FiveElements

my 89 car transmission has been acting up for a few years. Slipping in 2nd. Randomly not shifting to 4th, clunky downshifts when approaching a stop. Slipping when accelerating after slowing down at about 20mph. Now the trani is making a horrible grinding noise randomly on acceleration. Sounds like a hand full of bolts rattling around directly me!! Dang, is it going to blow up? Could it be the torque tube doing this noise? The car drives totally fine despite the noise. I'm afraid to really jump on the gas and see though. Noise goes away if I shift back to N and coast to a stop. Then back to D and the trani seems fine again???

I have an 87 trani in my back yard already. Has about 110k miles. I want the taller ratio so I got this trani for that reason.

The question is...
1) Should I have the 87 trani rebuilt before installing?
2) If so, where in the San Francisco area is ideal for a trani rebuilt?

FiveElements

Bill Ball is coming over today. We are going to raise the car and see exactly why is happening.

vanster

There is a good transmission rebuild shop in San Leandro. Once I recall the name I will PM you. Bill might know of one as well

FiveElements

Thank you! It seems though all is fine with the trani.. There must be something rubbing near the fly wheel or a foreign object is rubbing in that area. We beat on the car racing around in every gear and no problem shifting and the noise did not return.

I will would like that rebuild shop info though just in case I have that 87 trani in storage rebuilt

FiveElements

Spoke too soon. The grinding is back. Going to pull the trani pan and see if there are particles in there. The noise is either gone completely or really loud now like I'm dragging a tile pipe in the ground. There's a power loss too. Engine seems fine and noise gone at a stop in neutral.

FiveElements

Ok.. Not intermittent now. I can repeat the problem. When the car is cold, no noise. Then after full warm up. No noise. Then after parking with hot exhaust for a few minutes and starting back up for a drive, then the noise comes from the drive line area just below the stereo/shifter. It happens only while driving uphill under load. The noise is then really loud like the flywheel gear is rubbing on the bell housing or gears not meshing together. (though I looked and all is fine at the fly wheel. I also released the flex plate tension, did a trani service with filter and ATF fluid) When you press on the brake firmly during the noise, it improves. The car will NOT do the noise up on stands. This is a load and uphill problem. Then after getting to the top of the hill and the car leveling off, noise fades to nothing.

Can the cats be heating up the torque tube bearings or some other area with close tolerances? Then they are grinding or rubbing? Can the torque tube bearing be slipping out of place and grinding under load only? The trani seems fine, shifting smooth and normal. The engine is strong. Anyone had this happen? Sounds seriously bad.