Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) really noisy truck

[MCurrie]

I Just started driving my 1995 2500 extended cab long box 4x4. I have put a couple thousand miles on it with zero oil usage and no blowby out the vent tube. The truck does have 254,000 miles on it but leaks nothing. I am used to the nice smooth sound of my 1st gen and this 2nd gen is really loud at idle and under load. It sounds more like a can of marbles. If I floor it off the line the t-case shifter starts to rattle and even if I hold it to keep it from rattling there is a definite engine clattering sound. Doesn't shake or smoke when cold or hot. Starts good cold. Just makes me nervous. Not at all like the 1st gen. SO does everybodys 12V 2nd gen do this or should I start looking for problems? I am going to change the fuel filter, clean the screen and adj the valves. Should I get the timing checked? Should I stop being paronoid?

 

[Cummins Thunder]

I think I have a fix... Cut all the exhaust system off, except for the down pipe :-laf Problem solved

 

[DWitcher]

Is the 95 stock? When the timing is bumped up they tend to get a little louder.

 

[MCurrie]

I think I will get the timing checked. When I do I may as well have it set. What is a good timing setting for a truck that will never tow anything huge and will eventually have a TST fuel plate, Piers HX35/16 and some different injectors.

 

[mhuggler]

My 94' is pretty quiet compared to my bro's 02' 24v, I'd try adjusting the valves to start with and as someone else mentioned check the timing. It could be the injectors too, wouldn't be a bad idea to upgrade the injectors before doing the torque plate.

 

[SDrake]

There is a rubber boot over the 4by shifter beneath the decorative one in the cab. I was really upset when I had my new transmission put in because the truck was so noisy. Transfer case noise and engine noise was just not anything like as quiet as I was used to. I got to looking and the boot was rotted and had not held together during the transmission swap. I didn't think that rubber boot would make that much difference so I kept asking my transmission guy for ideas on what could be making the truck so noisy. I decided to go ahead and get a new boot. Right at $70 at Dodge but it was worth it. Basically my truck is back sounding like it used to which is OK. I am going in for some of the sound deadening fixes I have read about on this site when I take my dash out this spring to replace the air conditioner evaporater. There is some good opportunity to quiet things with the dash out.



Check that rubber boot. I couldn't muffle the sound with rags, foam rubber and such like the boot does. Hope this helps

 

[DWitcher]

That's funny cause I forgot all about adding dense foam between the two rubber boots to stop the transfercase shifter from rattling :-laf . That foam really works.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

SDrake, I had my transmission done at a shop and when I got it back it was real noisy in the cab too. But the boot underneath the decorative one is just fine

I posted about it and didn't get any responses to speak of. I was told there is a sound deadening thingy going around the shifter between the transmission & cab, so when I get time I'm going to fab something up.



Vaughn

 

[MRector]

My Truck Was Making A Rattle Also From The T-case Lever, And It Turned Out To Be A Nut Under The Shifter Knob That Was Loose!-that Fixed My Rattle.

 

[SDrake]

I agree about the foam. I just couldn't find any good stuff so out of frustration I bought the new boot. When I get the foam for doing behind my dash at the fire wall I will put some at the shifter too.

 

[Forrest]

How did you guys go about taking off the boot & plastic around the gear shift & the 4by shifter? With all the cold air temps right now, I don't want to break plastic pieces :{



I've got some rattling too. Great tips here about the loose nut & dense foam ... gotta check that out.



I can't imagine what these babys sound like in a race truck. :--)







thanks

 

[SDrake]

But a warning about foam

This is funny in a hurtin kind of way. I had my truck all spruced up, new transmission, bumped timing, GSK3 installed, KDP killed, #10 plate installed, guages etc and was really enjoying how much better my truck performed, the effect of the low stall transmission was as real nice surprise. While my truck was in the transmission shop I saw some of those florescent nerf tubes (a florescent version of foam plumbing insulation) in a toy store one day for a dollar and got the idea of placing a piece over my 4wd stick to catch the eye of the grandkids on my next trip up north to KY. It looked kinda cool. I had it all cut and trimmed the day I picked up the truck, and I installed it before I drove out the lot. It was a short drive home in noisy traffic and I was too occupied with how the truck was running to notice noise but next day on a trip out of town I became aware of really loud transmission noises. Whines and chirps and rattles, really loud. The kind of thing that would make me sell any vehicle I had if it couldn't be fixed. I figured I would be lucky to get home from this 1500 mile trip. It buggeed me all the way as I put pressure on the stick in various ways to try to get a handle on where the noise was coming from. Intolerable. I had never been aware that my transmission made noise until this thing happened. On the way home I got the idea to take the cute foam off the stick. Maybe that would let the sound come through even better to aid in diagnosis of this obviously screwed up transmission. That was the end of 90% of the noise. After a visit to the transmission shop where they patiently inspected my transmission for what I still thought of as new noises I bought the new boot and everything was back to normal. The boot seemed to cut down on engine noise more than transmissiln noise.



When doing sound deadening it makes a big difference what kind of foam you use I have learned. The stuff the nerf tube was made of acted like a noise amplifier worse than any thing that accidentlay had ever laid next to the stick pocket.



Some things that aint broke shouldn't be fixed

 

[SDrake]

While you have the boot out take the truck for a drive. Good education on what sound deadening is all about. You wont like the sound of your transmission but at least you will have a little respect for all that it does.



The boot comes off just by removing the vissible screws. The Knob comes off by prying out the cap on top and removing the exposed nut with a deep well 10, 12, or 14 mm socket

 

[SDrake]

Oops just noticed your truck is a 92. Boot removal might be different. Sorry