Recently took my car down to the dealer because while I would drive I would hear a loud knocking noise which sounded like it was coming from the tranny. It would knock through all gears, but the noise level of it in 1st gear was multiplied 10x over all the other gears. Thedealer disconnected the driveshaft from the diff, dropped the tranny, put the gear in first and spun the driveshaft. They heard no knocking noises. They did however find that my diff was bad, and are fixing that under warranty.

However before doing all this they did drive the car and said the noise I was hearing was defenitly from the transmission. Now they haven't taken the tranny apart, but they did see my act clutch and they feel that's what may be making the nknocking sounds. Aparently they say it's because the springs on the disk are loose, but I looked at it and they are just as I had them new. The springs are supposed to be a little loose, and should be able to spin correct???

They are asking me to bring my stock clutch/flywheel in so they can test drive with that to see if the sounds go away, but I don't have them. To order them new would cost a lot, and how do I know if that is really the problem when they aren't even sure.

The other problem is that if I decide to have them take the tranny apart and they find nothing, I would end up paying for that process. I'm lost and not sure what to do. Should I replace the clutch/flywheel? Should I wait to see the new diff put it and see if that may have been the only problem? Any info would help.

 

IMO wait on the diff to be replaced and then see if the noise is still there. Diff noises can sound like they are coming from the tranny, since the sounds tend to resonate quite easily.

Did they say specifically what was wrong with your diff?

 

well they drained the fluid and found large shunks of metal falling out of it.

I was thinking the same that the noise may have been resonated through the cabin like an exhaust dronning. I don't understand however why it would be so much more louder in first gear compared to all the others if it was the diff.

 

Oh so it sounds like you may have snapped off a tooth or part of a tooth. this would have made the knocking noise. and depending on how the diff broke, it could have been louder or quieter at different speeds.

what mods do you have done? do you have your delay valve in? just curious as you'd be the 5th broken ap2 diff we've had.

 

I had full bolt-ons at the time, plus act clutch kit/toda flywheel and the delay valve removed. I just got back from the dealer, and the diff they told me isn't broken. They did find small pieces of metal, and are going to cover it just in case it breaks down the line. However I did a diff oil change a while back and also found pieces of metal and have driven it the same way for another 12000 miles since then. To be honest I was concerned about the first time I changed the diff fluid and asked the local honda dealer about it and they said the first oil change metal fragments should be normal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway they told me that they know that the noise is coming from the transmission. So they are going to look into that.

 

metal fragments are NOT normal. ever. at most you should see very very tiny tiny metal particles. even smaller than "glitter". think tiny. if there are metal fragments inside the diff they are coming from somewhere. you may be shaving tiny bits off teeth in the LSD or ring/pinion. it would not necessarily be an all or nothing failure/problem.

did they actually remove the diff from the car, open it, and inspect the ring/pinion and the LSD? if not, then they're just making inaccurate guesses.

 

I believe all they have done so far is drained the fluid in the diff. They said it's being replaced under warrenty, and they are going to take it apart today to see what parts they need to order, or if they will just replace the whole thing.

It should be done on friday and I will know by thyen if that was the only problem.

 

they will replace the whole thing. i doubt any normal mechanic at a normal honda dealership is able to do a gear install on an S2k. the dealerships dont like to mess with it, so honda usually sends them an already put together diff.

 

Update: I got to take a look at my ACT clutch and it looked like it was brand new. The diff was replaced, and they just went ahead and replaced a new oem clutch and flywheel because they thought t was the cause of the noise. Noise is still there so it looks like they are going to replace the whole transmission tomorrow. Actually Honda wanted them to take it apart to know what exactly was wrong because apparently i's a noise they haven'theard before.