So a few weeks back I took the car to the drag strip just out of curiousity. It was after my latest round of modifications including the AEM EMS and cat delete, which I am very happy with, and I wanted to see what she could do. The car has only been launched on a handful of occasions in its entire existence, which is around 35,000 miles. I launched fairly conservatively imo netting a 1.9XX, but as I was pulling back into the staging area as I was slowing down to low speed I heard this terrible grinding clunking sound. Figuring I best not risk fully breaking something as I still needed to drive home I called it quits and drove home. For several days after that event anytime I would slow down to low speeds, when I would take off from a stop or when I was making slow left hand turns I would hear this grinding noise. Miraculously the noise now seems to have pretty much gone away and the car seems to drive fine. My question is this. Does it sound like the transfer case is a time bomb waiting to explode or is there some other possible explanation for the events that I described??? If it does turn out to be the transfer case what is the best replacement out there.....oem or is there another option??? One more piece of info I forgot above is that the car does have an ATS twin disk clutch and the restrictor is still in.

 

if it makes a wineing sound when you drive then it is probably gone

 

Doesn't really make a whining sound while driving. The only whining sound is for the last couple hundred rpms when coasting to a stop. Very mild noise though. I just have this gut feeling it's on the way out and I'm cringing thinking of the expense to replace it....especially with the holidays coming up. $2000 can buy a lot of Christmas gifts!!!

 

curiousity killed the transfer case.

sounds like you broke one of the syncro gears or something.

 

Actually that sounds pretty likely to me as the time I notice the whining is when I am almost completely stopped and I am shifting into first.

 

you'll have hard time diagnosing that by yourself. It'll cost you, since the mechanic have to take the transmission apart to check the gears.

if your car whines louder progressively as the RPM rises, then that's your transmission going (t-case). If it's just the first gear at lower RPM, I think thats something else.

 

It definitely doesn't whine under normal driving. How does the story about hearing a grinding noise when making left hand turns and when slowing down fit with the screwed syncro????

 

Sounds like the front diff is gone.

 

your transmission shouldn't grind because you're turning.

That's more like your suspension components. do you have a lot of play when the shifter is in the gear?

 

that whinning when coming to a stop is normal, is it the same noise as when you accelerate in frist gear? If it is then its totally normal, typicall awd noise, but unless you hear howl or whining that gets louder and louder then probably is the TC.

 

When you break your front diff, it will grind and clunk during turning, but usually not in a straight line.


That's how the spider gears work.

 

But why would the noise go away??? I have been fearing that it's the front diff. The whining noise is a new thing that wasn't present before I launched the car. Should I have the fluids checked for metal?

 

well, if he broke the spider gears, then you need to replace the syncros and the bearings...

it could be something else then the spider gears... maybe it's the end gears

 

Yea definitely check the fluids, it there are chunks of metal, your TC is gone!

 

Were you running the stock t-fluid or some aftermarket stuff?

If aftermarket, did you fill it or have someone do it for you?