hey guys . i know i know.... there is a million posts on this stuff ...
i have read a clunking noise when going over bumps ranges from :
lower ball joint
stabilizer links
bushings
shocks
sway bar

here my situation. just bought a 2001 honda civic lx 5 speed.
great shape, no rust. runs great. shocks seem fine. just changed transmission fluid, oil, filter, plugs , etc.

if i am in ... let say 3nd gear going 25mph (2-3k RPM).... if i let go of the pedal and coast, and then tap it real quick to create a jerking sensation like im a new driver at stick , i will hear this thunk that seems to be coming from the front middle possibly . i cant really feel it through the floor boards or anything but its a deep thunk .

it ALSO happens when i am shifting into lets say 4th gear. itll make the noise the PRECISE time when i let go of the clutch and press the gas when shifting into a gear...

it also makes a bit of noise when going over RR trax or entering a parking lot and hitting the curb. . . but thats just your wear and tear stuff listed below im sure.


i just wanted to see what people thought of my scenario . keep in mind i plan on jacking it up and really scoping out the front suspension once it stops raining next week. this noise reminds me of a sloppy axle or something, but i can tell you the cv axles look brand new.

 

Have you checked all your engine\ transmission mounts to see if any of them are worn?

 

+1 on the mounts. You can test while sitting still by holding the brake on while trying to drive off (in both forward and reverse) to see if there is any clunking from the engine moving around.

 

ok got ya.

so hold down the brake and slightly press the gas with one foot, and the other work the clutch and try to go forward without moving ....
got it . ill see if i hear anything .
i would be surprised if i do since its in such good shape.

 

i tested this morning , no weird noises .

ill have to jack it up and take a look ...
are you guys saying that all the things i mentioned in the first post wouldnt cause a noise if i tapped the pedal real quick at 2.5k like i said?

my old camry did this too.

the only real way to know is to take a look underneath .
i downloaded a manual, but cant figure out how to open it . theres like 15 folders in the file i got .

 

Sounds like an engine/transmission mount somewhere.

 

you guys are probably right, but i just need to figure out how to test them . tonight i put the car in gear and turned it off. i popped the hood and grabbed the engine but couldnt rock it at all . i then grabbed the bumper and rocked the whole car back and forth while in gear.
there was a squeaky tire=type noise coming from the header(exhaust manifold) as i rocked it .

the front drivers side motor mount by the power steering bracket moved about 1/16" back and forth but not too bad.

i see the other mounts but the rubber is in tact on the front one by the radiator and the passenger one on top of the tranny . ill check the other in daylight and jacked up ...

just wanted to know what to look for visually .

 

How many miles on this girl?

 

shes got 145k .

in great shape though . just bought it .. kinda weird , im in ohio and theres no rust on it at all . even the stock exhaust looks great . we get 125" of snow here and a lot of salt and corrosion that follows .

i got this feeling the rear center mount by the firewall is the culprit. but i pilled into a couple parking lots today with the radio off and in neutral .. it makes a slight noise then ... but i know thats just worn suspension . . .
the worn suspension shouldnt make a clunk/bang noise when gassing it up to 3-4k rpms and then make a sound RIGHT when i depress the clutch to put it into a higher gear ... a motor mount makes sense since i am relieving the frame mounts from stress when i depress the clutch for a short second.

jsut strange since everything i see on youtube and here say that one big sign of motor mount issues is when the car rattles or vibrates at idle .. my purrs ...

thoughts...?

 

well theres nothing worse than not following up with an old post, especially if there is a happy ending.

i needed new summer tires a week ago so i had the shop put it up on lifts and swap the tires out, while i picked his brain about the noise ....

rear wheel bearing needed replace, and the left sway bar link was about to go... but definitely not the source of a loud clunk.

we then immediately noticed the front lower control arm bushings on both sides were shot. i am talking about the furthest circular ones that the mounting bolt goes vertical through them... the other bushing has a bolt going parallel to the ground.

anyways, after i brought the car home i tried to tackle the project myself. i easily replaced the wheel bearing, sway bar links and ball joints thanks to autozones lone-a-tool program.
i dont have a shop press for the bushings so i resorted to using a hacksaw blade to cut the sleeve of the bushing out and the rests pops out... worked great .. took 5 minutes once the arm was out.

the problem lied in pressing the new 8.99 metal sleeved bushing(same as oem) in without a press. all i have is a vice. the metal collet that goes around the mounting bolt sticks out of the rubber so you have a make a metal jog or something to not hurt the rubber while pressing with a vice or shop press Duralast/Control Arm Bushing - Front (FB848) | 2001 Honda Civic LX 4 Cylinders 1.7L MFI SOHC | AutoZone.com. . .
the shop wanted 30$ just to press the bushing in!

so i found on autozone's website an entire set of bushings for under 56$ that had a different design that im sure i could press with my bench vice since the metal collets were removable while pressing Energy Suspension/Control Arm Bushing - Front (16.3116G) | 2001 Honda Civic LX 4 Cylinders 1.7L MFI SOHC | AutoZone.com

i buttered them up and worked like a charm! tip: if you do this , angle the LCA in the vice so that it is tilting towards the bushing upon first pressing... that will get an edge of the bushing started , then you smash away . i tried smooshing it in straight and it kept popping out of the vice and bouncing on the garage floor.

car rides like a brand new civic now .
thought this follow up might help the do-it-yourselfers on here .