thanks for reading. ok i got a 2002 f-150 extended cab v6 4.2. and i've have had so many problems with it. its brand new and yet i have taken it to the dealership about 4 times already 3 times for the same problem. (remember i was the guy who posted "rattleing noise in the engine") anyway the noise is back and louder than ever. this occurs when i put my truck in overdrive/drive and reverse. like once u put it into this gear the truck normally with take off by itself. just going at a very slow pace. so when it does this it makes this really bad rattleing sound. and it happens when i'm at this cruise state and i apply the brakes also. but once i get speed and take off it goes away but when i brake to slow down and i'm going slow here comes the noise. now i asked a friend and he said its the "torque converter" and i have no idea whats going on. please tell me whats going on. and i'm more than sure it not a rock this time stuck somewhere in there (thats what the ford dealership has told me over and over again). any ideas on how this happened or why its going on? please PLEASE help me. this is my only truck i'm gona have right now and i wana know if i'm hurting it so i would really apprciate it. thanks so much.

 

I have the same problem as well and went to the dealership. I was told it is hook that is used at the factory to lower the engine. Its on the left hand side and it is black. You can have it removed but I havent done mine so i'm sure how much they would charge.

 

The torque convertor is what the transmission uses during OVERDRIVE. It locks into place about 40-45 miles per hour (during normal driving, higher when accelerating hard). So below 40 MPH, your torque convertor isn't used. Since the noise is during idle and low RPM's in both forward and reverse, you can rule out the torque convertor. The rock idea... Well, if there was a rock in your tranmission, then it would lock eveything up. You would know it. If there was a rock in your crankshaft, same think. So rule that out. I think it is an exhaust system problem. Probably in the catalyc convertor. These have been known to rattle at low rpm's.

 

Well I went to have the hook removed and the rattling stopped. It only takes about 30 min but I had to leave it there since the exhaust is really hot and around the area where the bolts are to remove it.