new gearbox noise

[badvibes]

Over Memorial Day I did a 325 mile trip with a buddy in our Series 2As. About 5 miles from home my truck made a new noise, sounded like it was from the tranny. Not a growl, not a squeal, kinda something between the 2. Just for a second or 2 then it stopped. Did it about 3 times in the last few miles headed home. Truck is shifting fine, clutch feels normal, just like always. Below is an E-mail I sent to my friend for a little more background. New gear oil is 85-90 Valvoline. Any ideas or suspicions? Truck is a '64 Series 2A, 2.25 gas motor.

I changed all my 90 wt fluids a week or so ago. The noise my gearbox started to make just before I got home from the trip is quieter but I still can hear/sense something different/new. The fluid that drained out of the gearbox was clean looking to me but I would guess that it was only about 1/2 as much as should have been in the tranny. So the level was low. I only took the QM out for a short test drive after the fluid change to listen and see if the new noise was gone. Maybe 5 miles or so. The QM is shifting fine just like always. What do you think I should suspect? Syncros, bearings, gears??? Do you have some time one day/evening to take a short drive and see/listen to what's going on? I don't know if I should run it and things are OK or if I need serious help before something serious happens. Please advise.

Thanks

Jeff

[I Leak Oil]

From your description of the noise it sounds similar to what I've experienced on a couple of occasions. I've had a couple of different issues. The first was dirt or mud that got into the parking brake which caused a grinding/squeeking noise intermittantly. Easy fix, just hose it out. The second instance was a U-Joint going bad. My truck is always making new noises which come and go with time and attention.
Jason T.

[badvibes]

Thanks for the reply.

I will check the u-joints for slop. I currently don't have the emergency brake as it was removed by the PO and I'm trying to find reasonably priced parts to get one back under the truck. Anyone have a set-up they want to sell cheap? :) Any reasons for or against trying a heavier wt gear oil for lube? I see 90-140 oil, if I recall the wt correctly, thinking a heavier oil might keep things quieter. Bad idea?

Jeff

[Clive]

Have a complete t-brake unit on the back of a S3 transmission. Will be willing to sell. If interested you can send me a private message. Would be shipping from FL.

[CliftonRover]

I had the same type of noise until i realized that one of my u-joints had lost all of its needle bearings.

[badvibes]

Finally an update to this problem. Turns out it is/was my speedo cable. Pulled it off the gauge and lubed the heck out of it with machine oil. So the noise is gone. The thing that clued me into the speedo cable being the problem was I finally noticed that when the noise was happening the needle on the speedometer was going crazy, bouncing all around, surging and then slowing. My speedo has never seemed to be accurate and now it doesn't read anywhere close to the speed I think I'm going. Unless I really am going 70 mph in 2nd gear. Any ideas about what's going on? Is this a typical problem easily remedied or something else? I know nothing about gauges but I get the feeling I'm about to learn a little. Thanks.

Jeff

[BackInA88]

I had the same problem.
Changed the cable, tightened the speedo gear housing by the e-brake.
Nothing helped, finally got a used speedo off Ebay in England and everything is working sweet!:thumb-up:

[badvibes]

I was kind of afraid of this. I know a complete re-wire is in my (near?) future. Guess it will also include new/used gauges. Thanks for the reply.

Jeff

[jp-]

Interesting.

The gauge in my 109 "spun" also. I say spun because I was driving along going 45 and the needle rockets to 90mph! I never felt the nitrous kick in, so I knew it couldn't be that. The poor needle bounced a few times against the 90mph stop, and then spooled back down to 0mph. It hasn't worked since. I guess the little fella just wanted to know what it was like to go 90mph before he died.

Funny thing is the odometer still works.

[LaneRover]

The speedometer in my 66 works fine, as does the odometer - USUALLY. For some reason anytime it is flipping all the numbers (like from 79,999 to 80,000) it takes about 15 miles to make it to the new number, then it turns over fine!

Just a strange little thing I noticed.

LaneRover

[badvibes]

Interesting.

The gauge in my 109 "spun" also. I say spun because I was driving along going 45 and the needle rockets to 90mph! I never felt the nitrous kick in, so I knew it couldn't be that. The poor needle bounced a few times against the 90mph stop, and then spooled back down to 0mph. It hasn't worked since. I guess the little fella just wanted to know what it was like to go 90mph before he died.

Funny thing is the odometer still works.

Yeah, my odometer seems to work fine also!?!?!? I've been using the "2/3RDS" rule. If my speedo reads 60 max I'm probably doing 40. I'm not saying this is accurate or anyone else should do this, but that's about as close as it gets lately.

Jeff