Bill51sdr

A question to the transmission gurus here...

My transmission has recently developed a distinct high-pitched whine when in Park or Neutral, goes away when put into any gear, hot or cold. It has been suggested that the torque converter is the likely culprit & if so, I'm thinking its bearing is not long for this world.

Any ideas?

TIA!

Mongo

Hey Bill, I was looking at a post a long while back from Steve Canttaneo that suggested it. Again, I don't 'think' anything in the differential is moving when it's in those 2 gears.

Bill51sdr

Can you link that thread? Steve is one of the people I hope will chime in here.

Mongo

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...%26quot%3BPARK

Bill Ball

Hi Bill:

Mine has done exactly that for over 4 years now with no change. Sounds like a fuel pump, but it isn't. Same thing - whine disappears in gear. I'm suspecting a worn TC bearing, and the whining goes away when the bearing is loaded. Actually I have no idea what it is other than it's not the fuel pump. I've been waiting for it to get louder or some other reason to remove the TT and do the TC bearings. Maybe the primary pump? Regardless, it has not developed further or caused any driving issues at all since I noticed it at least 50 k miles ago.

Oh, there's my old thread about it! Looks like its 'been 5 years and more miles. Again, no change at all in that time.

Bill51sdr

Thanks Andy & Bill. Good to know it's probably not a terminal problem as it is coming at a VERY bad time. Just got killed on property and income taxes. Guess I'll live with it for now and hope for the best.

Mongo

Crap...just started my auto detailing business and now I just realized I have another tax to look forward to after getting a house.


On a side note I also have a rattling noise that may be related to the torque converter carrier bearings. The sound seems to travel through the torque tube.

Linking in my old thread for reference too:

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...in-noises.html

troy928

I have developed the park neutral whine that others have described, however mine seems temperature dependent. At cold start with the low temps we have had here in Indianapolis the whine is very noticable...after I drive a few miles and the trans warms the whine disappears.

I changed the fluid and filter last year and just recently checked the fluid level. The one recent change Ive made last November was turning the modulator dial a turn to increase the shift harsness. Could this have any correlation to the whine?

xzl6b1

Hard to diagnose/compare noises, but, I had a similar problem with my 89: ie rattling noise in Park & Neutral only, much worse when hot. No significant torque tube vibration at speed.

I found that the vacuum line to the modulator was leaking, somewhere under the bell housing. I replaced the vacuum line with a steel line (as others have done, easier than replacing oem hose). I also reset the line pressures using the "T" handle. So far so good, the noise is gone.

atb

Low fluid level will cause a whine.

Bill Ball

An update on my drivetrain whine. I replaced the TC bearings - no change. I started to change out the TT bearings but the carriers resisted my efforts to remove them from the tube and the bearings seemed completely good anyway (shaft centered and snug with no significant runout), so I just left them alone. I have no engine speed related vibration or noise, so I wasn't expecting the TT bearings to be bad anyway. I change the fluid and filter regularly. Nothing seems to have affected the whine in neutral/park and it hasn't changed over the 6 or so years and maybe 100K miles that it has been there. I do have a strange, relatively new (about a year) inconsistent ROAD speed related (80+ MPH) vibration that has been elusive (not wheel balance or bad bushing or bearing as far as I can tell).

Mark SF

Yes whining can be pump cavitation due to low fluid level. It seems that older transmissions can start to do it in neutral and park too, for no particular reason other than general wear and tear.

If you have checked the fluid, how is the filter in the transmission?

troy928

Changed the fluid and filter about 14months ago.

As Bill Ball and others have noted, it seems the whine is not a precusor to anything catastrophic.