All,


1977 F-150 SWB 4 X 4 with RB 435 Manual Transmission. Noticed a week ago that my Truck developed an audible clicking noise when I first take off, can be heard when upshifting from 2nd into 3rd and also when first letting the clutch out going into reserve. Sunday had a little time, so I raised it up on jack stands with all tires suspended. Check all U-Joints, adjusted the clutch adjusting rod a little (clutch needed adjusting). Started the truck while the tires were suspended, locked in both front hubs and engaged it into four wheel low, high and again two wheel drive. Could not heard the clicking noise. But then I applied slight brake pedal pressure and I could hear the clicking noise. Unfortunately my son wasn't home to enable me to get underneath to try and detect where the slight clicking noise was originating from.


Have any of you experienced or heard of such a noise and can possible attribute it to a particular component that will allow me to pay closer attention investigating? Any help / suggestions I certainty appreciate. Looks like this next weekend I'll have time to further look into the clinking noise, barring no unforeseen surprises come up. Thanks guys
Don

 

I have had a small stone get caught up in front disc break assembly that made odd noises.

 

U-joint most likely

 

My T18 does this occasionally when coasting in neutral or rarely in gear. It sounds mechanical and it sounds like its coming from the driveshaft. It could be a U joint like the user above stated.

 

Just be careful under there, never know what can happen.

 

could be gear lash in the rear end.

 

jaleus, gatorfor88, mwoj and smle and D-rat,
Guys, thanks for the input and at this juncture like what gatorfor88 indicated, I'm leaning toward an U-joint. Whatever is causing it, then after I ascertain and correct it, I'll close out this post.
Going to try and have my son help me this weekend, will repeat jacking it up putting it up on jack stands, then have him slip the clutch while applying slight brake pedal pressure to make the clicking noise audible while underneath.
smle, I like your words of wisdom. I live by these that are from the late Red Sovine's "Be mindful every mile, life is just a little while".

 

If it means anything to you I was under my truck today and decided to mess with the driveshaft a bit. With the truck in neutral I was able to turn the driveshaft a bit by hand (in other words it take a decent amount of play back and forth). That's no bueno. Just something to check for.

 

I'll add another possible cause. Issue like a crack in the clutch pressure plate. As it works under load it can make a slight "clinking" noise. I had that once on a Dodge Power Wagon and hard to track down.

Hopefully it is a U-joint or pebble bouncing around or something easier to fix.

Root cause in the PW was mis- alignment of engine and transmission after block swap. Engine and transmission housing are matched at the factory.
Swapping can throw it off. After I fixed the collateral damage, a set of offset dowels got things lined back up.

 

Blue and White,
Thanks for your inpout and you might be onto the root cause. P. O. informed me that he had the engine re-built which was supposedly ~ 10K miles ago. it might be the clutch pressure plate or disk, (spring worked / working lose). I'll check U-joint this weekend, if not U-joints, I'll schedule time to remove running gear to check the clutch assembly. Hoping it's not the clutch, but if it is, I'll change out everything since I'll be in there. And in addition, will change two transfer case gaskets that are leaking some. The old saying, "myswell, since I'm already into it".
Plan to replace both rear brake wheel cylinder this weekend, last weekend I attempted to change brake fluid (scheduled maintenance) and the passenger rear brake cylinder bleeder screw wouldn't initally let fluid out. Used a piece of stiff siezing wire and then magaged to get a few ounces out W/the mighty vac. There was allot of rust particles in the drawn brake fluid. Replacing wheel cylinders is cheap insurance in my book.