Strange trans sound...

U

unity

Registered
Hi Guys,

My 96 with 130k makes a weird sound when going into reverse from drive or park or when going from reverse to drive. Going from park to drive makes no sound at all - I think... At first, I thought it was more random but after working on the car today, I can say for sure it involves reverse.

I went into reverse and back to drive numerous times and I could here a ratchet, scraping sound. There is also a brief delay. ALL services were dont 13k ago when I swapped the engine. That included a flush to Mercon V and front pump seal replacement.

The problem first surfaced shortly after installing my chip from FastParts. I had been using the line pressure increase program with an extra 2 degree timing. I just switched to a program with stock shifts, same thing.

Yes it has a J-Mod that was done LONG AGO. The fluid was a little low, half a quart, but looked and smelled great. Am I the only one who likes the smell of hot Mercon V? :) All other shifts are fine. Other than the sound, all is good.

Ideas? Am I about to lose reverse?!?!?
 
I get the exact same noise when in Neutral, which you might be hearing as you shift past/through it.

Sounds like a vibrating heat shield or kinda like a ratchet as you described. Put the car in neutral and see if you hear it, they call the problem a "floating valve" thats in the valve body and pre-97 valve bodys on all Fords can/will do it after line pressure is increased.

Also....have you ever driving an automatic Honda...90's? They do a ratchet style clicking when shifting into reverse, it doesn't sound like that does it?
 
I'm not sure what the problem is but I must disagree about 93-97 valvebodies with increased line pressure all doing it. I had 100% line pressure on my 95 LSC and no strange sounds coming from the tranny. However, I did have the tranny rebuilt at 100k and they may have used a newer style valvebody.
 
The best way to describe it is that its almost fast enough to be a buzz and if you duplicate the noise, you can stick your head underneath the drivers door and hear it nice and loud coming out of the trans pan. I've seen a valve body update page about the entire problem, but I can't find it.
 
I knows the 95's buzz a lot.... but guys, this is not a buzz, its loud enough to be heard 30 feet away and its a 3 second scraping sound sorts with clicks and once in gear, nothing. There is no sound in neutral, just when entering reverse or drive FROM reverse (but not from park) I will see if I can get a recording now that I can repeat it at will.
 
Get a stethascope and a bottle of steel reserve, it'll make diagnosing easier. :D
 
Its the trans for sure. It makes the sound when brakes applied and car still, and like I said, there is a delay in the shift when the sounds occurs. That pretty much rules out u-joints, rear end, etc... But nope, no trac-loc, etc installed.

I dunno. Any sounds is never a good sound. I hate to waste the trans fluid, but I think I need to pull the pan asap to check for metal tid-bits.
 
<sigh> For the last time, this does this WIHOUT moving! LOL So, no twigs, no rear end, etc... its in the trans for sure....
 
Sorry unity, thought I read you were moving backwards. My bad.

Since this first started up when you installed the chip have you tried to simply remove the chip to see if you still hear it?
 
Ya, its when I am ad a dead stop - brakes applied but switching gears. I removed the chip, checked fluids, etc.. etc... I really dont know. I will have to drop the pan and take a look and go from there I guess. The last thing I need is to swap the trans!!!!!
 
J said:
I get the exact same noise when in Neutral, which you might be hearing as you shift past/through it.

Sounds like a vibrating heat shield or kinda like a ratchet as you described. Put the car in neutral and see if you hear it, they call the problem a "floating valve" thats in the valve body and pre-97 valve bodys on all Fords can/will do it after line pressure is increased.
Click to expand...

J, I've had vale body buzz in neutral for a long time on my 95. It dosen't do it all the time but very often. Aside from swapping the valve body do you know any way to eliminate this?
 
Eric.....I've had this "buzz"(thanks, coulding think of the word they described it with) since I had my trans rebuild/updated(JMod)/huge custom shift kit so I'm going to guess it has something to do with the line pressure not holding the valve steady.

I know I can give my car a tad bit of gas and it will buzz a bit louder and than go away. What is actually going on is that one of the valves inside the VB is vibrating back/forth in the bore causing a VERY fast tapping, which sounds like a buzz. Without actually dropping the valve body and installing a heavier spring9after figuring out which valve it is, which may be hard), I don't think there are any cures. And if you're going to do that, you might as well install the 98 valve body.

Honestly, its not "really" doing any damage of concern, but its not good either.

So....I guess to answer your question, No. LOL :D I just don't use Neutral very often, and when I do, and my VB is buzzing, I pop it into Park.
 
Same thing here, after my tune, shift kit and rebuild it started with the neutral buzz. It's not all the time, bu tit's just embarrising when you go to rev for someone to hear your exhaust and the car is buzzing like a POS at idle. It's been doing it for years so I don't expect any damage either but it is just plain old annoying.
 
Yeah....I get it very occationally so I don't worry about it. I wish I had known about the updated VB's when I had my trans built, but I knew nothing about the M8's then. I've learned a TON these past 3 years.

Well...you're having the same symptoms, so I'm going to say the valve buzz's because of the increased line pressure.

Just tell them thats your stall converter which has a type of "blow of valve" that relieves the increased line pressure from the trans so it doesn't blow out any seals during WOT shifts and Neutral revs. :love-it:
 
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