clutch/oil pressure issues? update! loose crank!?!

[paulmaione@videotron.ca (Paul Maione)]

>When you say its rubbing on the shield/cover, I assume you're referring to
>the thin metal piece that goes between the engine and transaxle? I'm very
>surprised that you say the pressure plate is rubbing on it? How bizarre.

bingo.
that what i thought, but after more analysing today, everything
now makes sense...

>I left the bolts for that piece out when I did my engine swap and have
>never got around to putting them back in. They're in a little baggy
>somewhere. I wonder if that's one of my rattles.. hmm..
>
>I have a quiet buzzing noise that I just noticed about a week ago when I
>push the clutch in. It only happens under certain conditions though (ie.
>when the nose of the car is pointing down on a hill) so I immediately just
>chalked it up to a rattle.
>
>As far as the oil pressure gauge changing when you push on the clutch,
>that sounds like a ground problem. Run some more ground straps from your
>engine and tranny to the battery.

i wish it was that easy.
i had a friend today push on the clutch pedal while the car was
running and i saw the crankshaft pulley move in and out! bad news!
so basically i think i have a loose crank.  i'm going to drop the oil pan
tommorow and see exactly what's going on. i'm assuming that i'm going
to have to remove and most probably replace the main bearnings, that is
if there is no damage.

i'll check through the oil to see if there is any metal shavings. would i
nessesarily have to drop the crank to change the bearings? i thinking most
probably yes. DAMN IT(*#^&&*(^
it never stops with this bloddy car.

always the worse possible thing can go wrong.

well, i'll check it out tommorow.