Thread: Need Help!! Gearbox/engine/flywheel!?!?

need some help here please guys.

Okay what happend was, one day i was driving down the highway, was in about 4th gear, all of a sudden i hear a sound from my car like if the clutch was damaged..it sounded as if it was "slipping" so i pull over to the shoulder of the highway, tried to drive off once again, NOTHING, so i started "riding" my clutch ----the car moved when i did this, foward and reverse...so i decided that i was going to switch off the car...

after switching off the car, and helped came, we tried starting the engine, but all i heard was a CLICKING sound, so we though it was probably the started sticking on the ring gear of the flywheel...

came home, dropped the gearbox, we thought it was the flywheel as i was able to spin the flywheel with my fingers freely, so we im not sure whats wrong, we thought it was the crank shaft but it doesnt appear to be so because the pully is VERY STIFF to turn still...

does anyone know what the problem could be
thanks for anyhelp

was it more of a clutch type sounding issue or motor sounding?

didnt hear anything strange, the only sound i heard was that of something sounding like a slippin clutch...didnt hear any odd engine sounds, so it more sounded like it was a clutch problem, but my clutch is fine.

the only thing happening now as i said that i know not suppose 2 happen is that the flywheel can be turned with my hand..and i know that pressure is suppose 2 build up,but it doesnt appear that anything is happening..so i was thinking that the flywheel had a problem, as if it was damaged,.

Are you saying that the flywheel is real easy to turn but the pulley in front is real stiff? If so, are you sure the flywheel is turning easy, or maybe is it just the ring gear that's moving? If it's the flywheel and you can turn it a different direction than the front pulley, then the flywheel bolts may have come out or broken, or the crankshaft may be broken. When you spin the flywheel does it make any noises or clunks as it goes around, or is it silent all the way around? Silent would probably be flywheel bolts problem.

okay wow thanks alot DMSentra, well okay let me start answering your questions..

well when i turn the flywheel it turns very easily and i spinning the entire flywheel since i dropped the gearbox. I dont hear any sounds or noises in which u said like clunks as it goes around, all i hear is the kinda rubbin sound of the flywheel rubbin on the engine itself...

as i siad i could spin the flywheel in any direction.

Almost sounds as if all your bolts connecting the flywheel to the crank backed out and you're just riding on that journal the flywheel fits onto. You done any tranny work to the car recently or replaced the flywheel?

well wildmane, i bought the gearbox from a guy that had it on a SR20DET.im not sure if they tried to lighten the flywheel, so im not very sure...but as i said, when i was like 50% on my clutch and gas in 1st gear, the car was moving, and when i tried to take off as normal by taking my foot off the clutch, NOTHING...only while riding my clutch then i was able to move...


What happens when u damage your crank shaft? do u hear some sort of NOISE, like a BIG noise, and does the engine DIE instantly when your crank shaft is damaged or does the engine continue to run?

Well if the engine still runs and you don't have a hole in your block then I'd rule out the crankshaft. I wouldn't drive the car any more, I'd drop that tranny and see what's up with the flywheel. Best case scenario is all the bolts backed out and it's just an issue of torqing down those nuts to the right specs.

I'm thinking the reason you can still move is while the flywheel can rotate, there's still friction, and since you're not applying full clutch grab to the disc, you're not overcoming the friction as much between the flywheel and the crank and it grabs just enough to move the car forward a little bit.


The thing with the crank pulley being stiff to turn is because you're hitting compression strokes... you've got sealed pistons going up against a dome where the valves are all closed.. you're essentially fighting the piston seals. It's completely normal, it's a sign that the engine has good compression.

okay well Wildmane..you just gave me lots of hope again lol...well amm...NO i dont have a hole at all in my block, if i had that i would see oil for sure right??

also...i did drop the gearbox..and i am spinnin the flywheel with my hand, thats how i know it was the flywheel, so far all the bolts seem to be down pretty good..i dont think its the ring gears either, i bought a new flywheel so i would probably put that on and see if its that.

could it have been the starter probably sticking the flywheel by chance ? lol..i would feel really silly if we did all that and its such a simple thing such as the starter.

but on the outter edge of the flat surface of the flywheel i see about 3 little pieces of rod like steel facing up from the flywheel? what are those things, they are like little numbs...if u all know what i am speaking about? or should i probably try taking a photo?

if you all know what i speak off, i see only ONE on my flywheel that is on the car, and the new one has 3

That doesn't sound good at all, can you take pictures?

Those nubs are for the pressure plate to latch onto as you're bolting it down.


The flywheel should act as one solid piece, there shouldn't be any rotating parts on it. Are you saying that while attached to the crankshaft, the entire flywheel is rotating freely? If you are... then I have no idea how you managed to snap the crankshaft..


The issue with the starter sounds like it's not getting enough juice. Does it just click or does it actually crank and click at the same time?