Ticking from the Transmission

[El Jefe]

Thought I had an exhaust leak but put a stethoscope on the trans and its coming from behind the bellhousing. Only occurs when the car is warmed up otherwise it is very faint. Its a very sporadic ticking. Pressing the clutch pedal doesn't change it at all. Whether its in gear or not doesn't change it either. Guy at the exhaust shop said its my TOB. Im at a loss here....Anyone?


DSCI1038-2.flv video by RepnPB21 - Photobucket (http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk199/RepnPB21/?action=view&current=DSCI1038-2.flv)

[BurnTire]

Hard to hear it on the video. Is it really loud? Can you hear it when you are seated in the car? Being the clutch application doesn't effect the sound points towards a non bearing (pilot, throwout) issue. Are you sure it is not noise transmitting from the crank?

[WildBill]

Thought I had an exhaust leak but put a stethoscope on the trans and its coming from behind the bellhousing. Only occurs when the car is warmed up otherwise it is very faint. Its a very sporadic ticking. Pressing the clutch pedal doesn't change it at all. Whether its in gear or not doesn't change it either. Guy at the exhaust shop said its my TOB. Im at a loss here....Anyone?


DSCI1038-2.flv video by RepnPB21 - Photobucket (http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk199/RepnPB21/?action=view&current=DSCI1038-2.flv)

Someone put a bomb in there!!!

If it doesn't change with pedal movement, it's prolly NOT your TOB

[El Jefe]

Someone put a bomb in there!!!

If it doesn't change with pedal movement, it's prolly NOT your TOB
Ya I told him it doesn't change when I push the clutch in so it cant be that.

Its only "loud" after the car is warmed up or I get on it a little bit. Ya you can hear it in the car with the windows down. Just a faint sporadic ticking and I can hear it throughout the RPM band. Lift the hood up and you cant hear it at all over the injectors. Put a stethoscope on the heads and its not coming from there.

It sounds to me like its closer to the tail shaft than the bellhousing. I did throw a P2270 code this morning too...Had that same code before I switched from the BBK to the JLT a while back. Seemed to clear itself after the install.

Guess I need to get under the car again and pinpoint exactly where its coming from. What else should I check? In the vid you can hear it clearly with 26 seconds left when I rev it a little. Its sporadic when idling and then a constant ticking the higher the RPM

If I can Im going to put some Royal Purple in it this weekend and see if that changes anything as well. Some guys on SVTP say I need to check the pinion ring on the driveshaft or some sort of S clamp on the driveshaft

[vin man]

Are there any dents in the oil pan? I had a similar situation on my 67. Turned out a dent was causing the crank or connecting rods to touch the oil pan. I little pounding on the pan and the noise went away. :)

[El Jefe]

The crank hardly protrudes into the pan on these Cobras im pretty sure...

Could this be the EGR supply tube? busted or something?

[El Jefe]

Better vid:

DSCI1039-2.flv video by RepnPB21 - Photobucket (http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk199/RepnPB21/?action=view&current=DSCI1039-2.flv)

[BurnTire]

Sounds like a slight knock, but it is hard to tell from a video. May be nothing or it may be a problem. I have 3 modular motor vehicles and they all make unique noises. Is this something that just started happening?

Also do you have any vibration in the clutch pedal / shifter?

[El Jefe]

Just a few weeks. I do see a clutch replacement in the near future but no vibration really. Going to get under it tomorrow hopefully and pinpoint it.

[WildBill]

I put my head phones on. For the vid, it doesn't sound like drivetrain of any kind.
It sounds too tinny to be bottom end. It sounds like valvetrain to me.

Get a LONG screw driver( unless you have an automotive stethoscope) and place the handle against your scull just above your ear and the tip to various points on the engine. Narrow it down by checking the bolts in the area you hear it strongest with the screwdriver.

