Found my noise.

[swervin ervin]

Finally, after months of this very annoying, very disturbing noise I've been having, I finally found it. I've been thinking it was the tranny dust cover rubbing on something. I've had the damned thing off some many times, it would make you sick. Trimmed it and bent it to help, but nothing worked.

Then I started thinking it might be the torque converter, even worse, something in the tranny itself. It was a buzzing kind of noise. It would do it only when coming to a stop and sitting at a light. Sort of a buzz, buzz, buzz noise. Hard to explain it.

Anyway, today, I made my mind up I was going to find it one way or another. I took the dust cover off and drove it, still had the noise. So I put it in drive, with emergency brake on, and got under it to listen. I know, not too smart, but hey, what other way is there to do it. It sounded just like the tranny. I got up top and listened, sounded louder up there. I started touching everything I could touch to see if it was it. Finally touched my MSD distributor cap. Bingo. It was coming from the distributor. I figure it's the rotor rubbing the cap because I can push on the cap and it gets worse. Don't know why it's doing it though.

I didn't feel like messing with it anymore today so, I ordered a new cap and rotor from Summit just in case. I'll probably pull the cap tomorrow to see what is going on. It's real strange since it's a MSD distributor and all.

Oh well, stranger things have happened I guess. I'm just happy it wasn't the tranny.

[old Rusty C10]

yeah lol id take a cap and rotor replacement over a tranny replacement any day!!!

[Cole's 87]

I know how you feel chasing rabbits. I cant figure out how a engine went from running so great to running like crap. After alot of testing it seems everything is going out in the distributor. The module, now the pickup coil. I guess thats what I get for buying Accell. So Ive filled out the questionare to a DUI distributor and now I find myself hanging around the mail box waiting on UPS.

[swervin ervin]

It does get to be a pain. I've still got a popping noise that I simply can't figure out where it's coming from. When I first heard it a long time ago, I thought ball joints maybe. Well, everything in the front end has been replaced. I mean every piece except the control arms themselves. So this is not where it's coming from. New steering box also.

All body mounts have been replaced. Motor mounts and tranny mount replaced. I think I've ruled out the front end and mount part. It's a strange popping that only seems to happen when braking/slowing down and turning. No order as to speeds, just when braking and turning at the same time. It's like if I am turning to the left and it pops, it won't do it again to the left, but if the next turn is to the right, it pops.

It's about to drive me crazy. I'm thinking either leaf spring/shackle bushings, which BTW are urethane, or something in the rear drum brakes. In my mind it seems to me it doesn't pop unless I'm applying the brakes, or at least this is what I guessing anyway. Also, it's not exhaust causing it for sure.

The strange part is, it don't sound like brakes doing it. It sounds just like a ball joint would sound if going bad. But I know this can't be it since I've completely rebuilt the front end. The worst part is it don't do it all the time. This is what makes it so damned hard to find.

[pkbinplano]

You might have a loose rivit on your frame crossmember somewhere . Junkyard man told Brandon and I Chevy trucks are prone to this after they get old. Find the one or ones that are loose and have them tack welded. Its suppose to be the body flex that makes loose rivits pop. So he says. Right Brandon ?

[SCOTI]

I had a similar problem w/my 68 a while back. It wouldn't happen all the time, but occasionally it would make a clunking/popping sound & it usually was only noticable when taking off around a corner from a stop. I figured it couldn't be the front end as it was rebuilt when I first bought it so I started looking @ anything connected to the front suspension. First thing I checked was to see if the brake pads had excessive wear & I found that the pads themselves were shifting back/forth on the caliper. I simply bent the locating tabs so they would apply more pressure & 'ta-da', no more noise. It's worth checking out.

[swervin ervin]

SCOTI,

it would sound like this but my whole front end has been rebuilt, including new drop spindles, calipers, rotors, pads, brake lines and all. I even went with new caliper bolts.

[79BIG10]

Mike- Paul's right. Check the driver side rivets at the frame. I bet that's where the noise is coming from. If I get the camera this week I'll take a picture to show you exactly where.

