Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Drive line dead spot.

[NHays]

Can anybody give me any ideas how I can tell if I have a bad transmission or transfer-case. I can be driving along in any gear and take my foot off the GO pedal and I feel alot delay in the time between when the engine is powering things and when the road is turning the engine... . if you get what I mean. The rear end is not the culprit. First gear has the least lag time and fifth gear has the most. In fifth gear with the wheels of the ground, I can spin the drive shaft about an 8th of a turn, in first a little less. I am .

 

[B.G. Smith]

If something is slipping it would have to be the clutch wouldn't it? Can you slip the clutch pulling in fifth gear? Everything else sounds normal to me. bg

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

That seems like a lot of driveline slop. I thought most of it is in the rear end but it seems like a lot for a transmission. The X-fer case should be a direct pass-through to the drive shaft so I doubt it's the problem.



Tomorrow if I think about it I'll try your "test" NHays and see how much transmission play my '96 has. At 395k it should have a little.



Vaughn

 

[NHays]

No slipping, just ALOT of slack in the driveline. No noticable abnormal noises, just the usual marbles rolling in a can sound that tells me the transmission could use a little refreshing... . No this problem is a one of a kinder, I have never had anything like this. I bought the truck like this with 125,000 miles on it thinking it was rear end... nope. in 4th and 5th gear on the highway its BAD, when you take it out of cruise its fells like you just broke a tooth of a gear, its really is hard when the truck is empty. I wonder if the spline on the input shaft to the transmission, not clutch, could be worn so badly, but i think they would have broken by now. or what if I have a bad bearing in the transmission and the shaft is knocking around. hmm I wonder.

 

[NHays]

I can put the T-Case in 4x4 and then go under and move the front output almost a quarter turn.

 

[NHays]

Is the marbles in a can sound normal.

 

[B.G. Smith]

When do you get the "marbles in can" noise? Is there a difference in the sound of the transmission when you wre sittting still with the truck not in gear and the clutch engaged versus sitting still with the transmission in gear and the clutch disengaged? bg

 

[NHays]

Sound happens when truck is moving, I had sliding window open in back open and could hear it a little. I will get more info on that one later. It happens alot in fourth & fifth gear around 1200-1400RPM but I will have to keep a better ear on it. It does it all the time though a little, just gets little louder in higher gears, and when load increases. .



Edit. If you think my noise is coming from throw out bearing or pilot, I just had clutch replaced about 4000 miles ago and all that with it. :{. I wish it was tha easy(cheap).

 

[dtygart]

All the U-joints ok? I had a lot of slop, thought it was in the transmission, had the shop put it up on the rack to check while I waited. Short time later the supervisor showed my the rear U-joint almost in pieces.

 

[NHays]

only spot in driveline after T-Case is the slip yoke... . VERY LITTLE in that. all the other U-joints are new.