Hello Everyone,


my 360 with the 46re Transmission is making a rattling/clanking noise whenever the engine is running in park, but it doesn't do it in neutral. It takes it a minute to start doing it sometimes.

This leads me to believe that it isn't a critical thing, being that it isn't all the time. But it is a significant amount of noise.

I have been noticing this for some time (years) However it has gotten quite a bit worse lately.

I read in this forum that the oil pump only works for the tranny in neutral.? therefore you should always start your truck in neutral and not leave it running in park for extended periods. I have been doing this also for years, which is why when I put it in park the other day was the first time I have herd it do this in a while.

The truck drives like a champ, I can burn the rubber off the tires all day long.. Its just a noise.

But I hate noises and It keeps me from taking my truck on long trips and things, I just want someone to give me the piece of mind that it is either nothing or that I need to go ahead and rebuild it.

Also, I have taken the tail stock off my tcase, and the C clip is intact and I have a tcase saver in the mail. so that isn't the noise.

tranny fluid is new and full
flex plate bolts are tight
uh what else.. its not coming from the accessories or engine area

Heres a weird thing it does too: If i'm at a stop light and I let my foot off the break when my truck starts moving forward slowly, not accelerating, the truck "bumps" forward like the torque converter is doing something intermittent or strange. and thats exactly the spot the noise sounds like it is coming from. Broken blade? debris in it?


I'm baffled.


Thanks in advance for any advice

 

Sounds an awful lot like there is a problem with the torque converter..... Having it take a minute or two to show up once you put it in park, makes me wonder if once the fluid level drains down some, whatever part is then no longer under any stress, and is free to make funny noises......

 

Thanks for the reply Heyyou.

Thats interesting, the fluid level drops in park but not in neutral.

That is very strong evidence. There is not an abnormal amount of metal in the tranny pan last time I did it.

If this were your truck, How alarming would this be to you? would you pull the tranny out on a 4x4, just to get the converter out? or would you just let it do its thing and rebuild the whole ****house after it burns down?

 

That would depend a lot on the noise..... If it was something I found really disturbing.... think I would just yank it, and rebuild it. If it doesn't sound that bad.... let it go till it blows..... Just keep that in mind for any long trips you may take.

 

well as long as I don't put it in park, there is no noise so I guess I'll just keep doing that lol

 

one last thing, what can even go out on a torque converter, its just a bunch of solid turbine blades and stators. Theres a lock up clutch of some sort and a bearing im sure. what could make that much noise?

As far as machines go usually noise = damage, so if it isn't making noise it probably isn't getting dammaged much. But all stories like this have an end, its just a matter of when...

 

Maybe the bearing doesn't like running dry..... or maybe there is a bushing or something between the stator, that doesn't like being dry.... turbine blade out of place?

Only way to know for sure would be to cut it open.

 

if I pull it, it will be cut open lol. I'll post pics

 

I've "heard" that the vanes can bend, causing issues.

 

oh wow, really?

I'm trying to imagine what I could have done to cause that much stress. I mean beyond normal man/truck shenanigans through the years...

Ill look into replacing it. sense there isn't abnormal metal in the trans, it is probably not damaged by the converter malfunction. waiting will only send debris into the transmission...