72 with 35k. ZF is powder coated so it has been out of the car at some point in it's life. There is a noticable metallic rattle that occurs if you rev the engine in neutral. The rattle happens just as the rpms are almost back to idle. Duration is maybe half a second. It's not very loud, noticable under the hood, barelly noticable in the cab. And it doesn't do it all the time. The ZF shifts fine with no grinding. ANd drives with out any unusal noises.
Listening with a stethoscope, the noise is loudest at the bell housing. I think the noise is the throw bearing rattling.
The clutch lever feels different compared to other manual trannys in corvettes I have had. On other cars there is free play in the clutch lever when it is disconnected from the slave. A small amount of movement before the throw out bearing contacts the clutch diaphram.
With this Pantera there is no free play with the clutch lever disconnected from the slave. I think the clutch fork mechanism is stiff from years of setting. But never having owned a Pantera before, I don't have experience with the clutch setup.
It seems pulling the ZF is the only way to investigate. I can live with a rattly throw out bearing, but I would kick myself if I was harming the ZF...........Am I missing something?
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