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Transmission gear chatter/clatter...

6777 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  DTorres31
Pretty sure this is normal due to the nature of our transmission, but when I'm in the "be kind to your neighbors mode" and just cruising down the block at 25 - 30 mph, I can hear what sounds like a light chatter noise coming from (IMO) the transmission? Can't hear it from inside the car or when the windows are up it's being bounced back off the curb.

Pretty sure this is normal, anyone else noticed this?

T.I.A.
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Try pulling up your reverse ring see if that makes the noise less
I haven't noticed any noise. But I always have the exhaust as loud as possible too.
Try pulling up your reverse ring see if that makes the noise less
Thanks Todd, it's not the shifter buzz, more like coming from outside the car. Focused on it again yesterday and now it's sounding more like a lower RPM clatter from the engine...not quite a pinging but it's there.
I haven't noticed any noise. But I always have the exhaust as loud as possible too.
LOL, me too, if it begins to annoy me time for Sport Mode!!
Yes, I get it too and it's only noticeable in touring mode.

No amount of gear chatter or noise makes you feel comfortable. I remember when I used to swap out rear ends for lockers with clutch packs and such and if you didn't use the right type of whale snot, you'd be convinced the rear end was coming apart each time you went around a corner.

I guess the solution, even though it's tongue in cheek is to simply keep it out of quiet mode and have the exhaust drown out the noise.
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Well Boys, welcome to the world of performance cars. Short skirted pistons (light and fast) cause ‘piston slap’ at low to Mid rpm ranges. Especially when cold. Transmissions such as ours (Tremec) is a Racing gearbox. Not made to be sissy quiet, but strong! Listen to the engine and gearbox sounds inside a NASCAR. Ford doesn’t do a bad job insulating the passenger cabin, but open the windows and all bets are off. These are normal performance noises. :cool:
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mine too, I've heard that is piston slap below 2000 rpm. Have 2001 Bullitt that does the same thing and just turned 170k miles on it last month.
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Yes, I get it too and it's only noticeable in touring mode.

No amount of gear chatter or noise makes you feel comfortable. I remember when I used to swap out rear ends for lockers with clutch packs and such and if you didn't use the right type of whale snot, you'd be convinced the rear end was coming apart each time you went around a corner.

I guess the solution, even though it's tongue in cheek is to simply keep it out of quiet mode and have the exhaust drown out the noise.
Well said, my solution exactly!
Well Boys, welcome to the world of performance cars. Short skirted pistons (light and fast) cause ‘piston slap’ at low to Mid rpm ranges. Especially when cold. Transmissions such as ours (Tremec) is a Racing gearbox. Not made to be sissy quiet, but strong! Listen to the engine and gearbox sounds inside a NASCAR. Ford doesn’t do a bad job insulating the passenger cabin, but open the windows and all bets are off. These are normal performance noises. :cool:
Jim, exactly, I learned not to panic when I first purchased my 2007 GT500 that tranny was a loud one as well and at first I thought something was amiss but it was fine. Never had any issues with it. It is comforting to know that you guys all hear it to and it's not a big deal. Thanks to all for confirming my suspicions!

PS Jim your jacking rails arrive yet? I just used mine last night for the 1st time, kinda cool having the entire side off the ground...gonna have to get a Nascar "pit stop" soundtrack to play in the background :)
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PS Jim your jacking rails arrive yet? I just used mine last night for the 1st time, kinda cool having the entire side off the ground...gonna have to get a Nascar "pit stop" soundtrack to play in the background :)
No jacking rails yet, I’ve got 2 bags of Splitter Savers (ZL1addons) sitting on the counter wanting for a better way to jack up vehicle. I think Summit ordered and will be direct ship from BMR. Soon I hope.
No jacking rails yet, I’ve got 2 bags of Splitter Savers (ZL1addons) sitting on the counter wanting for a better way to jack up vehicle. I think Summit ordered and will be direct ship from BMR. Soon I hope.
Hi JimT. I looked at jacking rails but decided to get a pinch weld plate instead. It's an metal u shape on a round puck that goes around the pinch welds and sits on the jack head. Pitched it up on Amazon but you can get them anywhere. It has magnets in it so you can put it on the pinch weld and it stays in place while you raise your floor jack. Very handy.
All this talk about transmission chatter made me listen closely to my car. I started hearing chatter at about 2100 miles, and I thought it was in the engine compartment. I would hear it when the engine was cold and at low rpms, 2000-3000, like everybody else. I could not tell where it was coming from. One morning I had my wife accelerate my engine while i had my hood open. I couldn't hear anything. My wife said she thought she heard it, so I listened from within the vehicle and I heard it. Since it sounded like it was coming from underneath, i drove it and pulled the shifter towards me when I was in 2nd gear, and the noise changed in tone, but it was still there. The noise goes away when the car warms up. I have not put it on a ramp to look around.
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