Well I am back again. For those of you that don't know just over a month ago I was on here with transmission problems and I had to drop and replace It. Well after over a month of It running great I am now have a problem that I really don't understand and I could really use your guys help with.

I had a family reunion to go to and I decided to drive to NC from OH. 450 miles.
Down and back up I-77 which goes through some good size mountains. It made It down there great.

The first day down there, I noticed a sound coming from the lower back half of the engine. It was faint so I did not worry about It.

Second day, the sound was louder but I could not locate any problems. All the gauges were reading good, Fluids were good, No check engine light so I drove it. It ran ok but I noticed that It did not have much power when I gave It gas. It would take me some time to get up to speed. Later that day my battery light comes on and my amp gauge drops and I can still here that sound. So I test the Alternater by unhooking the battery while It Is running. It dies. So I go and check and have to replace the Alternater. Problem fixed and the sound Is gone so I thought everything was fine but I still was not getting much power.

Third day, the sound Is back and now much louder. It almost sounds like something Is loose or just not working right. It Is coming from the lower back half of the engine or maybe coming from the transmission. I could not pin It down nor could I find anything wrong. The engine Is not knocking or anything like that.

So I had to get back to OH and I had to drive It. Well everything was fine until I hit the first hill. It just would not pick up any speed. It was lossing speed and If I let off the gas to get It to down shift to pick up speed It would jump back Into low gear and the speed would just keep dropping and at the same time I can feel the engine hesitating and just not wanting to pick up any speed until I got to the top of the hill.

It did this all the way back to OH. I stopped at a rest area and checked everything again and the sound was now nice and loud and the truck just does not want to go at all. You can hear that something Is wrong. It sounds like squeaking and parts moving around but the engine Is not knocking.
Well I made It home. It hesitated the rest of the way bad. I did not think I was going to make It.
Now I have to find out what Is wrong?
What would cause a truck to do these things?
It Is still running but It Is very hard for It to get up to speed and and the noise Is still there. What has happened to my truck now? Please help me locate this new problem. Thanks.

 

Is the engine turning good RPMS? Could the noise you are referring to be coming from the catalytic converter, and does it run any better or worse as it warms up? Sorry for the questions, just need some more info. Also, pull the codes if you haven't already.

 

The computer has not stored any codes or found any problems. No check Engine light at all.
The RPM's are good but It Is missing a bit. It seems to be running but has little power and when It shifts Into Over Drive or forth gear things get worse, It hesitates real bad and does not want to go. Would a
Also today I noticed when I start It, It sounds like the starter Is not hitting the flywheel right. I am getting a loud sound when the starter engages with the flywheel. The last time I heard this sound the flywheel ended up breaking off. You can read that thread In the Explorer Forums also just search for posts by me. I am starting to think It might be a transmission problem again but how can I be sure?
Every since I have got this truck running I have always thought It just did not seem to have much power or get up and go but I have no frame of reference because this Is my first SUV. I have always driven cars or Big Trucks.

 

a lot of the time when an engine misfires under load (such as going up hill) it ends up being a bad spark plug or a bad plug wire....vacuum leaks and clogged catalytic converters can also cause the same type symptoms...

 

You know James, pain is a good thing. When you do something and it hurts then you stop doing that thing before you really hurt yourself. The same can be said about strange noises and cars. You gotta find out what this mysterious noise is...obviously you problem is centered around this noise. From your write up, it sounds like it gets worse when it warms up, and maybe not there at all when cold? And now the starter is not engaging correctly? I would suspect your trany job. On maybe not the work you did but that was a used tranny right? Maybe it's going out now. just what you needed to hear, I know.

 

What can I do short of pulling the transmission to locate the problem? I know when I replaced the transmission, I did It by the book and I don't think I made any mistakes and yes It Is a used transmission.
I drove It for almost 2 months before the trip without any problems.
What would make the starter engage the Flywheel wrong?
I drove It today and It Is running good. The sound Is faint but still there and the transmission Is shifting fine. How do you know when a torque converter Is going out?
Would that cause the engine to hesitate and not run right?

 

I hate this web site - just lost all my text....James, PM me your phone number and we can walk through it. ARRGGG!

 

Hi,

You might want to check your catalytic conv. by hitting it with a wooden handle or soemthing and if you hear noise inside then it means that you probably have a stuck exhaust. Try to unhook the exhaust at the manifold and see if the engine hesitates on acceleration. Do this checkings and see what comes up. Try the easier first and let the hard at the end. It could be something easy.

Good luck and let us know your progress.

 

After discussing on the phone, it appears to be more of a transmission issue. Not shifting correctly between 3rd and 4th gears. Torque converter solenoid or 4th gear solenoid? Not sure what/where the noise was - needs to look into that further.

 

Why check the catalytic conv.? because even if the tranny was in a bad shape the hesitation and low power output of the engine doesn't have any connection with the tranny. So try first to determine if the catalytic conv. it's bad. Best solution it's to unfasten the exhaust at the manifold flange or pull out the o2 sensors which are located before the catalytic conv. If the engine runs the same then we have to pass on.

The tranny doesn't cause hesitation or lack of power. If something inside the tranny was keeping the engine from reving it would be broken by now and the engine free to rev , but most probably no motion.

Please tell us how what you have found and see what we can do.

 

Valid points nicolae but I talked to James and after working with him for more than a year getting a new engine in this truck and then the tranny, I know what questions to ask him. In this particular case, when he said "loss of power" he meant that just in going up hill the tranny would kick down to 3rd and then the truck would just slow down. Coming off a stand still 1st and 2nd gear accelerates normally. You should give him a call and talk it over...I kind of ran out of ideas without having the truck in front of me.

 

First Off I want to thank everyone for your help again. I would not have gotten to this point with my Truck If It was not for everyones Help here on Ford Truck Enthusiasts.

I drove It again today and I need to find out why my starter Is hitting the flywheel wrong first.

I noticed today that when I go up a Hill It will knock. Not a good thing. It Is running but It Is just not running right. It Is hesitating and the Idle Is not constant. I can tell that something Is not right with the transmission but I don't know what.

My catalytic conv was replaced about 3 months ago so I don't think that Is a problem. If I were to give a list of everything that has been replaced over the last 6 months you would be just as lost as I am as to why It Is not running right.

 

Hi,

well in that case check the SPOUT connector, maybe it's loose and causing this problem. This problem of yours also sounds like the engine it's under advance or over advance when you have knocking.

Search the sput conn and be sure it's firmly in place .

Good luck.

 

I am sorry but what are you talking about when you say check the SPOUT connector?

 

Don't worry about it James. The spout shorting bar is not your problem. If you had no SPOUT connection, you'd have CEL and code for it.

It means Spark output. It is the signal from the PCM back to the ignition control module that "conditions" the spark advance. You don't even need this signal to run the car. There are default tables the PCM would use...and even the "limp home" mode of our trucks would be real obvious to you. If it runs OK in 1st and 2nd gears, and 3/4 is acting goofy, it's either the torque converter solenoid or the 4th gear solenoid, but I would think the latter since it's a 3/4 problem.

But Like I said on the phone, you need to find out what that noise is and when/what conditions it happens under and what is up with your starter engagement.