Thud when engaging clutch

[Cobretti]

Hi y'all,

First off, I've read through the big thread about the "thud" when shifting etc, and I also read about the suggested fix of the installation of different diff bushings.

However, I'm not convinced I'm having the exact same problem. I have a european 2015 EB Mustang with a very annoying thud when rapidly engaging the clutch when maneuvering. This is especially noticable when parking the car. There's a sort of metallic clang which seems to bounce a few times. I made a video to demonstrate the issue.

I have contacted my Ford dealer here in Belgium several times about this but they say the sound is normal... I've had this issue since day one. They let me drive another one and it had the same issue (but less pronounced). This led them to conclude it was normal... I asked them to verify with Ford directly but they kept on saying it was normal.

As said, I have read that the Steeda diff bushings kit could fix the issue. Is this true? I'm going slightly mad because of this sound, and the clutch and transmission just don't seem smooth to me in general. The car is also very stubborn with gear changes and throttle response the first few miles.

I uploaded the video here: https://vid.me/Dctc

Thanks in advance for any feedback, it's very much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Bart

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[Cobretti]

Oh, I reached out to the guys over at Steeda and they said:
"The sounds in question are attributed to the built in tolerances of the drivetrain. The tolerances create movement and the noise is the product of that."

I asked for a little more info, but I still feel a new car shouldn't be making these kinds of sounds...

 

[ForTehNguyen]

yea this is a common thing in the MT82 transmission even from the last gen mustangs. More of an annoyance than damage over time

 

[slag1911]

Watched your video... that is not the thud. Something is broke...

 

[Horse]

Watched your video... that is not the thud. Something is broke...

+1

 

[phunk]

thats a combination of normal and your driving technique really making it worse than it needs to be. Mine has done that since new also. Lots of drivetrain lash in these cars. you can spend lots of time and money on it, and youll end up getting no where.

 

[Cobretti]

thats a combination of normal and your driving technique really making it worse than it needs to be. Mine has done that since new also. Lots of drivetrain lash in these cars. you can spend lots of time and money on it, and youll end up getting no where.

Yeah, I was exaggerating it to make it clearly audible. But even when you engage the clutch more gently, you still hear it. You can minimize it when you go ridiculously easy on the clutch, but that's something I've never had to do, and I've owned quite a few cars in my life...

But the opinions seem to vary about the noise being normal or not, apparently...

I've booked an appointment with my local dealer now (bought my Mustang at a "Ford Store" a bit further away, since the local one can't sell Mustangs). He also has a Ford Master engineer, and he's going to take a look at it.

I gotta say tho, I drive this car like I stole it (when it's all warmed up, of course), and I have alot of fun in it (I just can't resist those powerslides ). But sometimes it feels like it doesn't go as smooth as it should, and that just makes me feel like something's wrong and that I'm gonna make it worse by driving it in a sporty manner...

 

[phunk]

It drove me nuts for a while and I searched high and low. i found that the differential in these cars runs a lot looser than the cars I have experience with. I also noticed that I have gobs of lash in the outer CV joints and I believe that might possibly be the majority of noticeable lash in my car. You can turn the inside of the axles a couple degrees back and forth before the outer stubs join the party.

Everyone I have showed this stuff to with a background with these cars shrugs it off like they don't see the big deal, totally normal to them. I've let it go since. Let me know if you find anything worth fixing.

 

[Cobretti]

Well, that gives me some peace of mind at least, thanks for the feedback.

I have to bring it in anyway (my brakes sqeal already, after 11000kms/7000 miles), might as well let them look it over. I'll let you know if they find anything

 

[15wile]

Y'all worry about too much. I've put 25k of rough miles banging the hell out of this transmission, and it does just fine. I only take it super easy on the 5th to 6th transition. 6th gear is pretty weak, and so I ease out the clutch pretty slow when going into 6th.

There's a lot of drivetrain slack in this car, so even if you are just driving normal, and let off the gas, you'll get some lurch/thud if you're in any gear from 1 to 4. For the longest time it worried me. When I realized nothing was breaking... *shrug*.

It's a 435hp muscle car with 6-speed. It's not very mannerly. Worry if you hear grinding or it gets too notchy. Otherwise... no biggie.

 

[wildcatgoal]

Your brakes squealing is also typical.

 

[VinnAY]

Oh, I reached out to the guys over at Steeda and they said:
"The sounds in question are attributed to the built in tolerances of the drivetrain. The tolerances create movement and the noise is the product of that."

I asked for a little more info, but I still feel a new car shouldn't be making these kinds of sounds...

This from Steeda is spot on, "driveline lash". Some are better, and some are worse...my '10 Genesis 3.8 had a terribly soft and lashy driveline, which I complained about, vociferously. I proceeded to bang the daylights out of the tranny and it never let go. Just a factor of driving a stick.

 

[VinnAY]

Y'all worry about too much. I've put 25k of rough miles banging the hell out of this transmission, and it does just fine. I only take it super easy on the 5th to 6th transition. 6th gear is pretty weak, and so I ease out the clutch pretty slow when going into 6th.

There's a lot of drivetrain slack in this car, so even if you are just driving normal, and let off the gas, you'll get some lurch/thud if you're in any gear from 1 to 4. For the longest time it worried me. When I realized nothing was breaking... *shrug*.

It's a 435hp muscle car with 6-speed. It's not very mannerly. Worry if you hear grinding or it gets too notchy. Otherwise... no biggie.

^ this...it's a much more visceral or auditory experience, it's not for everyone.

 

[wildcatgoal]

The noise you have is present on my car and I've heard it on 5 other M/T Mustangs. It happens when you let off the clutch to soon or too late and especially when the tension on the driveshaft is off (power just stopped being applied to the wheels through it) - more or less. Best you can to to avoid this is to learn when it DOESN'T happen in similar situations and work toward what you want and away from what you don't want.

Almost like getting a women to... I digress.

 

[phunk]

Just for the record... simply because a car has 435hp doesnt mean it needs to have excessive drivetrain lash. This is the way Ford wants this car, fine. I live with it.

But lets get real. 435hp is hardly a "more visceral or auditory experience" LOL. Thats like that bare minimum range expected from an eight cylinder these days. A stock GT is pretty conservative. 435hp is not crazy race-car territory where the owners should naturally expect to deal with annoyances. However, 435hp, at like 31 grand or whatever it is for a base GT, combined might be a reason to expect a little.

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