OK, so when I am driving hard, and shift into 3rd, I can't do so without grinding. Its only when I'm getting it though, not driving normally. This just started yesterday, after I put on a new short ram intake and an upper plenum spacer. Is it at all possible they are related? I also was teaching my girlfriend to drive stick last week and she burnt the clutch so bad I could smell it the next day. Any ideas? Syncro? Clutch? Help!!!!!!

 

49,000 miles on car by the way

 

Clutch is probably going out. 50k is a lot of miles for a clutch in the hands of a bad driver (your GF, previous owners, ect ect). When I pulled mine at 40k it was looking pretty bad with average (me) to bad (my wife) behind the wheel.

 

Could it be that you're slamming your gears? I've had a Boxster S that grinded 3rd when I slammed the gears during hard driving. Didn't happen when I was nice to her though.

How loud is the grinding? Is it just a vibrating grind where you barely hear it or is it a loud grind as if you didn't push the clutch in?