If I were to check the spider gears, how do I gian access to them, and do I need to pull the entire transmission off to get to them. I am still not sure what to check next. it's a 2003 Stratus, 3.0 manual R/T, 5 speed. Makes a grinding sound not constant, but as it drives, it will slip and you will hear a real bad grinding sound.

I could use some help with this pretty bad.

Thanks

 

Since you have a 5 speed transmission. The spider gears may not be the problem. ck the fluid level, either the input bearing or the release bearing. Could also the the clutch too.

 

Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but the clutch seems to work fine, I can put it in any gear with no problems, it's not difficult to get it to go into gear, and it will start off smooth enough, but when I apply the fuel it will start off alright, and then after about a second or two it will skip and I will hear some pretty bad grinding noises, and then it goes away, and will resurface every once in a while, (no rhythem, just every so often) so I'm not sure where to start. Looks like I gotta get a haynes or a chiltons.

 

Are you still in 1st gear or have you shifted to a higher gear when the grinding noise starts?

 

It happens in pretty much any gear, and to be honest, I would like to say that it happens like everytime that I gass it, or everytime that i let off the gas after getting going, but it's just so arbitrary as to how it happens. When I get home today, I'll have a look at the fluid levels, and then see if I can get a chiltons, so I can find the bearings that you mentioned earlier. Any other ideas based on what gear it is in when the grinding happens???

Thanks again for your comments, it helps when people who know post their ideas.