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Can you identify that rattle?


RJMacReady

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
67
City
Seattle
Vehicle Year
1984
Engine
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Manual
Here's a vid. Rattle is loudest at the last part of the vid as I walk to the passenger side.

 
Sure sounds like the starter is touching the flywheel to me.
 
Sometimes it goes away when I go into neutral after driving for a bit, but is there in 1, 2, 3, (maybe 4 but i can't hear because its pretty loud on the road at those speeds)
 
try pointing the up a pretty good incline... or lifting the front of the truck with a floor jack while running.
 
I actually have that backwards.. rear of the truck.

Point I'm trying to make is to see if the bendix on the starter will fall away from the fly wheel with the rear of the truck lifted. I have seen it before in my career.
 
Would a real steep hill be the same? I'll give that a try until I get my jack back outta storage. Should be soon.
 
it should...
 
Hey @Uncle Gump, tried what you said but didn't notice any difference.

However, the symptom has changed to "pretty quiet while its sitting there, loud as hell when I touch the clutch pedal."

While addressing some leaks and rust stuff I tore out all the old carpet and took the rubber boot off the shifter in the cab, and then it became extremely clear the noise is coming precisely from the bell housing, so I figure it's got to be a bearing.

I've almost assembled all my tools to put in a clutch kit I got, so I'll update with how that goes.

I'm sure it's gonna confuse the hell out of me though so I'll probably make a thread of the process so I can post pics and ask questions.
 
To me that sounds like one of the shields on the catalytic converter rattling, though you say pushing in the clutch changes the sound, which that part I don't have an answer for...

I actually had the solenoid (bendix) come loose on my '94 4.0L starter one time and the starter pinion gear would "fall" into the flywheel while accelerating or while pointed uphill. The noise was very different from that (more like a simple clicking or tapping sound as the pinion bounced off from hitting the flywheel).

It often can be hard to tell sounds not recorded with good quality microphones or audio setup (especially after it going up on Youtube), though to me that still does not sound internal to the transmission (more like a piece of sheet metal rattling rather than a bearing).
 
I will definitely take a look at those areas when I get up under there.

I'll post some more pics or vids when I get a chance. Appreciate the responses!
 
I bet its a glass jar full of baby teeth duck taped to the left front shock.
 
It could be the throw-out bearing dying.

I can't hear it because my speakers don't work, but the conditional information points to a TOB.
 
OK, differential diagnosis:

How do I decide between
A) Throw out bearing is bad
B) Something wacky is rattling on the underside

Rattle is definitely louder on the passenger side when I'm looking down at the starter.

When I was under there on the driver side looking up at the bellhousing, it *seemed* quieter.

I think I'm set on doing this clutch kit anyways, since I just bought a transmission jack, but how do I check for what @Uncle Gump was talking about?
 
So that's my starter yeah?
Bonus pic: here's what my steering column looks like when viewed through the floorboard hole :)
 

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