noise

[smalltownguy]

pleas help. i have a 2000 f350 7.3 auto. it is making a grinding noise only sometimes right after i start it. intermitant. only last a half secound. to me sounds kindof like a starter grind. checked the starter and flywheel teeth. they are good. took it to the shop and they found nothing either. think it might be a cracked flywheel. but i wouldnt think it would only do it sometimes. and only for a couple minutes just after first start up in the morning. does not do it at all after that. and only on some days. i dont know where to start. dont want to have to pull the tranny if i dont have to. any ideas would be greatly apriciated.

[dieseldan2005]

I think what you are hearing is the brake booster building pressure. I could be totally wrong, but i know that both my 01 and my 03 will go GRRRRR for about 1/2 sec like you said. Mine does it when i turn the ignition on to cycle the glow plugs or sometimes just after it starts, say in a warm start cases. Try and get someone else to turn the ignition on with you under the hood.

[smalltownguy]

it doesnt sound like a pump. its real loud tinny sound like a starter grinding on a flywheel. does it 5 or 6 times in about 2 or 3 minutes time.

[dieseldan2005]

ahh ok. I know that the booster pump has thrown a few guys off before. Well then maybe its the torque converter making noise. They are known to not last too long in the 4r100's. How many miles are on your truck?

[Ford_truck09]

i know it sounds dumb but i went thru this a month ago changed the starter and was sick to my stomach, only to find it was my exahust tappin around that area. felt it in my feet and had a slight vibration slight clicking sound on start up and shut down was most noticable. at first i did think it was my starter too! hope this helps just give your pipe a push up to see if the noise goes away.

[smalltownguy]

i'm not exactly sure thats the trany. was a guess. its got 195000. i was told the tranys usually only last 185. i wondered if it might be the converter going out. does that happen alot? it hasn't slipped any. i did smell gear oil smell a few times. i stopped and let it cool off. was playin in the snow and working it kinda hard but this started before that. dealer said they have seen alot of cracked flywheels but i wouldnt think it would only do it after sitting over night and first start up for that.

[smalltownguy]

thanks i will check the exaust. i think ist kind of loud for that though. i did check the pullys last time it did it and nothing was froze up. the sound seams to be coming form down by the oilpan.

[dieseldan2005]

Yeah i forgot about the exhaust too. Do you have an aftermarket pipe? The downpipe on my 7.3 would rub on the tranny dipstick and rattle a little. I would say that if you got 195k on a stock tranny you are doing really well! The torque converters were never built to handle the torque of the psd. Thats why there were so many upgrades made to the trannies when they went to the torq shift behind the 6.0s.

[smalltownguy]

its all stock. i guess i will just have to pull the tranny and find out. but thanks for the suggestions. i will check the converter while i have it out.

[dieseldan2005]

Can you have someone else listen down in that area for you to try and pinpoint it a little more, just in case its not in the tranny? I would hate to see ya pull it for nothing but at 195k i guess if you pull it you might just want to rebuild it if you can.