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  • Transmission "popping" noise

    Hey I have a '99 Lumina w/3100 and a 4T60-E.

    My transmission makes a "pop" noise when I shift it into / sometimes out of gear. Shifting into R is the most noticeable. Sometimes it won't make the noise merely shifting into D. However most of the time when I accelerate I hear a short "pop" then it seems fine. Usually it won't do it anymore once its in gear but sometimes (more often than not lately) it pops after I take off from a stop sign.

    It's been doing this the past two weeks out of nowhere. I don't usually drive it hard, except for one time after doing a seafoam and running it up to about 70 in second and dropping off the throttle in second which I imagine puts some stress on the mounts. Probably fucked something up considering the car has 112K on it. I had the transmission serviced after I was noticing this by my mechanic who I've went to for the past 5 years. I had this done about 20K ago and do this about every 20K with no problem. However I did also notice before the popping the transmission seemed to slip when dropping down to a low gear for highway passing, for example. After the flush, the car now screams. I literally thought I had a 3800 in here, just to give you an idea of how slow the car would actually go. So that was not a good sign. However there were no metal shavings in the pan from now or the last time they did this.

    Now, doing my shitty "diagnosis" to give mechanics and shadetree mechs some extra tidbits of info, I was poking around to replicate it the best I could. Here is what I noticed.

    When removing upper motor mounts so I can rock the tranny back and forth, there is a "pop" or "click" you hear when the engine comes forwards maybe 10-15 degrees. This is only in park. In neutral, there is no noise.

    When the mounts are in place and the gearbox is in P, as you know you can rock the car (duh) and you will hear up to 3-4 clicks from a full "backwards-to-forwards"cycle of just pushing the car.

    I got under the car, with the upper mounts in place and would do this on pavement pushing the car forward by using its tire so I could see whats going on. The noise, unfortunately, SEEMS to be coming from the transmission pan. When I grab either driveshaft when I rock the car, I can feel the clicking in them. Both. there is also some side-to-side play, which may be normal, I do not know, both do this too. I probably sound like a retard saying that. However when rocking the car, you can see the engine and trans assembly visibly rock, which seems fine, but hear a popping sound coming from the pan and feel it in the pan and in the driveshafts. I asked that they check the mounts on the trans and motor as well as the CV because sometimes when I turn really slow it pops too. It's a crazy thing and I haven't found anything of much use lately toher than similar conditions blaming things such as inner tie rods and some bushings. No clue.

    If you need any more details, please do not hesitate to ask. I know this is long and I appreciate you to take your time and give me your opinion.

  • #2
    My right CV axle pops like this. I had someone I TRUSTED keep the parking brake, and normal brakes on, while putting it in reverse and drive and tapping the gas to torq it a bit.

    I feel the poping in the outer cv joint on the right side. The inner doesn't shake/pop in my hand.

    I've had a noise too before where the side mount bolts were loose, but you have different mount setup than mine.

    I've dropped off of 2nd going 85+ MPH at the end of a drag strip. I forgot to shift back into D and the car engine braked hard... it was fine though. I think I had ~120,000 at the time on it.

    I think it's your CV axels. Rebuilt ones are cheap at stores. Try that first. Only pull one side at a time. I *think* (not sure) that if you pull both out that it messes something up or something falls out of place. That may be the 4t65-e though or I may have my memories mixed up hahah.
    sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
    1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
    16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
    Original L82 Longblock
    with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
    Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

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    • #3
      no gm has issues if you have both axles out at the same time. there is nothing that could fall out, the sidegears in the diff wont fall unless you pull the pin and spider gears out

      Comment


      • #4
        Ah ok good.
        sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
        1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
        16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
        Original L82 Longblock
        with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
        Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

        Comment


        • #5
          When you pull both axles at the same time, the only thing you'll lose is some tranny fluid but you'll lose a little tranny fluid anyways. I agree, sounds like your cv's are bad.
          Tuning a car is full of compromises. You must decide if you are willing to give up either reliability, performance, or a whole load of cash. Also remember that repairs will seem to come up much more often as you strive for even more performance

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks guys. I'll have to bring this in for further inspection. I did mention to check the motor mounts and trans mounts and they said they looked fine, and said the CV joints "looked like they were brand new". There was some staffing restructuring apparently (this is independent but half the guys I knew left and were replaced) and...not to question his expertise, but I don't understand how a car with 112K on original joints could have them looking "brand new". Anyway, thanks a lot for your input. happy driving/racing/cruising

            Comment


            • #7
              Probably looked at the boots and saw no wear. GM boots last forever cause they are vinyl. A lot of cars (toyota, honda, subaru, etc) have rubber boots that rot and crack and their CV's go out due to dirt getting into the joints.

