Hi,

I've got a 1991 honda civic hatchback with a 1.5 and a 4 speed manual trans. We got a lot of snow where i live earlier this week and while i was driving one night i got stuck in some neighborhood. To make a long story short, it took me 2 hours to get back to the main road. The next day while i was driving back home i could here a short clanking sound when i would let off the gas and when i would give it gas again. I put it on my hoist at home and cheked the cv shafts. Drivers side had a little slop so i replaced it but it didnt take care of the clanking. So my friend went for a ride with me and he pulled up the boot/cover on the bottom of my shifter and was allmost positive that the noise was coming from where the shift goes down through the floor and connects to the rod that runs to the tranny. I'm really thinking the problem is somewhere between my shifter and where the rod from the shifter connects to the tranny. I don't know a whole lot about civics or manual transmissions (this is my first for both) so i figured i would see if anyone else out there has ever had the same problem and could help me out.

 

Does your stick have play in it? ( is it able to move around a lot while in gear )
If you hold the stick shift, do you feel it move when said noise happens? Also, does holding the stick shift stop the noise?
You said this is only when you hit the gas/let off the gas. Is your engine itself moving foward/backward? To me, this sounds like your motormounts are shot.

 

Well the shifter doesn't really have any play in it while its in gear. And if I hold the shifter while when it makes the noise you cane feel a slight jerk when I give it gas and let off. Also does it as I'm letting out on the clutch in 1st gear to take off, just as the clutch is starting to engage. We kinda thought it could maybe be a motor or tranny mount but i'm not sure where they are at or how to chech them.

 

Sounds like your motor mounts. You car has 3 motor mounts. If you are unsure how to check them, you can have a shop check for cheap. I'll try to find some pics/diy's for you.

 

If holding/moving the shifter doesn't change the noise, it's probably not that. Metallic ratting from under the center of the car is usually an exhaust heat shield. Should be able to find it by getting under the car and shaking stuff around.

 

Its not the heat shield. Its a clanking sound. Not a rattling sound. But thanks pinusherinokc. I'm gonna throw it up on the hoist after work tonight and yet and check the motor and Tranny mounts! I'll let you know what I find out.

 

Sweet man. Hope you get it fixed. Gotta keep the EF hatches runing man.