I just started hearing this pretty loud clunking noise today. It's like two or three loud clunks or thumping, sounds like you're running over something. Happened shortly after making a left turn, happened when coasting in a small strip mall, and I think another time. It doesn't clunk every time it shifts though. Seems to come from the rear passenger area, but I could be wrong.

I thought it was suspension related but I just remembered... Today I backed into a spot, pulled the ebrake, and put it into park. Then I opened my door to double check my surroundings, and accidentally kicked/dragged my floor mat in a way that held the gas pedal down a slight amount. I stupidly didn't notice. I put it into reverse, then released the ebrake. When I let off my brakes, I was surprised it reversed so strongly, without even touching the gas pedal. I thought it was because I finally fixed a vacuum leak recently, so I just pressed the brakes back down, pulled the ebrake, then put it back into park. The whole time the gas pedal was stuck down!! Didn't notice til I put it back into park and it was revving slightly.

So basically the pedal was pressed down slightly while I shifted from park to reverse, and then back to park again!!

Here's some history of some wear on my car that I've been trying to put off due to lack of funds and knowledge:
- a much quieter clunk when shifting out of park to either reverse or drive. It pauses maybe a half second before it shifts too. This clunk hasn't gotten any worse since this incident.
- left ball joint creaks when making hard lefts. (actually getting worse so not even that hard of a left anymore). I asked a shop to do it when they replaced my steering components, but when I got back the owner BS'd me and said it wasn't necessary, even though I told him it was creaking. He already gave me a discount off their normal labor rate because my friend knows him personally, before he had a shop. Plus a cash discount. And I supplied the parts. So naturally they probably said "f*** his ball joints, let's get back to the normal high paying customers."
- left rear axle seal leaking.. black grease over the wheel hub.

Previous owner claimed the transmission was rebuilt with a B&M shift kit. It has a B&M shifter, and does shift pretty firmly, but he never showed me any receipts, so who knows.

Last time I checked (I think about a few months ago), tranny fluid was at a good level, clean looking, and nice and red.

What's likely broken? Is it a DIY job or better to bring it to a shop?

 

First thing I would check would be the transmission mount. It is pretty easy to change but if it is a diy project depends on your mechanical abilities.

 

I hope its just that.. the part is cheap and from what Im reading on this site, it sounds super easy. This page says I should torque it down to specs.. https://www.thirdgen.org/trannymount is that important? If so, what is the correct amount of torque?

What exactly should I look for? Would it be cracked/broken or loose?

 

It is the rubber mount at the rear of the transmission that is between the transmission and the cross member. The hardest part of this job is getting the car up in the air securely. You will need jack stands and a good hard level surface to work on. A good floor jack is very nice to have also, for jacking up the car and later supporting the transmission. If you are starting to diy repairs a good shop manual for your car will be irreplaceable. Make sure you know were the jacking points on your car are located.

 

Im pretty confident I can do it. What else should I look for, in case its not the transmission mount?

 

Thanks for the help.. The transmission mount is broken, the front side is split right between the metal and rubber (they don't touch). And check out my torque arm bushing.. It's even worse.. That's probably what the loud clunking was

Any idea what all that grease is from? Also, what's a good way to route the B&M shifter cable so it stays out of the way? It's way too long.

 

You can check out the u joints on the drive line. Make sure the rear seal on the transmission isn't leaking.

 

Oh yes on the cable, you have to make sure not to put to tight a bend in it. I would just zip tie it off to the side.

 

I will check ujoints and transmission seal next time I'm under the car. Thank you for all the help.

Those two metal lines running parallel to the torque arm are fuel lines, right? Is it OK to zip tie the cable to the fuel lines, or will it get too hot? My last shifter cable got chewed up somehow, the insulation was shredded and eventually it failed. I was told before to zip tie it, I just wasn't sure where would be safe.

 

The fuel lines and the shift cable shouldnt get hot. You dont want the fuel lines getting any hotter than they have to.

 

The oil leak is probably either the rear trans seal, or the speed sensor (has a large o ring that seals it to the housing).

 

If there is a leak from the rear transmission seal, would that possibly be leaking onto an exhaust pipe and burning? And what would it smell like? I've been trying to track down a bad exhaust smell forever. Though it does look like there is some slight leak from above the oil pan somewhere, so it could be the valve covers leaking oil onto the exhaust manifolds.

So if the fuel lines don't get hot, then I can ziptie the shift cable to them, right? They didn't feel hot when I was down there, I just assumed they might get hot. But then again it's sending the cold gas to the engine so there should be no reason for them to get hot.

 

Can anyone confirm that I need the #1111 part? Lips facing away from driveshaft? It's so far gone I can't tell, but it looks like the lips are facing away from the driveshaft. (Here's the diagram: http://energysuspensionparts.com/car...ueIdentify.jpg)

Also, check out the second picture with the red circle. What's that metal part cracked between the driveshaft and the transmission? How long can I go without replacing it? I'm really short on funds right now.

 

Right; you have the version with the lips facing away from the DS.

The other thing isn't cracked. That's just a normal casting irregularity. No need to worry about it. But just FYI, its official name is "extension housing", although people call it all sorts of other things as well, mostly "tail" something or other.

 

Thanks. Finally installed it today. Everything went well except I stupidly stripped 2/4 of the crossmember bolts or threads. I really need to get a shop manual and a torque wrench. Luckily they are not stripped that bad. They still stay tight, if I tighten them more, they just go back to being a little loose, like maybe one full turn short of being fully tight. I just left them for now. I don't know anything about using a tap and die and prefer to just use a slightly larger bolt when possible. But it might not be so easy to just use a slightly larger bolt, because I'd probably have to go to a bolt supplier a few cities away to get some slightly larger bolts.

How long do you think I can go with these slightly stripped bolts? Since I only have a 305, I mostly just cruise, take turns slow, and rarely push it past 3K. 80mph is probably the fastest I ever go. The crossmember is pretty secure. Plus it was one bolt on each side, diagonally across from each other. They feel as tight as the ones that aren't stripped, if I don't tighten them too far.

Also does it matter where exactly on the torque arm the bushing is? We tried to put it all the way on the end, but it was easier to put the mount back on by pushing the bushing towards the rear a little bit.

 

They probably aren't exactly "stripped".

What those ACTUALLY are, is little "nuts" held in little sheet metal cages. The "nuts" are made of the cheeeeeeeepest grade of chinesium that will tighten up ONCE on the production line; there seems to have been no consideration given to the idea that someone would ever have to come back in and tighten them up again someday. They tend to split, not "strip"; therefore once that happens to them, they are pretty much permanently trash in most cases.

EEEEEeeeeeziest way to deal with them effectively long-term, is to pop the front seats out, peel back the carpet, hole-saw a big enough hole to get a 15mm socket down in there, use REAL nuts, and then put plastic plugs back in underneath the carpet. Use a punch up through the "nut" to mark the place on the floor to locate the hole. Since the seats are so quick and eeeeeezy to get out, just going ahead and doing this ONCE, saves all manner of grief for the life of the vehicle.

The torque arm slides back and forth through the bushing constantly. Doesn't matter where you put it; as you go over bumps and whatnot, it'll change. Don't bother worrying about it.

 

When you get these cross member nuts repaired the torque will be 35ft lbs. The manual that I think would help you the most would be the Factory Service Manual specific to the year of your car. You are doing good and jumping right in there and repairing things like a real thirdgenner. All you need is a few more tools which include the manual that you can find on E-Bay. Good luck Edward. P.S. don't worry about asking questions we have all been there once.