N602 WRX

Got a little story here! About 2 years ago i fitted an exedy clutch and lightweight 5.4kg sti flywheel.

Thing is ever since then i had a wearing/metalic noise on decelleration?
So over the time i have lived with it, especially after reading simmilar threads with the same kind of problem i just thought it was the price to pay for fitting the flywheel.
I took it to numerous specialists and they gave different advice each time, release bearing/ input shaft bearing/ clutch and so on....

A few weeks ago i decided to replace the gearbox because of a syncro problem. So while the car was in bits i decided to delve deeper into this strange noise, made sure all the flywheel bolts and clutch bolts were correctly torqued, checked clutch springs for play and so on.
Found nothing untoward so i put it all back together and low and behold the noise returned!!
Last week i decided to take it all apart again and remove the lightweight flywheel and replace it with a freshly skimmed standard one.

Upon removing the flywheel i made a discovery!!! the bolts that hold it to the crank were chewed at the bottom, meaning they were too long and all along that was the problem, the flywheel was never truely torqued against the crank!!!!
Im not saying the flywheel was loose or nowt like that, there was no visable play at all when it was bolted up, but obviously just loose enough to make that noise!!!
Since refitted standard flywheel and its never been so smooth!!
So all along it was the bolts being too long for the lightweight wheel!
Makes sense really as the lightweight was much thinner than the o/e!

Moral of the story??.. Check bolt lengths when fitting non o/e parts!!

But hey.. you learn from your mistakes!!
And you know what they say...?
A man who hasent made a mistake....hasent made anything!!!!!

Wez

T5OLF

iTrader: (4)

Were did you get the FW? I and many other people have the same problem since fitting the Exedy cluch and lightened flywheel. Never got to see mine as someone else fitted it - was the mounting face skimmed?

I got mine from API and I doubt they would make an error like that.

N602 WRX

max speed, yeah it was all skimmed brand new!
Didnt come with bolts though! so in my error i used the origionals.
Like i say though there was no sign they were too long on fitting it, there wasent any play!!! must of only been .? of a mm too long but that was all it took!!
Just pleased too of sorted it, it was driving me crazy for too long!!!

l70byb.

iTrader: (5)

What kind of noise was this ?

N602 WRX

Like a wearing metalic noise, as if a bearing had failed...

hmhaga

I think you'll find that the noise will return if you refit the lightweight flywheel.

N602 WRX

No mate like i said it refiited a standard one and the noise went....It was the o/e bolts that caused the noise due to them being a fraction too long for the lightweight flywheel.

Dont miss the lightweight. But hey each to there own...

Never liked the way it sometimes used to cut out on start up through not having enough weight momentum, also the way i had to over-rev to pull away otherwise it would stall!

l70byb.

iTrader: (5)

I'm guessing the noise was from engine/ gearbox area?

N602 WRX

Sure was, It could also be heard at idle, but just as a wearing noise. it would go once you pressed in the clutch then re-appear when you released it.

Thats probably why most peaple diognosed it as input shaft bearing..