Transmission
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New User
Joined: Mar 2002
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Transmission
Hello, I own a 1981 F-150 4x4, automatic trany. When I rev up the engine, there is a noise inside the bell housing that sounds like a bolt or a rock getting flung around in there. It can get thrown around pretty good that it smacks loudly against the shell. I can also here this at times while driving, and sometimes it will get thrown into a spot that I will not here it anymore till I either brake hard or go down hill. Someone told me that it could be the torque converter, but I have no loss of power and no slipping. It is starting to worry me and I have no cash to fix it. Is it easy enough to go under the truck and unattach the trany from the engine and take a look at it my self? Torque converter easy to change? Thanks in advance for your help.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Transmission
Crawl under it and take the inspection plate off,chances are it is a torque convertor nut come off.It might even fall out when you remove the cover.
Put is back on and check the others for looseness.
Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]
[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]
78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon
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Transmission
What is the tranny code on the data plate?
Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]
[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]
78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon
Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]
[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]
78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon
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New User
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Transmission
I don't know and will go and take a look, I will be away for a week, going to cow town (Calgary) So I will let you know then, I appreciate all your help. Now this is really worrying me though, I did and oil change 2 weeks ago, put in 5 quarts of oil (302) and yesterday I checked it and I had to add 3 quarts!!!! I inspected under the truck, no leaks, and it doesn't burn oil!! And, now I don't hear the noise??? Well hardly as often as I used too.
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Transmission
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-Mar-02 AT 05:40 PM (EST)]Well Calgary huh?
I guess you didn't see ,That's where I am.
Where are you coming from?
Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]
[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]
78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon
I guess you didn't see ,That's where I am.
Where are you coming from?
Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg
[i][font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font][i]
[font color=blue]Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [font/]
78 F-150 429CJ,Silver, Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon
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New User
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Transmission
Coming from Vancouver. I am on a business trip. there till next thursday. I work for Heenan Blaikie Lawfirm which is on 1rst SW
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Transmission
Well, pulled into a gas station, what else is new, and put some gas in. When I went to start the truck and put it in drive, nothing. No forwards at all, you can kind of feel the truck want to go but something is just free wheeling in there. Torque converter??
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,966
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From: Virginia
Transmission
You need to take a look. My 1980 has an automatic and it is a c6. The inspection plate faces toward the front of the truck, and is held on with two bolts at the bottom of the bellhousing. Look for cracks in the flywheel and missing nuts. The torque convertor has studs that should poke through holes in the flywheel.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,907
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From: suburban atlanta
Transmission
The flex plate bolts onto the crankshaft and has the torque converter
bolted up to it. The starter engages teeth on the edge. They are made of thick stamped steel, and can break if they are made to flex continuously when the engine is running due to mis-alignment of the engine block and bell housing. They do allow for minor mis-alignments of the engine/trans given the tolerance of machining.
Either way, I bet yours is in one more piece than you want it to be.
Means dropping the trans, and replacing it. Hundred bucks for the part and 120 buck labor. Ballpark.
But, you already know this because you had it fixed 2 days ago. Right?
tom
bolted up to it. The starter engages teeth on the edge. They are made of thick stamped steel, and can break if they are made to flex continuously when the engine is running due to mis-alignment of the engine block and bell housing. They do allow for minor mis-alignments of the engine/trans given the tolerance of machining.
Either way, I bet yours is in one more piece than you want it to be.
Means dropping the trans, and replacing it. Hundred bucks for the part and 120 buck labor. Ballpark.
But, you already know this because you had it fixed 2 days ago. Right?
tom
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New User
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Transmission
Thanks for the info. My truck is in the shop and I am in Calgary now. So I don't know what is happening yet. If it is expensive, I will have to do it my self. Is this hard to do? Pull the tranny out and work on it?
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,966
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From: Virginia
Transmission
Some people working on 4x4 will pull the engine rather than the tranny. If you knew it was just the flexplate, that is what I would do since I have an engine hoist. Benchpressing the tranny/transfer case would be impossible for me, and I don't have a tranny jack.
