This will be semi long to make sure I explain give the details to help get a solution.

Car is a 2002 Mustang GT Coupe. All my mods are in my sig if I am on correct forum. 1 Year ago, I put in a Spec II clutch and the Cobra R flywheel. Everything was going fine till three months down the road I start hearing a chirp noise. Chirp noice would go away if clutch was engage but heard if clutch was disengaged. Had the performance shop look at with no charge and said they found some metal shards of debris. They cleaned it out and sent me on my way. Sound came back rather soon, few weeks or so. Went back, relooked with no charge and felt it wasn't oiled up enough. Oiled it up and set me on my way.

A few months down the road, noise came back. Had them look at again and felt it was the throw out bearing. Again no charge. Was replaced and sent me on my way. Sound came back a month or so later. Went back, and after the 4th time of taking this darn thing out, they find that the Y fork and the Pivot Ball is worn out and it is the cause of the problem. Was like fine but since they assumed it was not "Clutch" or "Performance"related they charged me for the time and the new parts....$550.

Thought the problem was fixed and now it is back :bang: Been talking to them again and they are now at a loss. They have informed me that the clutch, either stock or after market, eventually will make this sound and cannot be fixed. Even if I have them put the stock clutch, throw out bearing and whatever else back in, the chirp will still be there. :scratch:

I am completely frustrated out the **** and confused. How a sound so dam annoying and supposedly common, not have a solution.

If this is true, then everyone here has had this problem, according to them. Can anyone help me figure out what is causing it and find the solution. I am begging at this point

 

Well my first thought was throw out bearing as well. But you say you guys have replaced it.

How many miles are on clutch?

Im a tad bit stumped on that one. I'll make sure svopaul see's this as he is a great troubleshooter.

 

After thinking the "First" spec clutch was bad, we ordered a new one. It wasnt till after that they found the the Y Fork and the Pivot ball was worn and said "Oh, well this is what is causing the problem" but went ahead and put the new Clutch in just to be safe. If I had to guess, it has around 4000 miles plus on it. That is City and Stop and Go traffic. I will say for the record, that I drove the 500 Stop/Go miles to break it in.

Basically, anything that does with clutch has been replaced due to figuring out the problem, that I know of. That is what I hoping to get from you all is any other ideas that we havnt thought of yet.

I posted a thread extremely similar to this one when it first happened and you were the one that proposed the idea on the throw out bearing. So I know the Throw Out Bearing has been addressed.

 

make them replace the clutch. if they have replaced everything else. could they not have set the clutch up correctly and caused it to wear prematurely? ive never done much with clutches, but i noticed on a replacement kit it comes with an alignment tool? could that be the cause? hope you get that taken care of. my wife's 04GT has been driven pretty hard since .2 miles when we bought it and it still engages like new

 

This is the second Spec II clutch we have put in. After finding that Y Fork and Pivot Ball was "supposedly" the cause of the chirp, we agreed there was nothing wrong with the first clutch. But we went ahead and put a new one in to be safe. Apparently, the Y Fork and Pivot Ball was not the problem since it to was replaced also when putting the second new clutch in and I still have the chirp. I dont doubt their ability that have installed it right but it is to a point of "Somebody isn't doing something right"

They have suggested putting in another clutch but have not told me if I will have to pay out of pocket for any parts or labor. I have already given them $550 last time when we put the second Spec II clutch and the Y Fork and Pivot Ball in. I can not pocket that out again. Plus, I do not have my old clutch so if I went the "put the stock clutch back in" route, I will have to buy a new one there and probably labor also.

If it didnt chirp before with the stock clutch in it, why would it continue to chirp if I put a stock clutch back in it? According to them, it is very likely it will.

What I am angry about is they told me that the problem was fixed last time after paying $550. Now they are saying "Oh well it is a common problem and cant be fixed" :bang:

 

Have they checked the bearing retainer to make sure it is not damaged? This is the part that the throwout bearing rides on....

 

I believe so. I was talking to the mechanic the other day and this was part of the discrussion as he was discrbing to me how the and where the throw out bearing sits and what not. That to, though, has been replaced to I believe.

I am out of ideas as they have told me that puting a stock clutch back in it would not matter probably. With the clutch disengaged the chirp is there most of the time. If you just rest your foot on it, it goes away.

I am no mechanic, but if you know how to get to stop by pressing on it, would that no limit what could be causing it to like a couple things?

 

Yes, that would limit it and help pinpoint the cause. It sounds to me like they are giving you the run around a bit. The way I work things in my shop is that I don't give up until it is right....if I can make the problem appear and disappear then it gives a pretty good indication where to start looking and to say that it's normal and can't be made to go away is a cop out. The car didn't make that noise in the beginning so why should it be normal now?

 

I have talked with them some more and have more info. Some of the info makes since but still angers and furstrates me, but now not entirely at them. This may be semi long but fills in some "holes"...

The shop has talked with some people they know that work at Ford and have been told by them that constantly using the clutch, which we all know in my model is a cable operated system, alot i.e. stop and go traffic wears out the clutch...which I believe they are refering to the Throw Out Bearing and the related part. The Ford contact has stated it is a very common problem if the clutch is heavily used, despite driving habbit.

Now I can buy this only because I had no problems until I started woking in the city and being in stop and go traffic 5 days a week. It was probably 3 months after I started working in city that the problem occured, pretty sure on that. Problem was fixed but came back three months later...was looked at again and niose came back...was fixed again with a whole new clutch set up and niose was back again in a 3 month time spand.

This has all taken place over the better part of 9 months to a year...the same amount of time I have been working in city.

Now guess what is in the new mustangs...a hydraulic clutch system which works better over time and stop and go traffic then the cable operated system. Looks like Ford was finally thinking, just a little to late.

Basically, not that the shop supposedly knew this but after "speaking" with people at Ford, that the cable operated system is not very reliable pertaining to heavy use...Traffic use particular. If it a car driven outside of city and staying away from traffic on a normal basis, the "common" clutch noise I have wills till appear but not as frequent.

Does any of this makes sense if I havn't confused you? Even if the shop comes back and tells me I can change to the hydraulic system but will cost me another $600 or so...that is money out my pocket cause it isnt the shops problem anymore or Specs but Fords.

<breath><breath> :scratch:

Sounds like I am just SOL.

I have I mentioned the chirp is just terrible. No more cruising for this Stang.