              My axles have 200,000 on them. The left seems fine but the right is in bad need of replacement it shakes the car on the highway and pops/clicks when you press or release the gas.
              sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
              1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
              16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
              Original L82 Longblock
              with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
              Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

              Comment


              • #8
                Again, thanks for the info. I won't be able to bring the car in until next week though.

                Just from the input from you guys and what I have read around, it sounds most likely to be an inner CV or something in the differential. Since this is heard strongly from the drivers side even when in the car (its right in front of me when driving, I said in the passenger side and you can hear it on the driver's side) I am leaning towards just the inner CV or something on that side if not that. Also I would hope if it was differential related that when turning hard right essentially pushing that driver side axle out the popping I hear is CV and not something loose in the diff in which case I am surprised it did not let go by now. How common are differential problems in a 4T60-E? I mean given I have 112k on it and basically never smashed it into drive or reverse while revving or shifting to R from D or vice versa while in motion it should be pretty trouble-free, right?
                Last edited by knockknock; 09-16-2007, 04:32 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Replace the cv 1st then worry later. no sense in worrying until you know for sure it's not the cv's. they are only like 50-60 bucks a side for remans.
                  sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
                  1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
                  16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
                  Original L82 Longblock
                  with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
                  Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    diff is on the passenger side so I will bet you 100 bux its the CV joint.. mine do it all the time.

                    Diffs will fail rather quick if you like showing off a 1 tire fire... but you would see VERY dark trans fluid... really gray from aluminum shavings so if yours is still red then your fine.

                    Got Lope?
                    3500 Build, Comp XFI Cam 218/230 .050 dur .570/.568 lift 113LSA
                    Fully Balanced, Ported, 3 Angle Valve Job, 65mm TCE TB, S&S Headers.
                    Stage-1 Raybestos/Alto 4t60e-HD, EP LSD, 3.69FDR
                    12.61@105 Epping NH Oct 2015 Nitrous 100shot (melted plugs) 13.58@98.8 N/A 3200LBS

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yeah my passenger side CV outer pops/clicks/snaps when it has a load on it, or when the load is taken off. It was just when putting it in gear, now it's all the time cruising. It started making the noise after a wheel bearing replacement, I disturbed it by moving it in/out and the wear marks now are in a different spot I guess. It was bad anyways because they have 200,000 miles on them (originals) and the passenger one vibrates like hell on the highway.

                      I gotta slap a new one in there before it grenades.

                      Jon, if I can't yank it out by hand, can I use a pry-bar between it and the trans? When putting the new one in, will it resist, and is it safe to tap it in with a rubber mallet (not on the axle end, but on the big part that goes in towards the trans)?
                      sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
                      1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
                      16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
                      Original L82 Longblock
                      with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
                      Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        yes to pry bar, and going back in, make sure its inline square and hold the cv case tightly and give it a good shove, its only a little c-clip that needs to snap into place... and You'll here it snap in.

                        Dont hit the CV with a hammer.

                        Got Lope?
                        3500 Build, Comp XFI Cam 218/230 .050 dur .570/.568 lift 113LSA
                        Fully Balanced, Ported, 3 Angle Valve Job, 65mm TCE TB, S&S Headers.
                        Stage-1 Raybestos/Alto 4t60e-HD, EP LSD, 3.69FDR
                        12.61@105 Epping NH Oct 2015 Nitrous 100shot (melted plugs) 13.58@98.8 N/A 3200LBS

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Cool thanks.
                          sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
                          1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
                          16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
                          Original L82 Longblock
                          with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
                          Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.

                          Comment

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