ok so my car (87 IROC 350TPI, auto) has been making this loud "rubbing" sort of noise, i cant explain it but its like a wah wah wah but higher pitch noise.

so when i first turn on the car and it is cold, there is no noise at all. then after about 5-10 minutes of driving and the car is warm the noise comes.

i go under the hood and it sounds to be coming from the lower front (area of the harmonic balancer) and the back of the engine around where the flywheel is. BUT, then when i stick my head under the car in the area of the transmission, the noise seems to be loudest near this blue spinning thing, the torque converter? i dont know but its in the frontal portion of the tranny and its spinning. my car may be too loud to hear but it seems that when i speed up the noise goes away or just gets quiet and when i release the gas letting the car "roll", when in high rpm the noise is higher pitch and when its in low rpm it sounds a lot like a blower but the noise is not constant its "wah wah"..like i said. also it goes away when the car is at idle but once i touch the gas, here it comes.

what stumps me is that this noise isnt present until the car is warmed up.

 

Torque converter?

Transmission oil pump?

Trans input shaft?

I don't know, but I'd check the transmission out thoroughly.

 

Sounds like low on tranny fluid or any of the things Vader said. The only things that I can think of that can wine is alternators, power steering pumps and automatic transmissions. Quick test to eliminate the alternator and power steering: disconnect your belt and run the car for a few seconds. If the noise is still there, the problem should be the tranny. If it disappears, its belt related.

 

how can i check these things out myself, what would i have to do?

 

The first thing to do is check the transmission fluid level, with the engine hot, in drive, with someone applying the brakes. If low, add fluid. If the fluid is very low, may take some time for the foam in the tranny to dissipate. If the trans fluid is ok, do the quick belt check. If you have the serpentine belt, put your rachet into the tensioner, pull back, remove the belt completely from the engine. Remember how the belt is routed or look at the decal if it is still readable. If you have individual belts, that takes longer and is more of a pain.

Restart and listen. Only run for a very short time since your water pump is now disconnected, like 20 to 30 seconds.

 

You check your trans fluid in PARK, not drive. Just follow the instructions stamped on the dipstick.

To locate the source of the noise, get yourself a piece of heater hose, and stick it in your ear (I love telling people to do that!!!!), and probe around with the other end of it sort of like a stethoscope.

If the noise is really coming from the trans, and it's full of fluid, and there's nothing rubbing on anything anywhere on the outside of it, then there's probably something wrong with it inside, which will probably require professional help.

 

checked the fluid....its full! noise continues