Grinding noise and Knocking

Hey guys for a while now my riv has been making weird noises and im not sure what they are, but id like to fix them. The first one if some sort of loud grinding noise when im in drive, but stopped. happens when i turn the wheel for some reason. The second noise is when im also stopped in drive, i hear a loud knocking sound coming from the engine bay. Ill try to get pictures tomorrow of where the sound comes from, but neither of these effect performance or anything, just are annoying. Any help is greatly appreciated!

For the steering noise: check your power streering fluid level. This will wine if you are low, especially turning the wheel while stopped.

The other noise, if it sounds like marbles in a can when idle, then goes away under throttle, it's propably the supercharger coupler, which can be replaced with basic tools for about $30 + SC oil ($15).

If the knocking is more like a "tap, tap, tap" that gets louder with throttle, it could be rod knock. Let's hope it's not that.

thank you! ill check the power steering level after work tomorrow. and im pretty sure its not a rod knock, doesnt sound like one anyway! haha. but my only concern with the coupler is taking the sc off.

Good luck. You're right the blower must come off for the Series I. Here's a write-up that might help:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t4421-write-up-95sc-changing-the-coupler-in-an-eaton-m62

thank you AA. checked the power steering fluid and it was fine, so still not sure what the grinding is. Happens when im stopped at reds lights mostly, if that helps at all. I got a picture of where the knocking is coming from, so ill post that right after this.

circled area is where the knocking comes from.

another tc bites the big one.

transfer case? :/

Are you sure it's coming from the transmission? Hold a screwdriver to your ear, or use a mechanic's stethiscope to make sure. Sometimes the intake can sound like it's coming from the area you're suspecting.

im pretty sure thats where its coming at, but ill try to try that tomorrow when im working on it and let you know

billy1290 wrote:

transfer case? :/

torque converter. The tc has a lockup clutch assembly in it and it can fail. I think additives with the wrong friction modifiers hasten the failure but I can not prove that. I think Dexron VI fluid, no additives, is the best way to go with these transmissions but I can not prove that. The location you point to however is the 'bell housing' which houses the torque converter. Methinks your tc is "grenading" and could stand replacement. The part is between 90 and 400 dollars depeinding on what you get and how you get it, plus installation. R&R of the transmission may run $500 to $750. This would be a good time to just overhaul the thing if the tech knows what they are doing.

Well actually i was planning on getting rid of it in the near future, so ill check the tranny fluid when it stops raining and go from there. If i need to replace the tc, do you think its possible to do it myself?

billy1290 wrote:

Well actually i was planning on getting rid of it in the near future, so ill check the tranny fluid when it stops raining and go from there. If i need to replace the tc, do you think its possible to do it myself?

Assuming you need a transmission - which we don't really know yet until you do some troubleshooting - Yes, but you should have a lift and you should be able to disassemble/reassemble the transmission with instructions. If your torque converter has grenadeed you will need to tear down the transmission and replace at least the fiber plates. (with Raybestos Blue ones if you can find them). The steels are probably OK. The valve body will need to be flushed, filter replaced. Point is you will need to tear it down far enough to ensure that no metal shards remain in there. A good replacement TC with a carbon fiber clutch would be less than $150 to the trade (a Recon unit) and an excellent one would run around $350 - 400. When you put the tranny back together be sure to use Dexron VI fluid with no additives. With mine, I think the modifier that a tech put in caused the lockup to slip, generating excess heat, eventually overheating the transmission and killing the clutch. Metal to metal contact caused the clutch to "grenade" or self destruct by grinding itself to bits internally.

If you don't have a lift, gotta pay someone to do this job. About $500 - $800 of the job is just to remove and reinstall the transmission. Once it is out with the proper tools and parts it's a little tedious but not rocket science to fix. A clean place to work is key.

IF you know a good junkyard it can be very very cost effective to get a used junkyard transmission instead of rebuilding yours.