My 98 5speed is my first diesel truck, but I've driven plenty of manual cars and an old International truck before.
From day one with my truck, I get a metal chatter (? lingo?) maybe you'd call it a ckkckkkckk grinding? when I start to engage the clutch and accelerate.
It happens more when I start out slow, I notice if I jump on the accelerator as I engage the clutch it happens less often. I don't think I'm lugging the engine or anything when i start out slower, but the chatter and grinding sounds terrible, more like the clutch or tranny not engine noise.

A friend of mine with a dodge diesel said its no problem, his did that a lot "until he learned to drive it" . I asked a mechanic, he swore that it isn't anything in the clutch or tranny, "it's a loose heat shield" though he didn't find one...

I searched the forums, figure this is common, (I haven't had a problem YET that isn't common) but ? didn't find one like mine?

What is it? Am I just driving terrible?

 

Long shot…try grabbing the 4x4 lever. If you can hold it away from the driver’s side (toward the passenger) and the noise goes away, I have a fix. I chased a similar noise for 2 years.

T-Bone

 

Clutch hub springs?

 

The internal baffle in the muffler. Was exactly as you describe for my truck. When I replaced it, It was loose and rattling. Get under truck and give muffler a kick. If baffle, you'll hear it. MBRP now.

 

thanks for the ideas, will try em out maybe not till this weekend.
i'll let you know what if any of those ideas fit, thanks