Got a little ticking noise coming from the flex plate area. Thought it might be the flex plate cracked or the bolts were loose.

That wasn’t it so I started messing with stuff and noticed the converter has some play when fully seated on the input shaft. Vid below shows it, I’ve mounted my share of converters, guess I never noticed if this kind of play was normal.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/d4EcuFT2zipFPJDB9

The other possibility where the noise is coming from is the converter to flexplate bolts. Naturally the FP bolt hole is a 1/2” while the converter bolts are 10mm so there is some slop there. The bolts were tight but it looks like they were tightened to 45#??? Pretty sure that should be 60-65#. Maybe that’s it?

 

Question is this a multi disc converter and I dont see a vid to hear the sound?

 

9.5” Single disc converter from Yank, didn’t think the sound could have been coming from within the converter but if sounds similar to loose flexplate bolts I’ll add it to the list.

The sound is from it rocking on the input shaft it did not sound like trash or chunks in the converter.

Vid is too big to upload, link to google site below, hopefully this link works, sorry about that.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RWauEzhiiLGXqfTg6

 

Ah that motion is normal the pump bushing does not support the converter in fact ideally in car the converter never touches it , The pilot to the crank is the support ,

 

Thanks, I just verified that as well by tossing it on a friends tranny and it had the same play.

Had the car running while on the lift ( I know ) and it was pretty clear the ticking was coming from the area where my 4L80E inspection cover isn't ( I know ) so I assumed this is the general area to start with. So far nothing obvious.

The ticking sound I'm hearing is just like a valvetrain tick, its much more noticible when the engine warms up. I have also noticed under load the ticking seems to stop, might be the exhaust drowns it out but it's not that loud so minimally the ticking doesn't get louder under load.

Should I pull the tranny pan next or is there anything behind the flexplate I should look at first? Or I guess maybe the converter has something shaking around??

Nothing about the performance of the engine or the tranny indicates there is a problem by the way... just a frigging tick...

 

I guess I should point out I think loose flexplate bolts sounds like a valvetrain tick as well so there is that.

 

You can eliminate the trans simply by placing in gear with brake applied , if in trans the noise will stop. . next i would separte the converter from enigne push back and start with someone ready to turn of if needed see if noise still there.

 

Thanks,

Pretty sure the ticking is still there with it in drive and brake on.

I already dropped the tranny so I’ll throw the exhaust back on and see if I hear the ticking without the tranny in.

 

hmm I can't say have ever heard that sound from a converter that was not multidisc, Like mine makes a tinny metalic clacking sound at idle even in gear but it is a triple disc and that is just the plates making noise and normal. I remember when i first heard it I was like WTH as I had also just built my engine and it sounds like it coming from everywhere around back of engine and converter but can't be pinpointed even with a steth. I was like OMG what's wrong but the remembered an old thread about it years ago here. Its not loud just annoying in fact if I had louder exhaust probably would never have noticed it.