alrightroad

I have been having a weird clicking noise coming from the rear of the engine sort of under the firewall. It only clicks from idle up to about 2K rpms and it is somewhat random. I can rev the engine slightly (in park) and the clicking is more noticable around 900 rpms but again, random. Sometimes it's loud enough that I am embarassed sitting at a red light. I know cars next to me can hear it with their windows down. Very obvious. The clicking 'vibrates' higher frequency when I rev so the revolutions of engine make the clickity click more. Under harder driving the click noise is not present. Grandma driving makes it more obvious.

I finally took into my indy today. They put it up on the rack and took all the covers off. They looked up into the bell housing and TC area and saw metal shavings coming out of there. Then, they turned the crank shaft really slowly and said at a certain point it sounds like someone drops a large metal bearing down inside the housing. They turn crank more and the noise hits again (not repeated as when the engine is on).

So... here, I write. First of all, I hope everyone is doing well. I've not been visiting the forums much because the new format is a pain to 'cruise' through the topics and feedbacks. I guess I am getting used to it.

What do you guys/gal think? One disclosure here I should make it that when I did my TB and top seals, I dropped a 1/4" drive 10mm socket down behind the engine in that area and never found it in the garage (!). My guys at the indy said there is very very slight chance it got into the TC area but they don't know what got into the area and causing the noise. I don't know that area of car well. Is it possible for an object to fall into the TC area between the tranny and the engine?

What should be done about this? The car drives fine. My options are 1. do nothing. 2., get indy to remove tranny and find out what is going on (quote $1,150). I do need an inner front CV boot replaced so they could obviously do that when pulling out tranny. Also, if they took out the tranny, it would be a good time to upgrade my TC to a stronger one (Todd, any thoughts on brand?).

Feeback from the family?

eric

finiki

As the saying goes...A Stitch in Time...or...Pay Now or....
I would get it done..Now. You will sleep better too.

Also did you change your preferences to "Threaded View"? See the notice near the top of the page.

alrightroad

I am leaning this way as well. Just don't want to bite the bullet yet. Great pic you have there.

I've been using threaded view and it still lacks some of the detail about threads but it is suitable. I am getting used to it. Thanks for the feedback.

paulroad

considering the TC is a known failure point... check out the TC from Vast. Their reputation on everything they do is stellar.

alrightroad

Thanks, Paul. My TC is the factory replacement for the failures back in 01-02. I don't think the TC is going bad but I am certainly shopping around.

autosolutions

You have a socket in your bell-housing! You need to have it removed before it trashes the transmission & knocks a hole in the trans or torque converter.

Look at this pic & you can see the slot the socket fell in when you dropped it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-01...ht_1833wt_1359

alrightroad

Thanks. Looks like that slot was made for 10mm sockets to fall into. The strange thing is I thought I dropped it on the passenger side of the rear of the engine bay. Should I even attempt to retrieve the socket through the hole with a long magnet arm?

Appreciate the feedback from the 'other' carolina.

four

obviously if this is an option, you should exercise it. retrieving it with a magnet is much cheaper than having a shop pull parts off to get to it. sounds like that is the problem.

if you had the TC already addressed previously, i doubt that is the issue. the only reason TCs went bad were failures on the o-rings, which were addressed by the replacement units (which you say you have already performed). my best guess would be what you've already guessed.

if you have means of retrieving it, do it! good luck!

Delmeister

So did you retrieve that socket?

That link showing where the socket could fall into the torque converter housing doesn't work anymore. I can't imagine an opening where that could happen. Could you describe it, and possibly suggest why it would be there? I recently dropped an allen wrench down in that area, but never thought there was any chance it could get into the converter housing.

s4master1

sorry to disappoint everybody but sounds like the flex plate is cracked
the plate is the flat metal piece connecting the crank to the torque converter, usually cracks at the crank bolts and as it turns makes noise
get a camera in there and see it before you remove the transmission.
A socket is very possible to fall in there but is not going to be on and off or stop when you accelerate

hope this helps