Random sounds from flywheel area (I searched)

firehunter · Jul 4, 2011

Hey All,

On the wife's truck, a few months ago it developed a random sound that is only audible outside the truck. I described it as sounding like a small rock was bouncing around between the TC and the inspection cover, an occasional "ting.......ting, ting,......ting....." when idling. It stayed random as RPM's went up but never got louder or made any sounds that alarmed me. Until now.

Today my wife says the starter is dragging like low voltage but the batteries are new and the starter is only a year old. It starts exactly like it has for the last 120,000 miles, just slower and now there is a rattle from that area when she shuts it off! That is definitely new today. It still has the "ting...ting" sound when running and runs absolutely great.

I am headed out to pull the TC cover and look around. I was reading about Cody's broken flywheel and while searching I found numerous guys, including Arisley, have been down the broken flywheel road. Sound plausible that the flywheel has been broken for the last 3,000 miles and just now completely came apart? What else would drag the starter down and make these noises?

Enjoy and celebrate independence day! :blitzed:

firehunter · Jul 4, 2011

Whoops, nevermind!

I had crawled underneath there only from the side to grab the starter and it was tight. When I crawled directly under the starter this time I saw the solenoid was loose and barely still attached! That explains the random rattling sound and the slow crank. Guess what I am doing tomorrow!

Off to drink tonight! Cheers! :blitzed:

Arisley · Jul 5, 2011

Glad that was it. Lots faster and lighter than pulling the tranny out.

DcMoore · Jul 5, 2011

The random rattling sound would be your bendix hitting the flywheel since your solenoid was loose. Glad you found it.

firehunter · Jul 5, 2011

You two are both right. All good news today except for the dirt falling in my face. The old starter was a straight geared unit originally bought at NAPA back in 2008 with a lifetime warranty. The machine screws that held the solenoid on had both disappeared and the solenoid was only hanging on my the wires. Took the pieces back to the local NAPA to make good on the warranty and there were no questions asked. Then the guy comes back to the counter with a brand new gear reduction type starter and says, "Here ya go, no charge." It turns out that NAPA quit carrying the straight geared starters, only carry the gear reduction kind now, and hasn't had them out long enough to get cores back so all the units on the shelves are new and not reman units. Ten minutes and it starts great, no odd sounds.

I had a gear reduction unit on it before the NAPA unit so I know how good they are, I was just surprised to see NAPA now has jumped on the gear reduction bandwagon.

All good!