Elusive rattle\shearing noise on cold start\low gears?

[Malne]

Just bought a 2004 5MT BH a month or two ago. In the last two weeks a weird rattling sound has come and gone for no apparent reason. It originates somewhere in the front of the car and only occurs usually as I'm clutching in or as I shift and it's only there for a second. This usually happens for a minute or two as the car warms up, but only while in motion, and then disappears completely. I notice it most in 1st-3rd but I don't have much opportunity to get up to 4/5 before the car warms up. Today I didn't hear it as I've just described, but I did hear it when I decelerated in 2nd gear from about 4k rpms, again only for a quick second.

I would think it's maybe something having to do with the gears changing from the front to the back of the teeth but A) I've been driving manuals since I was 16 and I've never heard a rattle like this coming off the gas or clutching in B) it wasn't doing this when I bought the car.

Although it didn't come up immediately after, I did go to the COG rally race in Steamboat a few weeks ago and was driving on some decently rough dirt roads. Is it possible I just knocked something loose?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[iampetro]

heat sheild on the exhaust


i bet 1 million dollars :grin:

[Huffer]

Heat shield if it's a "tinny" sound.

[anothernord]

It could be a bearing somewhere, they tend to sound like marbles or rattling when they start to go, at least on supercharger ball bearings they do.

Otherwise, it might be an exhaust shield.

[RedEvilWgn]

orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr it could be clutch chatter. duh. :roll:

if its only when the clutch isnt engaged, id put my money on clutch chatter.

from what you're describing, that sounds like it.