I'm starting to get a little worried...
 

In a previous post of mine, I mentioned the fact that I heard some squeaking and clicking noises during acceleration(and vibrations). I was advised that it's most likely bad U-joints.
I crawled under the car and held the yoke with one hand and tried to jiggle the shaft with the other and got a little bit of play in the joint. I'm scheduled to have the joint installed tomorrow but I'm starting to wonder if that's actually the problem.
When I let out the clutch in reverse, I usually hear a loud "clank" or even when I let out on the clutch sometimes I hear the same "clank" sound.
I'm just hoping it not coming from inside the tranny.
Another thing that makes me wonder is if I'm cruising in second gear and I quick punch the gas a couple times, I don't hear a "click-clack" sound as you would if there was excessive slack in the joint.
What do you guys think? Like I said, there was some play in the joint when I checked it but after I did that little test in 2nd gear, I started to wonder.

On my jeep the identical noise and play were the result of a bad u-joint. Even if you don't have a lot of play I'd suspect that's the problem. When putting it into Reverse or even first you load the driveshaft and it will normally clank as it adjusts to the tension. Blipping the throttle in second gear may not cause the noise since the driveshaft is already loaded.

However, depending on how loud your car is, it may be making the noise and you just can't hear it. Ran into the same issue with the jeep. ;)

Hope this helps ease your mind a bit.

Justin

another possibility:

I have a suspicion that it very well could be the pilot bearing. Is this clanking noise sound like it's a rotating clatter?

Stock T-5's use an aluminum throwout bearing retainer. This should always be replaced with a heavy duty steel retainer, about 41.00 from summit racing.

But before you do that type of tear down, I would just replace the U-joints front and back on the driveshaft. My son and I bought a set and had the old one out, and replaced them and put the drive shaft back in under an hour. This is something you can do youself if you have some jack stands, a jack, and some basic tools.

Grease the new joints with Marine grease or synthetic grease and you are good for another 5-10 years.

You may find that the car has fewer vibrations too when you are finished. Worn U Joints only make heavy noise when going from unloaded, to loaded. So on a shift or throttle up, you will probably not hear a clunk. Only when starting up, or shifting down, or using reverse.

Hope this helps.

I hear a "rotating clatter" sometimes when I turn a corner but not always. When I do hear that sound, it sounds like a front wheel drive car with bad CV joints.

Well, I crawled under the car again just now and I was able to reproduce the clanking sound I hear when I jiggled the U-joint around. The joint isn't supposed to have any play at all...correct?
I'll find out tomorrow if it's the U-joints or not.
I'll keep you posted.
I'm hoping it's only a bad U-joint.

I also had a "clank" in my 89,checked the U joints,tranny and all were fine,I had a broken rear coil spring and when turning or accelerating hard,it would clank,found it when I crawled under the car to check the torque boxes,check the springs also.

How do you break a coil spring? Even if that was the case, I don't think it would cause vibrations. The sound is coming from somewhere under the shifter area.

It's fixed
 

I got my car back today and it was only the U-joint. The guy said it just about fell out of the car. I would have done it myself but I don't have a bench vise to press the caps out.
He only charged me $15 to do it.

Yep, the clunking in reverse is definately a sign of bad u-joints, glad you got it all fixed up! ~Brian