[mike reeh]

I see nothing stupid about setting the parking brake and getting under it in drive, for what its worth. but onto my next point: if the wheels were on the ground and you put it in drive, HOW DID you get under it to inspect the transmission?? inquiring minds want to know

mike

[Kopper]

Mike,

This may sound stupid but have you checked your front wheel bearings and the upper shock bolts.

Something that you might try. Jack the front of your truck and put jack stands on the frame, then using floor jacks slowly jack each side of the suspension about 1/4" at a time and check for looseness. I found bad ball joints on a Ford (excuse the profanity) that had a strange noise. As you jacked it there was one point where there was 3/16" slop in the wheel. The dealer had checked the front end (warranty) and said it was fine. I took it back in, got in a argument with the mechanic because he said there was nothing wrong with it, ended up with the service manager and the owner of the dealership involved. The ball joints didn't appear to be bad by the conventional means of checking them. Just a thought.


Ken

[SCOTI]

Mike, my front end was completely rebuilt as well. This was after doing the complete rebuild, swap to discs, and lowering all @ the same time. I prob drove it for 2yrs w/no probs & then all of a sudden here's this annoying popping noise. I checked wheel bearings, they were ok; I checked b-joints, ok; the steering linkage, ok. Then I did some test driving & noticed it happened most when getting ready to turn from a stop. My best guess is that since the truck is a standard, it would slightly roll back(just before taking off w/foot still on brake), thus shifting the pads rearward, then @ the next application of the brakes, they would grab & slam the pads forward (making the popping sound). I removed the calipers & bent the tabs on the pads to better grip them/limit any movement, put it back together & no more noise. It's been about a year now w/no more probs. I know yours isn't a standard but like I said, it's simple enough to rule out fairly quickly w/o much effort.

[CHEVYJEFF]

I GET THAT DAMN POP TOO. ONLY UNDER TURNING AND BRAKING CONDITIONS. POST THEM PICS OF THOSE RIVITS!! I NOTICE MINE STARTS AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OR SO WITHOUT RAIN. GO FIGURE

[PHOENIX]

Interesting. When I make a right turn sometimes I get this weird pop under my drivers seat. I even kinda feel it. I though it was my tranny cross member coming loose, but everything was cool. I didnt check any rivets though. Im gonna do it and see what happens. What rivets are most likely to come loose? Are there certain ones that are common?

[swervin ervin]

Strange thing about this noise is I had it before I ever touched the front end. It's one of the reasons I rebuilt it in the first place.

I guess I'll check the rivets also. If it ain't them, I'll check the rear drum brakes. I'll find the cause of it yet.


Mike,

I didn't exactly get all the way under my truck, sort of stuck my head under it as far as I could. No way in the world I could ever get under it and it on the ground.

[Slonaker]

Mike:

A guy who worked for my Dad once ran over himself. He was trying to set the idle speed on his Chevelle in "drive," but he was by himself. He pulled it up to a parking stop in the parking lot instead of using the parking brake, left it in drive, popped the hood, and got out. While standing in front of the car, he started adjusting the idle speed. It started to die, so he reached over and gave it some gas. It jumped the parking stop and ran over him. It busted him up really bad. He ended up with one leg considerably shorter than the other amond other things...

Slonaker

[pkbinplano]

Us FNG's keep our ears open sometimes. LOL

[Hooter]

Im gonna have to go check that on the Silverado tommorow!. I started hearing it, looked around, didn't see anything and turned the stereo up louder

[mike reeh]

Originally posted by CHEVYJEFF
I GET THAT DAMN POP TOO. ONLY UNDER TURNING AND BRAKING CONDITIONS. POST THEM PICS OF THOSE RIVITS!! I NOTICE MINE STARTS AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OR SO WITHOUT RAIN. GO FIGURE

Off topic but ChevyJeff I just wanted to say I love your truck! Love the color combo & year & wheels/stance. keep up the good work =)

mike

[79BIG10]

You should see his 57 Bel-Air Mike. That's a work of art

[CHEVYJEFF]

:flag THANKS...TO BAD THEY ARE NEVER FINISHED

[CHEVYJEFF]

NUMBER 2