Driveline Clunk - 2003-04 Mach 1 Registry Owners Club

speeddemon · 02-10-2006, 05:29 PM

It is kinda hard to explain but I will try. Not sure if this has anything to do with it but it all started after I installed my lower control arms. My car is hard to get into reverse and while doing so, there is a clunk sound, but it sounds like it is comming from the rear end. Each gear as I am putting it into gear also has the same sound, which is also comming from the rear end. When driving at...oh lets say 30 in 2nd gear and I give it a quick little gas, it clunks and also since it is at high rpm's, after the quick jab at the gas it has that chugging effect, and it also clunks then too(back and forth). When sitting in the garage, when I first push the clutch in and try putting it in all the gears, it will clunk, but...after I run through all the gears(not actually driving just putting it in all the gears), I can then put it in any gear and no clunk, untill I let the clutch go and try it all over again. I was starting to think that maybe it is just my trans that is starting to break, but the sound is comming from the back end. So my next thought is that when I installed the lower control arms, I changed my pinion angle and it is the drive shaft that is clunking because from the factory, the drive shaft slides to the front and back a tad so maybe after changing my pinion angle, the driveshaft is too long? But it sounds like something is sliding back and forth when I give it a quick jab at the gas, so that shot down that idea. Any other ideas would be greatly appriciated

whitegt46 · 02-11-2006, 09:00 AM

Guess what it is a normal sound they all do it.. If you put an Aluminum drive shaft in it the clunk gets cut in half. I was told if you put a carbon fiber shaft in it the clunk just about dissappears.

speeddemon · 02-11-2006, 09:56 AM

So what you are saying is that it has always been there but I could never hear it because of the rubber bushings that are on the stock control arms but now my after market control arms have polyurthane bushings so I hear the sound? I was kinda thinking that but was not totally sure. Thanks though. Anyone else have any other ideas/thoughts?

JeromeMach1 · 02-11-2006, 10:53 AM

My 96Cobra and 03 Mach1 one do the same thing. Even before and after all mods. The bushings in your new control arms probably made it more pronounce.

It is possible that your new control arms have play in them. Maybe they did not tighten the bolts completely?

You can prevent the "reverse" clunk. Before you put the car into reverse, put the car in first gear, do not move, then put it into reverse. Clunk gone. It's mainly because reverse gear does not have any syncros.

Jerome

speeddemon · 02-12-2006, 06:46 PM

Ok, thanks. I installed the control arms but did not use a torque wrench to tighten them down, I just cranked down on all the bolts. I will probably get a torque wrench soon to re-check all the bolts. Now also, it is hard to get into reverse, some times I have to use 2 hands to get it to go in, what is the cause of that? And that too started after my control arm install.

speeddemon · 02-24-2006, 07:20 PM

Ok, Now I have a new problem. When the trans is cold, it works like bread and butter. The warmer the trans gets, the harder it is to put it into 1st gear. After driving for about a half hour, it is almost impossible to put it into first gear. But...if I am comming up to a red light, put the clutch in and put it in first when almost stopped, it just slides right in. But most of the time when approaching a red light, I put it in neutral and just wait for the green then put it in first. When I do that, it wont go...but once again, only when the trans is warmed up. When doing that, it will be very hard to put into 1st and it will grind going in, and when I just sit there and take it out, it will grind. while driving, its all fine(all the rest of the gears) but once again if I am at a light just sitting in neutral and try to put it into any gear, it has a hard time but first just wont go in at all. What could be the problem, trans, clutch? Any help will be appriciated. And also, I tried to adjust my clutch thinking that it would solve the problem, NOPE!. Thanks again!

JeromeMach1 · 02-24-2006, 11:00 PM

I had the same problem. I changed the tranny and the problem went away. I am not saying that it is definatley your tranny, but that is what solved the problem for me.

I did change the clutch at the same time. I just do not think the clutch was the problem.

Jerome

02-10-2006, 05:29 PM	#1
speeddemon Can you hear me now? Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 659	Driveline Clunk It is kinda hard to explain but I will try. Not sure if this has anything to do with it but it all started after I installed my lower control arms. My car is hard to get into reverse and while doing so, there is a clunk sound, but it sounds like it is comming from the rear end. Each gear as I am putting it into gear also has the same sound, which is also comming from the rear end. When driving at...oh lets say 30 in 2nd gear and I give it a quick little gas, it clunks and also since it is at high rpm's, after the quick jab at the gas it has that chugging effect, and it also clunks then too(back and forth). When sitting in the garage, when I first push the clutch in and try putting it in all the gears, it will clunk, but...after I run through all the gears(not actually driving just putting it in all the gears), I can then put it in any gear and no clunk, untill I let the clutch go and try it all over again. I was starting to think that maybe it is just my trans that is starting to break, but the sound is comming from the back end. So my next thought is that when I installed the lower control arms, I changed my pinion angle and it is the drive shaft that is clunking because from the factory, the drive shaft slides to the front and back a tad so maybe after changing my pinion angle, the driveshaft is too long? But it sounds like something is sliding back and forth when I give it a quick jab at the gas, so that shot down that idea. Any other ideas would be greatly appriciated __________________ EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED 2003 Red Mach 6 Speed w/ IUP K&N Air Filter SLP LoudMouth2 Cat-Back Bassani Off Road X Pipe MGW Orange shifter Moroso Line Lock SPEC Stage 2 w/ steel flywheel Bassani Mid-Length Headers FRPP 4.10 HPM MegaBite LCA T-56 Trans

