Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Clunking Noise when Shutdown?

[Dave M]

This noise happens when turning off the key to shut down. It does it most of the time but sometimes it doesn't. The sound varies from a mild clunk to a clunking thud as if the engine wants to spin 1/4 revoltion but is stopped suddenly. Thats the best I can describe it. It started about 2 weeks ago.



I thought it was the fan clutch and replaced it with a new NAPA one a few days ago but its still doing it. The fan clutch was bad. It was seized on all the time and fluid leaked out of it when I got it off.



This is what i've just done in past few weeks : I just replaced all shocks with Bilsteins, 2 Rancho steering stabilizers, "lukes link" on track bar ball joint and new track bar axle bushing, new Energy Suspension sway and control arm bushings, and new sway bar links/bushings.



Could the belt tensioner cause this? NAPA has one in stock so I think I'll try it unless someone thinks not.



Other ideas are possibly motor mounts or maybe a bad throw-out bearing? Anyone with ideas please give me your thoughts.



I'll try the belt tensioner tonight out of desperation, unless someone has a better idea. This is driving me nuts listening to it. . it sounds bad. Its hard to pinpoint the sound of the clunk but I think its in front part of engine. That engine is loud anyway so its difficult to narrow it.



Thanks for help.



Dave

 

[Dave M]

How about this Test?

Could I remove the serpentine belt and then start and stop the engine to hear for the clunk on shut-off? If the belt tensioner is the problem, then the clunk should not be heard.



Its $87 for a belt tensioner from my friendly neighborhood NAPA (they love to sell me parts for my Dodge... which has been too frequently lately! :{ ) UgH... If its not the problem, I don't want to throw money away!



Whadaya'allthink? I will patiently await your response. Welll!... . :-laf



Dave

 

[mcdaniel1]

Check your 4" exhaust. especially the downpipe as it passes the frame and then near the transmission.

 

[Dave M]

Check your 4" exhaust. especially the downpipe as it passes the frame and then near the transmission.

Now the you mention exhaust, my wife just in the last few weeks, jackknifed our 5x8 utility trailer while backing up. It put a dent in my new 5 inch SS T304 MBRP tip :{ and popped the exhaust off the tailpipe hanger and the hanger by the muffler. It tweaked the whole exhaust towards the transmission. I managed to barely get it on those back two hangers and left it.



Thanks for the tip. I haven't checked what the exhaust pipes are hitting, but I'll get under there tonight and see if the clunk is exhaust.



This problem appears to have started about the same time as the jackknifing wifey incident... . Hummm! Bares looking into further! I'll keep you posted on the outcome.



Thanks,



Dave



Edit Update: I just looked at the exhaust pipes and my finger touches between the frame and downpipe on the frame/transmissin side and clearance is closer on the other side of the downpipe between the body and downpipe (where the silver heatproof stuff on the firewall area is). I need to check better tonight with engine shutdown.

 

[RDelissen]

when I had the same 'noise' you describe, one of the exhaust hangers had broken off.

Sometimes it would clunk and other times not ...

 

[Dave M]

I removed the serpentine belt tonight and still hear the clunk. I crawled under the truck and listened and it sounds like its in the bell housing (clutch related maybe?) or the starter. Don't see a problem with the exhaust yet.



Anyone have a starter go bad and do this? It sounds like a metallic clunk. The truck seems to start fine so how could the starter cause this?



I'll be checking some more. Could this be the clutch, pressure plate or throwout bearing? How bad a job is the clutch on this? I've done clutchs on an old Toyoto 4x4 but not something this big.



Not sure where to go from here to prove what it is!



Thanks,



Dave

 

[Dave M]

I'm stumped on this. A new NAPA starter is $200. I have 3 ideas of what it might be:



(1. ) Bad starter. That would be weird since I have no starter problems.



(2. ) Clutch related. Pressure plate/clutch/throwout bearing. This sounds hard to tackle... I'm hoping not to go there yet! No trouble shifting. . no noise in clutch... no chatter... No Make Sense Dude!



(3. ) Loose flywheel bolts. Is there an inspection plate so I can get to the bolts?



Hmmm... I need to try to narrow it down.



Anyone have a clunk like this before... Help Me!



Thanks,



Dave

 

[mcdaniel1]

Something else to check is crossmember bolts, transmission mount, engine mount. If the flywheel were loose enough to cause a clunk you would have starter engagment problems... grinding. I drive an auto so really can't help with the clutch/manual trans.



Something else to check on the exhaust. This could be dangerous so get somebody you trust. with the engine running watch the closest contact point on the exhaust. have your trusted helper shut the engine down while you watch the close points. The shake of a dieing engine can cause quite alot of movement. enough to rattle borderline exhaust clearances.



thats about it for my nickles worth... . good luck... I hate a rattle.

 

[Dave M]

Something else to check is crossmember bolts, transmission mount, engine mount. If the flywheel were loose enough to cause a clunk you would have starter engagment problems... grinding. I drive an auto so really can't help with the clutch/manual trans.



Something else to check on the exhaust. This could be dangerous so get somebody you trust. with the engine running watch the closest contact point on the exhaust. have your trusted helper shut the engine down while you watch the close points. The shake of a dieing engine can cause quite alot of movement. enough to rattle borderline exhaust clearances.



thats about it for my nickles worth... . good luck... I hate a rattle.

I'll add the crossmember bolts etc. . to my list... Good idea.



This is not just a rattle but a clunk/knock metallic sound... like something is loose somewhere and is hit something.



I agree with the flywheel being unlikely and the starter. Not sure about the clutch stuff either. This clunk could be transferred from anywhere but I can hear it plainly at the starter/bellhousing area. Wifey was barefoot on the clutch shuting it down for me and she said she felt it thru the clutch pedal.



