Metallic "Ching" sound 351 4speed

[kcmash]

Need  a little help here.

Tonight when cruising around for about 45 minutes I started to notice a metallic grinding or chinging sound.  What I know.

It sounded like it was coming from the gear box or clutch area, I could feel slight vibration in the shifter handle that coincided with the noise.  And the sound was random.

My first thoughts were some kind of gearbox failure, like the reverse detent was not keeping the reverse fully disengaged.  Second, I thought maybe I was having the speedo gear and cable come apart, but the speedometer was working fine and the needle was smooth.  I nervously made my way home thinking something in the gearbox was going to grab and lock the tranny up.  It seemed a little more prominent when I shifted into 3rd.

Just before arriving home I was thinking, "I wonder if the starter bendix is trying to engage", so i double checked the ignition position with the key as I was driving.   I noticed the key was part way between start and run.(The spring return doesn't always kick the key back to run easily on my tilt column.)  After that, I did not notice the sound in the last couple blocks.

So here is the deal.  I had pulled the car out to make sure the AC clutch was engaging so I can charge the AC system.  It was cool outside and a sunny clear evening, so I decided to go for a little drive.  I drove past several friends houses and through several neighborhoods with no problems.  Good idle at stops, smooth shifting, it felt great and sounded great.  I went to a 2 lane blacktop known as Pink Hill  Road  and decided to run this 45 MPH stretch for a few miles to get out of all the shifting.  That's when the noise of concern started, when I was about 3 miles into that run.

What do you think?  Could the starter have had a little contact and try to kick in after the car was good and warm?  It's one of the new PMGR type Starters with the battery power to the starter and the smaller relay wire to kick it over.  Any other ideas?

Ford NOS Flywheel

Centerforce 2 Clutch and pressure plate with a new throwout bearing

4-Speed was rebuilt by me with a kit from Toploader Haven

Origninal Hurst shifter.

Any Ideas?

kcmash

 

[Don C]

I would start by checking the bellhousing, transmission, and transmission mount/crossmember bolts to make sure they are tight. And, make sure the clutch freeplay is correct and the clutch fork is in its proper position and the clip is holding it onto the fulcrum while you're under there.

 

[Stanglover]

So, I have now idea why other than I agree with Don. I too have a Centerforce 2 clutch and I do know it is critical to make sure the free play is correct. If not, mine tends to grind on shifts, but only on shifts. When I redid all the linkages and as the CF 2 is a heavy clutch, I installed oilite bronze bushings and new nylon bearings in the Z bar. This alone, took a load of pressure off the pedal and improved the shifts. Too much free play and you'll be pushing the pedal to the floor and the clutch won't clear and you'll grind the gears.

Check everything including the shifter linkages with a 1/4" pin through the alignment hole to be satisfied the 1-2 ,3-4 levers are correctly set on the detents and all the external stuff is good, then possibly something is not right inside the box, hope not for your sake.

That's the best I can offer. Good luck with it.

 

[kcmash]

Long day of work today so i don't know that I will get anywhere, but I appreciate the input here.

Please remember that this noise first showed up after 45 minutes of neighborhood driving and shifting a lot.  No grinding or problems with the frequent shifts.  I have not adjusted free play on the clutch, I need to read up on that.

Another detail about the car is ever since I have got it to move under its own power it has had an odd jump or jolt when first letting the clutch out.  It is really tough to describe, but I have always wondered if the tranny is shifting in its mount.

A final oddity to this is how smooth it was running and shifting before this sound appeared, which makes me wonder about it being the starter or something there.  Yep second gear has been a whiner, but other than that it has been a solid and smooth running tranny.

I will start with the torque wrench as Don suggested.  Keep the thinking cap on and lets pray that the key position was the culprit..

kcmash

 

[midlife]

I'll throw out a bad tranny or engine mount, such that what you're hitting and making the "ching" sound is something moving hitting a stationary object.  Perhaps the driveshaft is hitting a e-brake cable?  Or the fan up front is hitting something.