02-11-2006, 09:00 AM	#2
whitegt46 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 104	Re: Driveline Clunk Guess what it is a normal sound they all do it.. If you put an Aluminum drive shaft in it the clunk gets cut in half. I was told if you put a carbon fiber shaft in it the clunk just about dissappears. __________________ Sold my stang........What a mistake

02-11-2006, 09:56 AM	#3
speeddemon Can you hear me now? Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 659	Re: Driveline Clunk So what you are saying is that it has always been there but I could never hear it because of the rubber bushings that are on the stock control arms but now my after market control arms have polyurthane bushings so I hear the sound? I was kinda thinking that but was not totally sure. Thanks though. Anyone else have any other ideas/thoughts? __________________ EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED 2003 Red Mach 6 Speed w/ IUP K&N Air Filter SLP LoudMouth2 Cat-Back Bassani Off Road X Pipe MGW Orange shifter Moroso Line Lock SPEC Stage 2 w/ steel flywheel Bassani Mid-Length Headers FRPP 4.10 HPM MegaBite LCA T-56 Trans

02-11-2006, 10:53 AM	#4
JeromeMach1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 1,383	Re: Driveline Clunk My 96Cobra and 03 Mach1 one do the same thing. Even before and after all mods. The bushings in your new control arms probably made it more pronounce. It is possible that your new control arms have play in them. Maybe they did not tighten the bolts completely? You can prevent the "reverse" clunk. Before you put the car into reverse, put the car in first gear, do not move, then put it into reverse. Clunk gone. It's mainly because reverse gear does not have any syncros. Jerome __________________ 03 Mach1 5spd BB/Stroker built by Eddie Rios Addiction Motorsports P&P 03 Heads by Al P Custom cams by NASVT Nazty PSR SAE 420rwhp SAE 387rwt 1.56 60ft 11.44ET 122.1mph 1700 DA

02-12-2006, 06:46 PM	#5
speeddemon Can you hear me now? Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 659	Re: Driveline Clunk Ok, thanks. I installed the control arms but did not use a torque wrench to tighten them down, I just cranked down on all the bolts. I will probably get a torque wrench soon to re-check all the bolts. Now also, it is hard to get into reverse, some times I have to use 2 hands to get it to go in, what is the cause of that? And that too started after my control arm install. __________________ EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED 2003 Red Mach 6 Speed w/ IUP K&N Air Filter SLP LoudMouth2 Cat-Back Bassani Off Road X Pipe MGW Orange shifter Moroso Line Lock SPEC Stage 2 w/ steel flywheel Bassani Mid-Length Headers FRPP 4.10 HPM MegaBite LCA T-56 Trans

02-24-2006, 07:20 PM	#6
speeddemon Can you hear me now? Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 659	Re: Driveline Clunk Ok, Now I have a new problem. When the trans is cold, it works like bread and butter. The warmer the trans gets, the harder it is to put it into 1st gear. After driving for about a half hour, it is almost impossible to put it into first gear. But...if I am comming up to a red light, put the clutch in and put it in first when almost stopped, it just slides right in. But most of the time when approaching a red light, I put it in neutral and just wait for the green then put it in first. When I do that, it wont go...but once again, only when the trans is warmed up. When doing that, it will be very hard to put into 1st and it will grind going in, and when I just sit there and take it out, it will grind. while driving, its all fine(all the rest of the gears) but once again if I am at a light just sitting in neutral and try to put it into any gear, it has a hard time but first just wont go in at all. What could be the problem, trans, clutch? Any help will be appriciated. And also, I tried to adjust my clutch thinking that it would solve the problem, NOPE!. Thanks again! __________________ EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED 2003 Red Mach 6 Speed w/ IUP K&N Air Filter SLP LoudMouth2 Cat-Back Bassani Off Road X Pipe MGW Orange shifter Moroso Line Lock SPEC Stage 2 w/ steel flywheel Bassani Mid-Length Headers FRPP 4.10 HPM MegaBite LCA T-56 Trans

02-24-2006, 11:00 PM	#7
JeromeMach1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 1,383	Re: Driveline Clunk I had the same problem. I changed the tranny and the problem went away. I am not saying that it is definatley your tranny, but that is what solved the problem for me. I did change the clutch at the same time. I just do not think the clutch was the problem. Jerome __________________ 03 Mach1 5spd BB/Stroker built by Eddie Rios Addiction Motorsports P&P 03 Heads by Al P Custom cams by NASVT Nazty PSR SAE 420rwhp SAE 387rwt 1.56 60ft 11.44ET 122.1mph 1700 DA

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)