I'll recheck the exhaust area but yesterday it did not seem to be coming from that side of the engine but was coming from the other (driver) side of the engine.



The saga continues. Clunk. . Knock... Clunk. . Knock... where is it coming from?



Thanks for those ideas. It'll be tomorrow before I can look again good.



Dave

 

[Dave M]

Replaced Belt Tensioner

It sounded like the belt squeaked several times on shutdown today, so I replaced the belt tensioner with one from NAPA. I'm $95 poorer and still not fixed! :{



The saga continues. Clunk. . Knock... Clunk. . Knock... where is it coming from?



Geez... This is frustrating! Going to try removing the starter and take a look at it since the noise appears to come from there... UGH... Maybe it will show up bad... anyhow. . thats what I'll try.



Not sure how to get the starter out but I'll find out. Sounds real easy in the manual... . NOT!



Any Ideas on the clunk? This is gonna be tough! I'll keep Ya posted on my progress... . If you can call it that! :-laf I'll be under the truck for awhile.



Thanks,



Dave

 

[TXDSLSHOP]

I hate to bring up the exhaust again but I would suspect the exhaust could be doing it. How long after your wife jacknifed the trailer did you start hearing this noise? I hate to beat a dead horse but..... Sounds suspicious to me, I would really look at it close. Just my 2 cents. Jeremy.

 

[K5IP]

The starter isn't doing anything when you turn off the motor, don't look there.

My 95 had a clunk that sounded similar. It turned out to be the the pipe connection going into the muffler. The bolts on the flange needed to be tightned.

Rog

 

[Dave M]

Looking at Exhaust

Ok guys. I'll pay more attention to the exhaust. The last time I looked I heard nothing near the exhaust. I didn't spend alot of time tho looking so I'll check connections etc... again.



I haven't looked at the starter yet, and I know it doesn't make sense it could be the problem, but the noise appeared to come from there.



Thanks "K5IP" and "Killer59" for the responses. I concentrate my attention at the exhaust for now and post my results.



I'm not giving up on this.



Dave

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Maybe check the motor mounts too. I have not had one go bad yet.

 

[Dave M]

Maybe check the motor mounts too. I have not had one go bad yet.

Well... I haven't had a chance to check out the exhaust yet ... too much other things going on. What is acceptable movement in the motor mounts? I seen some slight (maybe 1/2-1 inch) up/down movement on the drivers side. Haven't looked at the pass side yet.



If I don't get to it by next weekend then I be outta town for 2 weeks. Thanks Bill and others for the responses. I'll update as I get time to look at it.



By the way... I thought I'd try doing my suspension repair myself due to the "Death Wobble" in the last few weeks... Man was that scary!



I replaced Track bar end with Lukes/Link and Poly bushing on other end, Energy Suspension bushings on all "control Arms" and the sway bar. The sway bar bushings had zerk fittings. . Cool! Replaced Sway bar end links and bushings with Energy Suspension bushings on those, front/rear Bilstein shocks. Ball joints/u-joints and tie rod ends were fine.



So. . after killing the death wobble, I got 6 BFG A/T KO 235 85R 16 with front alignment per Brents Specs. Any one tell me the max size tire for stock dually tires? I was afraid to go bigger with the duallys. Kinda look wimpy on a 4x4 but I like the aggressive tread pattern. Truck rides real nice now. It's like a new truck.



Noticed a small power steering fliud leak on the shaft where the pitman arm connects. Looks like I may need a new steering box. Thats next to look at on my list.



Thanks for the help guys,



Dave

 

[HFreeman]

Belt squeak is normal. Engine stops abruptly but belt driven accessories want to keep on going due to hysterisis. Hence the squeak. BTW $95. 00 ia a great price for a tensioner, the factory one is twice that price

 

[RDelissen]

Noticed a small power steering fliud leak on the shaft where the pitman arm connects. Looks like I may need a new steering box. Thats next to look at on my list.

here's what I replaced mine with (841m):

http://www.offroadsteering.com/

 

[Dave M]

Belt squeak is normal. Engine stops abruptly but belt driven accessories want to keep on going due to hysterisis. Hence the squeak. BTW $95. 00 ia a great price for a tensioner, the factory one is twice that price

Well... Its not just a squeak like a belt would make but a metallic type clunk. It sounds to me like something that needs to be looked into. It almost sounds like in the crankshaft so, it scares me to leave it alone. I get a good discount from work on NAPA parts but this part says made in China... . I guess you get what you pay for. At least the ratchet hole used for releasing tension is 1/2 inch instead of 3/8, so I guess its lighter too! :-laf

here's what I replaced mine with (841m):

http://www.offroadsteering.com/

Thanks, thats the same one I've been thinking of getting. Did you have any trouble getting it replaced?



My laptop crashed and burned today, so I lost all the digital pics on repairs etc... of my truck . Nothing backed up... shame on me. :{



I been busy doing honeydo's so if I don't get them done this week then I'll be out of town for 2 weeks and tackle it when I get back. I'll keep the post going on whatever I find.



Thanks for the replys and ideas on finding this elusive noise.



Dave

 

[johnrv4]

Maybe try this. Park the truck on a level surface and leave it in 3rd or 4th gear and have somebody try to rock the truck back and forth while you're under it and see what kind of noise you hear in the bellhousing area. I wonder if maybe some of the springs in the clutch disc might be broken? Just a thought. .

 

[Dave M]

Maybe try this. Park the truck on a level surface and leave it in 3rd or 4th gear and have somebody try to rock the truck back and forth while you're under it and see what kind of noise you hear in the bellhousing area. I wonder if maybe some of the springs in the clutch disc might be broken? Just a thought. .

Thats a great idea! My gut feeling is its in the clutch. Never thought of trying that.



Thanks,

Dave