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Technical '53 Chrysler, 331/M6 Clanking Noise!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by vintagetin88, Aug 24, 2020.

  1. vintagetin88
    Joined: Nov 26, 2010
    Posts: 63

    vintagetin88
    Member

    This is shot in the dark, but there are a lot of really experienced people here that offer a lot of good advice.
    I have a '53 Chrysler 331 with the M6 clunk-o-matic. The car runs and drives excellent, and it shifts great. Everything seems to be working well. I drive the car pretty much daily.
    Over the last few months the cars has started making a really funny clank clank clank noise, and it seems to be getting progressively worse. You can hear it loud and clear echoing off buildings downtown.
    I thought initially a fan shroud bolt had come loose and the fan was hitting the shroud. But nope, nothing is touching it. It sounds like something rattling around in a coffee can. I though maybe a lug nut came off in the hub cap? Nope. It makes the most noise when I let off the gas and coast. The car will make the noise in Low, or High range, in all gears. I even tried engaging the parking brake a little when the noise happened to see if it made a difference....nope. If I push the clutch it, the noise goes away! Its hard to tell, but it sounds like it is at wheel/driveshaft speed. There are not signs that anything it touching the brake drum or driveshaft. I even pulled the inspection plate off the bellhousing to see if there was anything going on, didn't see anything. The pinion in the rear axle seems tight, and the u joints DO have a little play. I've had lots of cars with u joints go bad, and they would "rumble" or whine a little bit at high speed. Never a loud clanking sound at lower speeds.

    I put the car up on jack stands and ran it in gear and tried to find the noise. It is VERY hard to get the car to make any noise when the wheels are off the ground. I could bump the gas, and sometimes while coasting it will clank clank clank. I began to suspect the transmission kick down governor, but I placed my hand on it, when the car is in gear, and I did not feel anything when the noise was present. Also as stated previously, the transmission works great.

    I would greatly appreciate any advice. I'm hoping someone here has had the same problem before.
    Thanks for reading!
     
  2. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

  3. Eddie
    Joined: Apr 2, 2006
    Posts: 562

    Eddie
    Member
    from Georgia

    Check the flywheel nuts on forward side of crankshaft flange.They have been known to loosen up.
    Eddie
     
  4. vintagetin88
    Joined: Nov 26, 2010
    Posts: 63

    vintagetin88
    Member

    How would I get to those? I can pull the starter out, but I'm not sure they can be reached from the start access. And the inspection plates seem too far away from the center also.
     

  5. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,419

    jaracer
    Member

    Okay, driveshaft speed is about 3 times wheel speed. Also, this probably has the trunion style front u-joint. They are rebuildable. If it has play, that could be the culprit.
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  6. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    On your car’s engine, the bottom half of the bellhousing (to which the starter attaches) unbolts and exposes the fluid coupling and crankshaft flange. The coupling has studs that pass through the crank flange with nuts on the forward (oil pan side) of the flange. They can be turned with an open end wrench, but only some are accessible at any give time. you have to rotate the crank/fluid coupling to reach all of them.

    All that said, my expectation is the same as @jaracer above.

    Ray
     
  7. vintagetin88
    Joined: Nov 26, 2010
    Posts: 63

    vintagetin88
    Member

    thanks guys. I'll give the drive shaft a wiggle. I did drop the small inspection plate in the bellhousing to take a gander I did not see any fasteners. I got up in there with a small mirror and flash light and did not see any damage to the bellhousing, or metal shavings. My car has the fluid couple with the heat sinks and the oil in it is shared with the engine. It does not have the separate trans pump and cooler. I did get my hands on a set of new rear u joints as there is a tiny bit of play in those. But I HIGHLY doubt that's where the noise is coming from as it does sound like it right under me when I'm driving.

    Again, thanks for the advice!
     

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