Gradyfest Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I just drove a two hour trip and about halfway here I started hearing a ticking coming from under my 1980 720 4x4. It is not coming from the engine, that I know. It almost sounds like it might be coming from my transfer case, the transmission, or maybe even some part of the drive line elsewhere? It does sound like it's coming from the center of the truck underneath though. It's very sporadic and has no pattern to it. Sometimes it went away for a half mile or so, but it seems to have been ticking more when I finished. I got underneath it and shook the drive shaft, it felt tight. The U joints look good. I do have a transfer case leak, and I see that's my transmission is leaking from the rear seal also. It's a four speed manual. Would a low transmission make sporadic ticking noises in every gear? At the end of the drive to my location I had to go uphill to a parking ramp. It ticked worse then than ever! So the incline does something to make it worse. But there is no shutter in the drive and it operates fine. Just that ticking. What could it be!? I'm scared it won't make the two hour trip back home and I'll be stuck. I see there is a NAPA auto parts 20 minutes away to get some GL-4 and top off the transfer and tranny in the parking lot. Boy do I hope it makes it and I don't cause damage! Link to comment
datzenmike Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Next time step harder on the gas then let off the gas. Does the ticking get louder and then softer? If so it's an exhaust leak. Does it speed up with the engine or with the vehicle speed? 2 Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The ticking does not get louder with stepping on the gas, vehicle speed doesn't seem to matter either. Except for that low first gear crawl up the hill where I'm parked where it ticked a lot. And it's more like a small clunk than a tick. It's definitely mechanical. Not good. Link to comment
Draker Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Sound only present while the truck is moving? Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 put on jack stands and try again and see underneath Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Only moving. I found a Auto Parts store and am topping gear oil off now. Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The transfer case and transmission were full. That makes me feel better knowing that it wasn't neglect of some kind because of leaks on my part. I still don't know what it is and I am sitting in a Pep Boys parking lot and hour and a half from home. It almost kind of sounded like I've heard bad CV joints sound in the past. Little click here and there. Not like a real bearing because it's more sporadic. I thought maybe someone engaged my four-wheel-drive hub and that could have been it. But it is set to free. It's just me, a breaker bar, and an adjustable wrench. So no jackstands right now. I'm going to hop onto the road and a push. I don't have roadside assistance and I think she might to get to be home. I'm going to listen for the clicking and see if it gets bad enough where I have to pull over. Oh I just want to get home at this point. Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted November 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Thinking about a CV joint. They don't spin when in two wheel drive right? Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 They spin all the time but in 2wd are not under any load. There are the two U joints on the primary driveshaft. 1 Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Small rock stuck in tire tread? Makes a clicking noise as the rock hits the pavement. Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Well I made it home! The Datsun always gets me home. Man this first beer tastes amazing. The sound just got more puzzling on the drive here however. It's not a rock, I know what that sounds like and like I said it's sporadic and sounds mechanical like metal clanging. OK so the sound is still sporadic with no pattern. Sometimes it would "click" multiple times up to six or seven in one second intervals. Other times it would not make any sound and drive like normal for six minutes up to 20 minutes noise free at one time. It's hard to define the sound but it sounds like either metal hitting metal making a little pinging sound (like something loose? But bumps don't seem to matter.) Or it sounds like metal being charged up and released making a pinging sound. The closest sound that I can relate it to mechanically is on a AWD Subaru STI I have, I put down one of the nuts on the spindle too tight back in the day and it clicked every time I turned until I loosened it some. So the sound doesn't come at any time in particular. Bumps and acceleration/deceleration don't seem to matter. Turning left and right doesn't seem to matter. It made to the sound in every gear and also when I pushed in the clutch. The only thing that seem to make it act up for sure is when I went uphill a few times when it made the awful sound in a good spurt. Once was on a pretty decent incline earlier at about 5mph. The other time was when I was going up a hill on the interstate going 55. And lastly was once I was going only 20 up a little hill about home. But then again I went up plenty of other hills on the drive and it made no extra sound whatsoever and the speed obviously doesn't seem to matter. I also pushed the clutch in when it started acting up driving up one of the hills to make sure it wasn't something to do with a load. It's still clicked with the clutch pushed in. I'm so confused and this one has me thinking. Also, trying to pinpoint the sound on the way home it sounded like it came from the front right. But it was hard to tell in the cab. Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Maybe bad Ujoints in the mini driveshaft between the tranny and transfer case , do 80s have those?? Put in gear with engine OFF .. Get under truck .. Have someone rock truck back and forth,, while you carefully look at ALL the Ujoints maybe even feeling with your hands carefully.. I SAID CAREFULLY!! :rofl: ,, If the yokes and shafts move at different times at all at the joint.. it is bad and can easily cause a weird clicking noise. 1 Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Maybe bad Ujoints in the mini driveshaft between the tranny and transfer case , do 80s have those?? Yes, I believe they are called the primary driveshaft. Link to comment
Draker Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Sounds dumb.. but get an old phone or something that can record audio and attach it to parts under the car that could be making noise. For rotating parts just place it close. Then go drive.. it's the poor man's chassis ears. One you listen back to the audio you should be able to isolate the location of the sound. Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Maybe bad Ujoints in the mini driveshaft between the tranny and transfer case , do 80s have those? It sure does. I'll follow your advice tomorrow and check. Cold and dark now. No longer on first beer and feeling cozy! Sounds dumb.. but get an old phone or something that can record audio and attach it to parts under the car that could be making noise. For rotating parts just place it close. Then go drive.. it's the poor man's chassis ears. One you listen back to the audio you should be able to isolate the location of the sound. That doesn't sound dumb at all! As a matter of fact, you're a damn genius Sir. Link to comment
wayno Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 With the engine running, push the clutch in and put it in gear, does it make noise? Now with it running, put it in neutral, let out the clutch, does it make noise? If it does make noise, it's likely a bearing in the transmission. 1 Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 With the engine running, push the clutch in and put it in gear, does it make noise? Now with it running, put it in neutral, let out the clutch, does it make noise? If it does make noise, it's likely a bearing in the transmission. Only makes noise when rolling. Link to comment
q-tip Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 The noise is constant when under load? Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 The noise is constant when under load? Didn't matter, up hill on the gas or rolling 55 downhill on the interstate it made the noise Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 So the Datsun has been parked pretty much since the noise started. I don't do stress so I parked it and take my time looking at it and researching, obviously since it's been weeks (nice to own multiple vehicles at times like this.) I drove it a few times since that day, no more then five mile trips (compared to the hundreds that day.) Very hard to repeat the sounds it made on drives, very. Only did it half a dozen times in 3-4 five mile trips. I looked like a crank head looking for his pipe when it made the noise. Haven't had on a lift yet but getting under it I see my ball joints are shot and missing rubber. Being 4x4, could bad front ball joints (either side or both) cause the strange ticking, pinging? The U-joints look very solid with no movement. The only other clue is I can here something engage louder and louder over the miles when letting off the clutch from a stop... But that might be different. Ah shit... Beer time. Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Stone caught in the treads. or... Coolant filter is loose. 2 Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 With the engine running, push the clutch in and put it in gear, does it make noise? Now with it running, put it in neutral, let out the clutch, does it make noise? If it does make noise, it's likely a bearing in the transmission. Negative on all above. Link to comment
Gradyfest Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Stone caught in the treads. or... Coolant filter is loose. You son of ah..! 1 Link to comment
bilzbobaggins Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 ^ beat me to it Mike. Dang 1 Link to comment
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