I have a '76 F-250 highboy with the 390. this sound started a month ago and was only there when i first started the truck, but now it is there when i give it gas, then it goes away. It is a kind of grinding noise and i cant seem to pin point it. Some one told me it may be that the starter may be causing the sound but i dont see how.
It may be coming from the tranny also. Looks like there is a plate missing from where the tranny meets the engine also, I can see the wheel spinning while the truck is running. Could something have got in there and be making the noise?

 

your starter may be going to far and hanging up on the flywheel , which means you need to pull the engine and put that plate back in ,bob

 

Is it just the inspection cover missing or is the whole plate between engine and tranny? Is this a stick or auto?

 

its an auto and its just the inspection plate. Not the whole thing.

 

I think Bob's got it, sounds like the starter is at least partially engaged. It could be junk in the starter that's not letting the gear retract properly. On Pro's truck he put a new gear reduction starter in and for whatever reason it would catch on the flywheel and not retract. He had to buy shims and shim his starter just a hair and then had no problems with it. Normally you don't have to do this to Ford stuff, only Chevy junk. But the dollar shim he bought from Napa solved it. I don't know for sure that this is your trouble but if nobody else posts any other theories you might try this. It's a 15-20 minute job to pull the starter, inspect it, and pop in a shim if need be.

 

mark,

typical issue. the bendix gear has play in it and on acceleration it slides backwards into the ring gear. install a rebuilt starter. they run 20.00

 

It's kind of interesting the inspection cover is already off. Crawl under and make sure everything is tight. If the bellhousing is loose it will pull the starter into the ring gear. Also, make sure the torque converter is bolted up tight.

 

I agree with everyone else, the starter is either lose, or taking a poop.

 

stroker,

bob was talking about the spacer plate between the engine and tranny, it gaps the tranny 1/8''. if that was missing the engine would need to be pulled. he just made a slight mistake , it turned out it was the inspection plate.

 

I will go get a stater tomorrow and a spacer, I really hope thats the problem. Thanks every one for the help

 

not really a mistake , just answered based on theincvomplete info given , rerspectfully , bob

 

Hang on there Corky.....

Are you talking about the sound I pointed out to you a few weeks ago when we ran to Carquest in your truck and it did it pulling out of the alley?

If so.....

It seems the idiot that told you it has something to do with the starter is, well, an idiot, and our good FTE friends who are not idiots are expanding on what someone told you, and its actually good advice if the starter was what was making noise

I wanna hear this sound again before you start throwing money at starters and stuff, I dont think thas whats wrong.....

Heres the deal guys, he has A NASTY noise coming from the Drivers side head on startup (at least it was only on startup last time I heard it) that actually sounds like a pushrod banging against something, when oil pressure builds up after startup, it disappears, almost like something is sticking.

If thats the noise this post is all about, STOP driving that truck until we can look at it, especially if its getting worse, we need to at least figure out whats going on, it may be as simple as pulling a valve cover and watching for a second to get a better idea whats going on. Im more aware of your personal situation a bit more than everyone else, and I know that isnt really an option, but drive no more than Abosolutely necessary

All that said, fire away guys........ This sound is a long long long ways away from the starter, unless Im wrong about what hes talking about.

Who are these idiots that keep telling you these things you always ask me?

 

some guy tracy works with, yes its the sound you heard before and its gotten worse, but i dont know why it only is doing it when i give it gas. If it was a push rod wouldnt it do it all the time?

 

I thought the noise was in the valve covers


anyways take the starter off and look at it. if there are swirl mark or gouges on the starter drive, if there are marks shim the starter ($5) and see if it stops. If there are no marks thats probably not your problem.

 

It might not make it all the time. do FE's oil though the pushrods? somtimes with a clogged pushrod there is enough oil splashing around in the cover to oil the rocker and the rod end during idle and light loads but when stress it, it burns the oil off the rod end and makes noises (and starts tearing up the rocker arm).