[IMSHAKN]

Definitely going to side with Bill on this one and say it's valvetrain related. I cannot think of a single thing transmission related that would cause that noise with no load on the transmission the way you are showing in the video. Mechanics stethoscope will be your best friend here as it has already been said. Hopefully it's nothing too bad, but something definitely doesn't sound so hot. :redface:

[Lucafu1]

hard to ay from the vids. btw you should get some paint on those sub frame connectors.

[El Jefe]

Ya I cleaned up the subframes a little this weekend. Amazing how fast they rusted...Will paint them next weekend

Well the EGR tube is still in tact and exhaust seems to be snug to the manifolds. Checked the drivers side plugs this morning after reading a few guys heard ticking and then a plug shot out of their heads so I thought it might be that. 4 plugs on the drivers side were snug and looked to be in good shape. So I took it to a shop and got in the pit with a stethoscope and listened to both exhaust pipes, the trans in multiple spots, the oil pan, parts of the block and couldn't hear the ticking or anything but air or moving parts in those. Went on top and couldn't hear the ticking over the injectors but I listened to the supercharger and both heads and nothing from those either. Went back down under the car and just listened where it was the loudest and it seems to be the back portion of the block. I put the stethoscope on the passenger side manifold that comes down to the X pipe and there's a lot of noise coming from it. Didn't seem to be in sync with the ticking but just sounded too loud considering the X piping is fairly quiet and the manifold is that loud when they are connected to each other. Couldnt get to the drivers side manifold because of the heat and my skin wanting to stay on my arm. So Im back to square 1 thinking its a blown manifold gasket or something with the manifolds. Still dont see any driveability changes. Im not getting into boost until I get the tune but you know you can tell when you give it some gas...

Still going to check the pass side plugs tonight. Anyone think it might have to do with the 10w/30 royal purple Im running instead of 5/30? This seemed to start right before the 2nd royal purple oil change. And yes Im running a motorcraft filter.

[AZSonicSnake]

royal purple oil? do you hate your engine?? i would get the crap out post haste. i have heard about nothing but issues and failed motors with that stuff.

[WildBill]

royal purple oil? do you hate your engine?? i would get the crap out post haste. i have heard about nothing but issues and failed motors with that stuff.

I HATE RP on a street driven car. It' may be fine for a race car that changes the oil after every race or round, but I feel that the VIs break down Waaaaaay too fast.

[El Jefe]

royal purple oil? do you hate your engine?? i would get the crap out post haste. i have heard about nothing but issues and failed motors with that stuff.
Failed motors? Come on...There are hundreds of Cobras on SVTP running Royal Purple in the motor, trans and rear end with no problems.

Lucafu1 above used it in his Cobra as well. What are you guys running Amsoil? Redline? German Castrol? This is my daily driver...

[WildBill]

Failed motors? Come on...There are hundreds of Cobras on SVTP running Royal Purple in the motor, trans and rear end with no problems.

Lucafu1 above used it in his Cobra as well. What are you guys running Amsoil? Redline? German Castrol? This is my daily driver...

LOL! SVT is one of the WORST places to get accurate tech!
I've seen quite a few of RP failures. Like I said their VI(viscosity improvers) in their oils seems to breakdown more quickly than others.

[AZSonicSnake]

Failed motors? Come on...There are hundreds of Cobras on SVTP running Royal Purple in the motor, trans and rear end with no problems.

Lucafu1 above used it in his Cobra as well. What are you guys running Amsoil? Redline? German Castrol? This is my daily driver...

i am not narrowing it down to just cobra motors. i have a few friends in the import world, and dometic world that have had bearing failures due to thier rp oil breaking down. its just not an oil i would use in a street car. just as wild bill said.

myself, i use mobil 1. mainly because i have used it for years, and a few oem's put it in thier motors straight from the factory. and i check the level VERY religously.

also note, i am not doggin anything other than thier motor oil. i have had thier syncromesh in my t-56 for a few years now and its worked flawlessly.

[Lucafu1]

if royal purple is good enough for the Border Patrol trucks then its good enough for street cars IMO.

but then again i like regular dino oil just as well.

