[WhyTry 03]

Background
I recently rebuilt my motor and now there is loud tick coming from the bell housing and the back of the motor. When I built the motor I checked every tolerance completely. I followed the instructions in 2 different books, posts on this forum and the Ford shop manual as to how to assemble the motor. I can't believe the motor is screwed up, but I'm not ruling it out. Also, I installed a new stage 3 spec clutch.

Problem
The noise sounds like I'm running solid lifters, but its not coming from the cams. It's coming from the bottom of the motor. I actually hear it best on the bottom of the driver side of the bell housing about an inch in back of the dust shield. When I put a stethoscope on it, I can feel a vibration that correlates to the noise as well as hear it. I hear not only a ticking but scraping as well. That said, I also hear the noise at the back of the block. This is coming from the side of the oil pan between the 2 bolts closest to the transmission on the driver side of the car. I do not hear it when I touch the pan or pan bolts. I hear the noise when I put the stethoscope on the dog ear beside the pan that's part of the block. I think its there for the bell housing bolts to bolt the trans to the block. This noise is just a ticking noise. A tick like solid lifters. No scraping noise from the block like in the bell housing. The tick at the block is very clear. tick tick tick tick tick. Where the noise coming from the bell housing is more of a ticking scraping noise. I don't hear the noise on the passenger side of the block or bell housing. I don't hear anything coming from the block when i listen to the area of the oil pan between the back of the pan and the transmission dust shield. Specifically no sound coming from the pan right around the crank.

Here is a link to a 99 making the same noise.

One last note. The clutch seems to work fine. The car shifts the best it ever has. Its not smooth at the initial take off. It grabs hard, but acts great once I take off. Not sure if the initial grab is normal for Spec 3 or if its something related to the problem I'm having.

I have no idea what this is. If you do please help.

 

[mullet99]

not a exerpet but what about a bad tob

 

[WhyTry 03]

What's a tob

 

[mofasta]

What's a tob

TOB= (throw out bearing) for pressure plate of clutch

 

[mullet99]

^ plus one mofasta i have heard sume issues not too sure its it

 

[Smokin04]

So this is a fresh motor? Just being broken in? If you can hear/feel the vibration in the trans (an inch behind the dust shield is super close to the front plate on the trans) then start there. Could be a bad input shaft bearing....(just a guess). As far as the top side....collapsed lifter maybe. Hard to say without seeing with my own eyes.

 

[mullet99]

smokin you got me bashed in on the whole degreeing cam thing its all good tho lol mullet99

 

[fasteddy03]

Just to clarify, pushing the clutch pedal in and out has zero effect on the noise? What effect does RPM have? Get louder, go away, just speeds up with it? And you have 2 totally separate noises? Did you re check oil level? One motor I started had a tick and it ended up needing another half quart and it went away and never came back.

And spec 3's are very grabby. Borderline an on off switch.

 

[WhyTry 03]

Clutch in or out has no effect.
If you can watch the YouTube video. Its dead on for the noise.

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure its 2 separate noises.

 

[akgeff]

Is the clutch/transmission stock? My OEM TOB sleeve failed after less than 30,000 miles and I was getting a "tapping" noise from the clutch lever tapping against the dust cover. Pull the dust cover off and see if you can easily rotate the clutch lever to where it can tap against the dust cover. I thought the lever had come lose from the pivot ball but the TOB sleeve failing allows this movement. It will also allow trans fluid to leak past the seal and ruin the clutch if you continue to drive it. You said you rebuilt the engine, did you do anything with the clutch or transmission? How many miles are on the Clutch/trans?

 

[WhyTry 03]

New clutch kit. Trans didn't want to seat, but finally got it to by bolting it together. Didn't seem to put too much stress on the bell housing when i did it but it didn't seem normal either.

 

[akgeff]

New clutch kit. Trans didn't want to seat, but finally got it to by bolting it together. Didn't seem to put too much stress on the bell housing when i did it but it didn't seem normal either.

What about the TOB sleeve on the trans? (It's the sleeve around the input shaft the TOB slides on) Has it ever been replaced? Or is it the original one? This is the part that failed on my transmission. If you still have the OEM TOB sleeve I would check that. If this is what has failed you will ruin your new clutch if you continue to drive it cause trans. fluid can leak past the front seal. My clutch was gummed up and we only drove it about 50 miles before I pulled it off the road.

 

[fasteddy03]

I'd pull the tranny. Possibly hurt the pilot bearing and/or the end of the input shaft. I've never had to use bolts to pull the tranny in and I just did a twin disc.

 

[akgeff]

I'd pull the tranny. Possibly hurt the pilot bearing and/or the end of the input shaft. I've never had to use bolts to pull the tranny in and I just did a twin disc.

Having to use the bolts to suck up the trans is usually a bad idea, I much prefer for everything to slide together with no drama or pull it back out and figure out what's not lining up. Hope you didn't hurt your twin disc. I included a couple of pics of the oem TOB sleeve that failed and the steel billet replacement. The OEM sleeve is just pressed into the input shaft seal part and eventually comes loose. Also is a pic of how slimy my bell housing got in about 50 miles. Hope your clutch didn't get contaminated, if it did you can probably just replace the friction discs and clean up the pressure plate and flywheel. Good Luck.

Not saying this is the problem your having but it would be worth looking at especially if you had to fight it to install the tranny. You could probably check it by removing the dust cover on the clutch lever and take a flashlight have someone work the clutch and see if the sleeve is loose on the input shaft or if you can rotate the clutch lever a significant amount. My clutch lever would rotate enough to hit the side of the opening in the bell housing and the dust cover.

 

[WhyTry 03]

Ill check those things next week end and let you know what i find.

 

[mullet99]

returning to the scene of the crime cant wait for autopsy results subin

 

[showme cobra]

if you have an aftermarket flywheel ck the ring gear hold down bolts to see if they are loose when you take the trans out

 

[akgeff]

My clutch disk doesn't show any signs of oil contamination though it is definitely time to replace it. The front seal was leaking though we only put about 50 miles on it after the TOB sleeve failed. So if you havn't put a lot of miles on it your clutch disks might still be ok.

 

[Snakerider]

Sounds like spun rod bearing.

 

[akgeff]

I was hoping it wasn't his new motor but it's hard to know with out standing there listening to it. If the ticking speeds up and slows down with crankshaft speed I would be inclined to agree with you. My trans was mostly making noise when you engaged the clutch. Always sucks when a new build has problems.:sad: