Fidanza users

[9T1 Red ZR1]

Thank you for your instructions. This site always has helpful people willing to share knowledge! I will check the U joints just to be sure they are OK.

Before I read your response, I sent an email to Bill at ZFDoc, he said it sounds like a solid hub clutch disc was used. The result is hearing a gear rattle which he feels is harmless.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Bill

[XfireZ51]

I think your Fidanza was installed without a sprung hub clutch disk.

[Dynomite]

Originally Posted by A26B

For really worn joints.
Trans in neutral, Rotate the drive/half shaft by hand, back & forth, CW to CCW & look for movement of u-joint in the yokes. Do not confuse with driveline slack which is normal.

Best check involves some labor. If in doubt, remove drive shaft. remove caps from rear joint. Dry & dusty = bad. Replace both ft & rear. Same thing with half shafts

Dry and dusty....that is SHOT.....not just bad

If I were going so far as to remove drive shaft to CHECK U-Joints I would just replace U-Joints when I have drive shaft removed......there is more work removing C-Beam and Drive Shaft than work replacing U-Joints with Drive shaft on bench

I replaced U-Joints on my 95' as I noticed just a tad of play pushing on the U-Joint side to side. Rotate Drive Shaft just a bit in Neutral as Jerry suggests and Push Side to Side on the U-Joints......then rotate drive shaft some more and push again. If the U-Joint seems solid then you should be fine.

See Item #3 Rebuilt Black Label Transmission Installed and New Driveshaft U-Joints

[jss06c6]

I believe Bill B. Is on track if you don't have a sprung hub disc in your setup.. Fidanza is a bit noisy at idle with clutch engaged in neutral, but should be stone quiet when loaded and running through the gears..

Sent from my QTAIR7 using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

[Flyman 27]

My fidanza is noisy. At idle it almost knocks as loud as an engine bearing failing.
If I lug the engine down in any gear it makes the trans quite noisy as well. Higher rpms are fine.

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by Flyman 27

My fidanza is noisy. At idle it almost knocks as loud as an engine bearing failing.
If I lug the engine down in any gear it makes the trans quite noisy as well. Higher rpms are fine.

May want to check w Marc to see what clutch disk was specified for that Haibeck 500 package.

[Ccmano]

Interesting... so I just installed a brand new ZF blue label trans (lucky find, thanks Blackwidow#2) last Saturday. I have a Fidanza FW, new McLoed sprung hub organic disc, low mile Valeo ZR-1 spec PP, new fluted GM pilot bearing, new Centerforce throw out bearing (because of the blue label). Also have new driveshaft Moog u joints and new C Beam Plates from Bill B. The trans is flawless, smooth, tight and nice shifting. Used Castrol Edge 10-60 oil a prescribed in the trans.

I get moderate gear rattle at idle with the clutch out, less than with the old trans but still there with the idle bumped to 850. Stone quiet with the clutch pedal in. This was expected.

As with the old trans I still get what was previously noted in this thread by others as the electric (Skill) saw metallic sound on acceleration, at lower rpms, most noticeable in the low gears but also in the high gears, again only in the lower rpm ranges. Certainly there when lugging the engine. Also interesting is that when cold it is bearly noticeable. After about a half hour of driving or about 30 miles, when everything heats up, it becomes much louder.

From what I read here some cars with Fidanzas seem to have this and others not. I have OBX headers and exhaust. Heat shields have been removed, so some sort of external resonance is unlikely.

I would luv to get to the bottom of this. My (educated) speculation is as follows...... It is obviously some sort of high frequency vibration of a metallic nature. Since both trans’ exhibited this noise with the Fidanza I’m inclined to rule out the TO bearing. The old trans had a new old stock AC/Delco unit and the new trans has the centerforce. Btw the fit of the centerforce to the input shaft was much better than the Delco. That leaves us with the Fidanza itself. We could actually be hearing a ringing of sorts from the Flywheel? The disc is a possibility, depending on the MFG and construction of the hub, we could be hearing the vibration of the hub under load. The PP seems less likely. Most use the original Valeo, some have the noise and some don’t. The trans itself is a possibly but since my ultra high mile trans and the brand new one both exhibit the same noise I’m less inclined to think it’s a trans issue, tho still possible. Of course the interaction of the components is always a possibility too. As we know stacking of tolerances (positive and negative) can be a big issue.

Not sure if I can live with the noise at this point and may put the DM back in. But I will give it a try for a while.

I would be interested in the collective thoughts on the is matter. As in all things mechanical there is certainly a solution, we just have to find the source.
H

[XfireZ51]

I originally used an OEM LT1 Camaro clutch. Sprung hub. Now using a Centerforce sprung hub. No noise as described using a black tag ZF. Brass pilot bearing. I switched from the BMW Castrol to Amsoil. No difference in either. Each exhibits more rattle at idle the hotter trans fluid gets. I’d love tk listen to this.

[9T1 Red ZR1]

I am planning to pull the transmission this weekend and install the Centerforce sprung disc. I am also going to ship the trans to Bill at ZFDoc and have him work his magic on it. I will post the results in a few weeks.


Thanks,
Bill

[Flyman 27]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

May want to check w Marc to see what clutch disk was specified for that Haibeck 500 package.

It is my plan to have Mark swap out my clutch/flywheel asm for a DM unit in the spring. The drive-ability and quiet operation is more important to me than a little quicker revving. Just personal choice.
Right now I am just trying to locate DM clutch asm parts that I can afford. In the first several months I had to put way more money into the Z than anticipated, now I am low budget for awhile.

Dan