very loud noise coming from a "new" tranny

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Russo

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I recently put in a new tranny in my 98LSC, it came from a 2002 Mustang with 38K miles on it.

It's been OK for about a month, except for a loud clanking\ratcheting noise that would appear and disappear occasionally if I was driving it for more than 30 minutes.

A few days ago, it started happening right as soon as I start it, and it makes driving it unbearable.

I took a video of what it sounds like:

YouTube - VIDEO0003.3gp


One shop I took it to said it might be a loose flexplate bolt, but they couldn't tell for sure without taking the tranny out ($$$).

So I took it to a (supposedly reputable) tranny shop, and they say they don't think it's a flexplate bolt, and that the fluid is burnt and the tranny is slipping, and they want to do a rebuild for $2K.

The tranny is still under warranty from the junkyard I bought it from, but it would probably cost me $100x2 to ship the old one back to them and the new one to me if i go that route.


Do you guys have any ideas on what that noise might be?
 
I sure as hell hope that is coming from your transmission and not the motor... Does it change when you put it in Drive, Reverse, or Neutral? Try this, drive it down the road and while coasting at say 35 or so, turn the key back one notch so you don't lock the steering column but you can shut the motor off. See if it is still making any noise... Pretty sure it won't in this instance, but let us know what you find.
 
Yeah, that was my first fear as well, but both shops narrowed it down to the transmission\torque converter area
 
Have you checked to see if the starter bendix is hanging up on the flywheel? It may just need to be shimmed. It would be my guess that it is the bendix hanging up or not withdrawing back in all the way, which is either a shim issue or a bad bendix, either way, a quick fix.

The noise at start up tells me this and not internal. It will keep doing it even if you drive as the flywheel is continuing to spin, pull the inspection plate and you will most likely see the flywheel being shinie along the teeth area or ground down at the teeth. If the flywheel is damaged at the teeth, you may want to replace it before you break a tooth or more and one time when you try to start it the starter just spins because of broken flywheel teeth.
 
Thats a flexplate tc bolt either too long or something, heard that many times, Just peek under there and spin it around and check all the bolts.
 
you sure the torque converter to the flywheel nuts are tight? thats where i would start probably worked loose , and thats why the noise got worse
 
Couldn't be that, sounds like one bolt. All 6 would have to come loose to make any noise, Im almost positive it's a simple tc to flex bolt issue.
 
ONEBADMK8 said:
Couldn't be that, sounds like one bolt. All 6 would have to come loose to make any noise, Im almost positive it's a simple tc to flex bolt issue.
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were talking about the same thing geno
Russo said:
Does the tranny need to come out completely to check\fix this?
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no just remove the inspection cover at the front of the trans (the metal plate not the rubber plug)
 
Russo said:
Does the tranny need to come out completely to check\fix this?
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No, just pull the inspection plate off and take a look up in there. You will need to spin it to take a look at all the bolts on the flex plate. And I would still look at the flywheel teeth area to see if that starter is hanging up. But the more I listen to that video, the more I think they are right in the fact of a bolt shearing at the bolt head.
 
cool, thanks for the advice guys, i'll check it out

one more thing - does the fact that the noise get quieter\go away for a second or two when switching gears (from R to N to D to 1\2) mean anything?

is it possible that something inside the tranny itself would be making this horrendous noise?
 
Makes me wonder if the TC is properly seated.
 
Russo said:
cool, thanks for the advice guys, i'll check it out

one more thing - does the fact that the noise get quieter\go away for a second or two when switching gears (from R to N to D to 1\2) mean anything?
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Not really, could just be load variance from interchanging gears.

And to add to LaserSVT comment, Did you put this in or did someone else do it for you? And if you did it, are you sure you seated the TC properly?
 
Raped Ape said:
Not really, could just be load variance from interchanging gears.

And to add to LaserSVT comment, Did you put this in or did someone else do it for you? And if you did it, are you sure you seated the TC properly?
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I didn't put it in myself, it was another shop that did it (and they specialize more in tuning high-end imports), so it's completely plausible that they didn't do something right.
I assume this will be harder to check for than just pulling an inspection plate, right?
 
Russo said:
I didn't put it in myself, it was another shop that did it (and they specialize more in tuning high-end imports), so it's completely plausible that they didn't do something right.
I assume this will be harder to check for than just pulling an inspection plate, right?
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First off, why are you doing this instead of taking it back to who did it and let them worry about it and on their dime also instead of yours. That is what you paid them to do and regardless of there expertise, they took the job on, and you should take it back to them.

Question, did this tranny make this sound when you picked it up from them? If not, then I would agree that they did not tighten the TC bolts down and is what is causing this. If you keep running it like this, you will more and likely shear a bolt head off or possibly more damage.

And second, the procedure does not change at all to inspect the problem, pull the inspection plate off and look up in there, and take your hand and reach up and feel the bolt heads. (CAUTION: make sure the engine is off when doing this) Not meant to be an insult to your skills, but I do not know your skill level. :)
 
they are nuts that you need to check not bolts, the torque convertor has studs on it that poke through the flex plate, they are 14 mm, make sure they tightend these up cuz thats exactly what it sounds like is one or all are backed off the studs and they are smacking metal as the convertor spins.
 
Nutz

Agreed on the torque converter nuts.The video leads me to think that if that was the motor making that racket it wouldnt for long.
 
Ok nuts instead of bolts, either way, he had a shop do this for him, he should be taking it back to them and have them fix it. If he screws with it, he is setting himself up for possible failure due to the shop saying you messed with it after we did the work, then they have no liability to fix it. It is a rude world today, and shops find anything to get out of responsibility these days.
 
Raped Ape said:
Ok nuts instead of bolts, either way, he had a shop do this for him, he should be taking it back to them and have them fix it. If he screws with it, he is setting himself up for possible failure due to the shop saying you messed with it after we did the work, then they have no liability to fix it. It is a rude world today, and shops find anything to get out of responsibility these days.
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I agree with that.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I'm trying to arrange to bring it to the shop ASAP, but they won't be able to look at it till next week.

In the meantime, I had it in another shop, and they think the noise is coming from a possibly damaged flywheel, but they'd have to take the tranny out to be sure.

I asked them about checking it out through the inspection plate, and they said my car doesn't have an inspection plate.

WTF?

Is it possible that the 4R70W from a 2002 Mustang doesn't have an inspection plate for this? Or is the shop BSing me?
 
dang. not again. sheesh.. :)

Russo said:
I asked them about checking it out through the inspection plate, and they said my car doesn't have an inspection plate.

WTF?

Is it possible that the 4R70W from a 2002 Mustang doesn't have an inspection plate for this? Or is the shop BSing me?
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lookie!!! inspection plate. it has to have one. how else would they tighten the torque converter bolts?

IMG_0016.jpg
 
chris2523 said:
lookie!!! inspection plate. it has to have one. how else would they tighten the torque converter bolts?
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Must be one of those new fangled "SNAP TYTE MODELS" rare, very rare. No hassles with glue, bolts, or nuts. Just snapped together and whalah.

See what I was talking about when you deal with shadey shops. I would of never told them I was conversing with fellow website buddies. I would of towed it to them and told them to fix it, that is it.

Now just tell them to fix it right!!!!!!!!!
 
Raped Ape said:
See what I was talking about when you deal with shadey shops. I would of never told them I was conversing with fellow website buddies. I would of towed it to them and told them to fix it, that is it.

Now just tell them to fix it right!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

:iconcur:
 
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