise, but you are lucky you heard it, when one of them comes out and gets between the working surfaces of the clutch, YOU WILL BE TOWED AWAY.

Did you buy the tazz new?
It might explain why the engine mountings where shot too, when one pulls away fast those particular springs take up some of the motor's torque, the rest goes into the engine mountings, gearbox, front suspension, drive shafts cv's etc. (on afront wheel drive) before you even start moving.

If you ever get to see a "racing clutch" you will notice that it doesnt have those springs or on a or "heavy duty clutch" (usually on larger capacity engines) the springs are reinforced with rubber.
However it takes a lot of skill to change gears smoothly with a racing clutch .

When pulling away slowly you dont get that type of torque into all the components, instead you just start moving at a slightly slower pace.

oh crap.... I have a '97 1300 Tazz @ 151000 km
Is yours a 1300? I didnt know 1300's had enough torque to break like this.

Even a 850cc Mini can break it, if you drop the clutch.

1. Your standard clutch plate
2. Heavy duty clutch (this is a tractor clutch but racing plates often look like this too)
3. Common racing clutch (notice its not round wich makes it lighter)

Don't mean to piggyback but I have a similiar problem.

I have a 2001 Toyota Celica, 5 Speed. 87,000 miles on it.

When I bought it I noticed it made a small noise,but not bad. It proggressivly got worse until one day I was backing out and the gear popped out of reverse and into neutral. I parked it, put it back in first and tried to drive but when I went to shift again it would not come out of first.

It sat there for a few weeks until I started messin with it and I noticed that if I pushed the clutch in while having someone push it will pop into neutral. But if I try to back out the gears start popping and grinding.


Needless to say I leave it the hell alone right now but my personal opinion is that the clutch is bad.

Can anyone tell me what they think is wrong?.............. before I get it towed and ripped off at a mechanic shop?

Sounds very similar to my issue but I'm no expert, so hopefully RK can shed some light here.

What I can recommend though is to drive sparingly until you've had it looked at: I was told by the mechanic that fixed my car that had I driven much further I could have done some severe damage.

Having it pop out of a gear into neutral is usually not the clutch, unless you didnt get it in gear properly to start with.
This sound more like a minshaft bearing (inside the gearbox)

is that expensive to fix?

That I cannot tell you, here in South Africa all Toyota parts are expensive, I don't know about in America.

However it will entail removing and stripping the whole gearbox so you should be able to form an idea of what that will cost you locally.

ok thanks... I'll see what I can do.

i am not sure what kind of car it is.. but pm me if you are buying a clutch or flywheele. I have a Stage 2 SPEC clutch in my car.


mine used to pop out of gear if i just put the clutch in just enough to swich gears and pulled it down into the next gear lightly. but then again i have a stage 2 clutch.

well I finally took it to a mechanic........the transmission was shot. I'm getting it rebuilt and its gonna cost me about $2800. ouch. I'll post some pics up when I get it back.

Yow.....

That must have left a huge hole in your pocket

nope...since it was my only mode of transportation to work and shit. The military paid for it upfront and i have to pay them back little at a time.

Well that nice of them!