Ringing Noise From Transmission

BeerProphet

BeerProphet

Junior Member
I'm new to this forum, but I need some help with an issue on my father-in-law's late '31 model A Tudor. We just pulled it out of storage and started driving it again. I was driving it the other day and out of nowhere a ringing noise developed after I stopped at a stop sign. It will ring around the bell housing, and sounds like loose change jingling around. The car drives fine but I just wanted to make sure if this is something serious or maybe something just needs to be greased. Any help would be much appreciated.
 
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My guess would be the throwout bearing is bad. Dried up. Does it do it only when you push in the clutch?

Or you have some bits of something in the housing.
 
Hey thanks for the quick reply! Well, the noise happens whether the clutch is in or not. It does engage very well. I know that it has been awhile since it has been greased. I will try that first. How would you properly grease the throw-out bearing?
 
Remove your inspection plate and drive it. Possibly you can isolate the sound a little better.
 
Dear Beer, The grease fitting under the bell housing inspection plate may very well need a shot or two of grease, but this only will lube the throwout bearing shaft, where the bearing slides back and forth. It will not actually lube the bearings in the race. I believe some original throwout bearings had a tiny groove in the housing to allow access for the grease to find it's way into the bearings, but if it is the source of the ringing, the bearing is probably shot. For many years, replacement throwout bearings have no groove cut into the housing. They are all sealed.
 
It could also be the dome shaped thing at the bottom of the shift lever at the floorboard is loose. My jingles like that sometimes.
 
If it's doing it with and without the clutch engaged it maybe be something else.

Might want to be careful driving with the inspection plate off if something is flinging around in there. What about putting a magnet pickup tool down through the inspection plate and seeing if you pick anything up.
 
It could be a few things,but it sounds like the bendix starter drive is bouncing around in there.If it was the throwout bearing you would get at least some kind of change when you stepped on the pedal.
 
Check that your battery inspection plate is not loose and rattling against the floorbards also. Sometimes the spring clips get a little bent out of shape and the plate can dance around the floor causing a little bit of noise.
 
I tend to agree with the starter drive.. Its about the only thing that would cause a 'ringing' sound.. If you're familiar with hand starting[ or live on a hill],, you could remove the starter[look the drive over], hook the wires together and insulate, start it up and see what happens..
 
BP,

Your starter drive gear might be hitting the flywheel ring gear... in my experience this is the most likely cause.

While you have the starter out, checkout the small spring and plunger at about 1 o'clock on starter drive gear ... see photo. Sometimes the spring is broken or the plunger is rusted stuck.

Makes a "Ching Ching' sound ... sometimes gets worse when you brake.

Will not hurt anything in short run BUT the gear is banging on the ring gear.

The plunger goes into a groove while gear is in retracted position which holds gear away from ring gear.

Groove on spiral shaft can be seen in foreground of picture.

Run gear all the way out and watch the plunger drop into the groove.

CLICK photo to enlarge:
 

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Another thought....a previous starter drive bolt / washer may be in the bottom of the housing and occasionally bounced around by the flywheel.
 
Whoa! Thanks everyone for the great ideas! I will try it tonight and tomorrow and report my findings. It just happened completely out of nowhere. I noticed right after I stopped a little hard but like I said it drives perfectly fine. It has been in storage for at least 20 years so a good grease couldn't hurt, then I will go from there.
 
I think its a bendix bolt or tab washer that was laying in the bottom of F W hsg that come loose when you braked hard.When you fish around with a magnet on a cable you may find 3 or 4 pieces that have lain there for years.May be a good time to change to a modern starter drive that the vendors sell.Always remember to retard the spark when starting the car.
 
Just another thought: a customer of mine heard a similar noise in his A and thought it to be his transmission. Turned out to be the starter rod that comes through the firewall was missing it's rubber grommet.
 
Well, I checked the throw out bearing and works like a charm even before a good grease. I removed the starter and hand cranked and still made a noise. I will try to put a magnet or a tool down to see what is loose. I might just loosen the engine and trans a little to see if I could feel around down there. The sound is around the flywheel/ bell housing. Like someone dropped a chain down there but everything works fine. Strange noises always scare me.
 
BP,

Check the large bolt that holds the radius rods to the front of driveshaft right behind the universal joint. If the bolt is loose it can make a noise. Even though there is a lockwasher, sometimes I have seen where the lockwasher breaks into pieces and falls out leaving the bolt to rattle around.
 
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