Need troubleshooting assistance

irunmiles · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:06 am

My rig has 138K miles and is well maintained. Today I was cruising at 65mph and got a violent buck that dropped the speed and rpms. This is not uncommon and usually indicates that I need to bleed the fuel line. I did so, but when I restarted the engine there was a rattling noise coming from the front area. It sounds like a couple of nuts rattling around in a can. I was on the interstate, so I continued on to work and didn't exceed 40mph. The rig drives normal, there are no warning lights, but the rattling continues. Would appreciate some feedback on what to investigate.

GreenDieselEngineering · **Joined:** Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1111

Remove the oil cap and engine cover, replace oil cap and start the engine. Use a light to look at the accessory drive belt and check the alternator pulley and tensioner. If the tensioner is bouncing/vibrating it is failed. Do you have a CEL on?

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:36 pm

Checked your motor mounts lately?

irunmiles · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:13 pm

My tensioner is not bouncing, and no CELs. Pulled the dip stick and there are tiny metal specks mixed with the oil. This doesn't look good! Any insights?

MrMopar64 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:39 pm

Did you do the timing belt service at 100k, or is it still needing to be done?

irunmiles · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:13 pm

I'm the creator of the timing belt/pulleys part list. All was changed by the dealer at ~110,000 miles.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:47 pm

TC may have shelled out. The rattleing is a sign that some fins may have seperated. Does it do it in Park?

irunmiles · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:57 pm

I does rattle when its in park. Would a torque converter failure send metal flakes into the oil pan, and would I still be able to drive the rig at 40mph?

onthehunt · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:31 pm

Stop driving it and find out what failed before you end up with a ventilated oil pan.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:37 pm

irunmiles wrote:

I does rattle when its in park. Would a torque converter failure send metal flakes into the oil pan, and would I still be able to drive the rig at 40mph?

The TC rattling in Park is one of the major signs the TC has gone bye bye. The tech will listen to see if he can hear the rattling while in park. It is parts that have come loose (broken off) and there is a 100% chance the pump is trashed at this point. Now, this rattling can come from somewhere else and that needs to be explored, but IF it is coming from the TC, it is toast.

CATCRD · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:25 am

He said it's in the ENGINE OIL pan, not the transmission.

Do the metal flakes stick to a magnet?

BVCRD · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:41 am

I missed that. He said dipstick, so I associated the rattling with the TC. But to answer his question, no, the TC and specks in the engine oil are 2 seperate animals. Metal specks that are visible on an oil dipstick is not good.

flman · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:26 am

WolverineFW wrote:

Checked your motor mounts lately?

X2

That is how they sound, nuts in a can, more pronounced in gear with foot on the brake at idle.

irunmiles · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:20 pm

Defective or loose motor mounts do not explain the metal specks present in the engine oil. I wish the problem was motor mounts! Dealer should provide a diagnosis today and I will post. VM thinks it may be bearings.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2010 2:21 pm

CATCRD wrote:

Do the metal flakes stick to a magnet?

Cat asked a good question - this can help you to determine the type of metal involved in the failure.

I was going to say your timing belt went, but if that was the case, the engine would have stopped running immediately.

Is the engine running poorly? Lot of black exhaust smoke? Or is it otherwise running normally besides the rattle?

onthehunt · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:05 am

Anything??? Visable metal flakes on the dipstick is not good...magnetic or not.

irunmiles · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:04 pm

The problem was ... the fan clutch! The non-metallic specks in my engine oil are still a mystery. I had the dealer replace the fan clutch ($300), and I changed the oil and filter even though it wasn't due for another 3k miles. I'm monitoring the oil to see if the specks reappear.

onthehunt · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:02 pm

Moly??

Big Montana · **Posted:** Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:14 pm

It was a few weeks ago when I checked my oil that I thought I saw some metalic bits on the dipstick and I was scared. I pinched them between my fingers thought and they broke up like sludge or something. Could it just be foamy bits of water? Oil? Fuel?

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