[ntp]

Had my th350 and converter(3000 stall speed) out of car for some leaks and delayed reverse-took to shop. get it back and now it makes noise in first gear only. It is a very loud clatter type rattle that speeds up with speed not rpm. Does not do it in nuetral while moving. In first it is loudest around 1500 rpm.( I can only tell by rpm-speedo not working)noise starts to go away around 2000 rpm. hit second gear and noise is gone. have checked every thing, rear end, drive shaft,all cables. Took trans back to shop-they took it apart again and could find nothing wrong. Put it back in and still making noise. sound like it is coming right out of the converter. Could a converter make this type sound? Any info would be greatly appriciated!!! I about to burn the car where it sits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cavemate]

Seems like something that is NOT applied in first, but in all other gears has too much play, or is loose. I can't remember whats applied in a 350 in which gear, but it could be a loose band, or a planetary gear set with too much play in one or more planet gear. does it do it in LOW1? Get a TH350 book and look at a flow chart. Find out what, if anything, is held in other gears, but not in first..Best thing i can tell you. You can rule out the speedo, u-joints, t-converter because all those would be affected in all gears.

[ntp]

It does it mainly and loudest in low but I have heard it in 2nd faintly. Also I have heard it at crusing speed in 3rd-very faintly. But this noise in low is so loud you cant hardly talk while riding in the car. When I got it back the first time and put it in I got this noise in low which I had never had. I took the entire car down to the shop where I had the work done and had the owner here it. He said it wasnt the tranny(covering his *** Im sure) so I took it to 2 more tranny shops-one could not identify the noise- the other said it sounded like a broke or loose sprag-I then took it back to the original jerk and demanded something be done- he took it apart again and said that everything looked fine.

[ntp]

got to thinking- could it be a cracked flexplate-or would it make noise all the time?

[XK1]

See if the noise changes when you push on the flexplate cover. Sometimes they get a little bent and get hit by the torque converter bolts as the flexplate 'flexes' under load. I've seen it several times and fix it with a little 'adjustment' of the cover. Hope that's it!

[cavemate]

If the noise changes with vehicle speed, NOT engine speed, you can eliminate everything from the trans input shaft foreward. I cracked flexplate is noise all the time especially at higher RPM

[ntp]

so, I am looking at an internal trans problem? Thats the only thing it could be?
By the way I have the flexplate cover off.
Thanks.

[cavemate]

Throw in a known-good trans and recheck...Just joking...by your description, yes, it sure sounds like an internal trans prob. But, it's difficult to say for sure from just this forum.

Good luck.

Gary (67 ONLY)

[Rob.Canada]

Sound like the stator inside in the torque convertor may be damaged or loose,
When in first gear the convertor is working the hardest, as compared to third gear. Not as much torque, when in neutral the convertor just spins. Seeing as your tranni guy says there is nothing wrong with the tranni,could be a broken flex plate, hope that the guy re & re the tranni would have enough sense to look at it befor reinstalling the tranni, either way the suckers got come back out.

[ntp]

Rob I hope you are right, I am sick of the noise and just want it fixed. Thanks for the input.

[ntp]

Rob, I hope this confirms your theory. I took the trans out again(3rd time) at the shops request because we put it on thier lift and they said it sounded like some soft disc? that needed to be replaced with a harder one. So they took it apart again and replaced this disk and also the planet gears. Gave it all a once over again.
Before I put it back in the car I checked the flexplate for any crackes any where-everything looked great. I put the trans in and THE DAMN THING STILL RATTLES!!!! NOT A SINGLE CHANGE IN NOISE. Its the weekend and the shops not open so I havent chewed their *** yet. I havent been driving the car since the noise-just long enough to here it and then park it. So, this week end I said hell with it, I'll drive it some-Not only does it rattle in 1st, it does it faintly in 2nd, and just resently i have had I loud chatter in 3rd when crusing, but its not as consistent as the noise in 1st. So does this point more to that converter? Could that shop really miss something in the trans three times. May be its the converter?

[Eric68]

If it helps to know you're not alone here's the post about my TH350.
http://www.camaros.net/forum/Forum9/HTML/004797.html

I did have a torque converter once that had a vibration at the stall speed - 2000 RPM, but it did not make any noise. I've heard that when TQ converters go they generally go all at once - never had one go out completely on me though.

Good luck.

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68 Camaro, 383 small block with TH350 trans. 12.2's and never trailered.