[El Jefe]

Guess it cant hurt to try some Mobil 1 for a thousand miles or so to see if it goes away...or is that just wishful thinking? haha

[El Jefe]

Check engine light came on again this morning(usually front o2 is lean) and it has not been starting "nicely" lately. Takes an extra crank or two for it to start. Think this could be related?

[WildBill]

Check engine light came on again this morning(usually front o2 is lean) and it has not been starting "nicely" lately. Takes an extra crank or two for it to start. Think this could be related?

Ummmmm........It COULD.............especially if you've just been clearing the codes. They are there for a reason.

[El Jefe]

Wouldnt that be plug or maybe oil(startup) related? I was throwing the same code when I bought the car and it had the BBK fenderwell CAI and put the JLT on it and it seemed to clear itself. That was almost 4 months ago and this week the CEL light has come back on twice now throwing this same code. Sniffer on the dyno read around 11.8 at WOT.

Didnt get a chance to check the other plugs but I will tonight. Also reading that the drivers side manifold might need a 2.25 reducer to hook up an aftermarket X pipe. A lot of guys get exhaust leaks there...So much to check and only so much light during the day...Wish PSR was in Tucson :) Even Ford wont diagnose it, they just want me to spend $1500 for some new heads

You guys recommend any shops down here to check this out for me?

[WildBill]

Wouldnt that be plug or maybe oil(startup) related? I was throwing the same code when I bought the car and it had the BBK fenderwell CAI and put the JLT on it and it seemed to clear itself. That was almost 4 months ago and this week the CEL light has come back on twice now throwing this same code. Sniffer on the dyno read around 11.8 at WOT.

Didnt get a chance to check the other plugs but I will tonight. Also reading that the drivers side manifold might need a 2.25 reducer to hook up an aftermarket X pipe. A lot of guys get exhaust leaks there...So much to check and only so much light during the day...Wish PSR was in Tucson :) Even Ford wont diagnose it, they just want me to spend $1500 for some new heads

You guys recommend any shops down here to check this out for me?

Not any down there.
Why don't you do this. You cover my fuel expenses and I'll come and get the car and bring it to the shop. We can put it on the dyno, data log off the computer, and/or put it on Dan's WDS machine. We'll get it diagnosed and you'll know where you stand. I just don't want you to keep driving it and cause the problem to get worse or blow an engine.

[El Jefe]

Waiting on my wideband to come back from Speedhut for the WOT capability. Should have it this week so I can do all that on my laptop. I still need to check plugs, oil, exhaust again and see if I still cant figure this out. Hopefully the man the myth the legend lucafu1 will have some free time too. Always finds the problems! If not Ill tow it up to you guys. Not getting into boost right now at all....sucks

Pathetic we have over a million people down here and no reputable tuner shop.

[WildBill]

Good deal. Just stay outta it until you find out WTF.

[El Jefe]

Ya I am. Took the RP out and put some Mobil 5w30 in. I thought the ticking went away but 20 seconds later I could hear it again. It does idle smoother though. Had them look up the CEL and it was the same P2270. Would it be a good idea to run some octane booster until then or will that not help?

Would a leakdown/compression test be beneficial in this case? Obviously doing that instead of tearing it apart?

Gonna try this first. It just sounds too tinny to be valvetrain to me:


just sent this exact message to your PM as well. I figure this will hopefully help someone else too...so here is a quick picture and explination:

All the reducer is is a new end piece that fits inside that socket on the X pipe. Go to a muffler shop and have them take a 2 1/4" scrap piece of pipe and make a new socket that will fit INSIDE that 2 1/2 inch socket on the X. It's basically a small flare. When you put it in, use some copper (high temp) sensor safe RTV on the inside of the X socket as well as on the inside of the new tiny socket. The X won't seal without the RTV. You will still have a tiny barely audible leak without it. Here is a quick picture I just drew. Hopefully it will help out :beer:

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h86/suaveflooder/HPIM0707.jpg

[BurnTire]

I have the pipe reducer on my drivers side pipe also.