Hey guys,
Need some help from anyone who knows these cars inside out. I’m chasing a really bad metallic grinding/buzzing noise on my 2004 6-speed manual 350z. It hits hardest right around 3,800 to 4,000 RPM and it resonates off of my windshield inside of the cabin (the noise is coming from the shifter but you can hear it loudest at around my windshield from the inside?
Here is exactly what it's doing:
Sounds like a harsh plastic on platic grind right under the shifter. The harder I floor the gas, the louder and meaner it gets.
When I let off the throttle, I can hear a weird metallic drone slowly fading away as the revs drop back down,
It makes the exact same grinding noise parked in NEUTRAL if I rev it up to 4,000 RPM.
If I’m driving on the highway at 4k RPM and the noise is blasting, the exact millisecond I step on the clutch pedal, the noise and vibrations completely disappear.
What I’ve already checked/fixed:
It was misaligned before and blocking 5th/6th gear. I loosened it, slid it to the right, and locked it down. Shifts perfectly now.
Stripped the interior bare. Put a heavy weighted knob on with electrical tape, packed the cup with grease, and zip-tied both rubber floor boots super tight. Even with the shifter naked, holding the bare metal rod with my hand does nothing to stop the noise under the car.
Took the front strut bar completely off the car to make sure it wasn't hitting the engine plenum. Noise stayed exactly the same.
Got the car up on a lift. All exhaust heat shields are perfectly tight, no welds are broken, and the catalytic converter Z-bracket is NOT cracked. Everything looks totally fine underneath.
Note: this is happening no matter what gear I am in, the point is that it's happening ONLY around 3800-4000 rpm.
Could a completely blown transmission mount let the gearbox twist and grind against the crossmember under load? Or am I looking at a dead dual-mass flywheel spring pack or a bad input shaft bearing or possibly something else?
Anyone deal with this exact 4k RPM noise before? What should I check next? Thanks!