[cranberryredchevelle454]

Unless the engine has a gear drive ( to run the camshaft) , it clearly sounds like the transmission. What you hear in some UPS trucks is their straight cut gears, which whine. Those are manual transmissions.

Not being a transmission pro, I have no idea why she is whining, although Al's suggestions are spot on. I would do the modulator. If I recall poor vacuum signal or none, causes hard and very high shifts. For less than $20 why not try and see if it works,

Doing a fluid/filter change on your back is a PITA. Well i's an old man so your results may vary. Yet it is quite straightforward. I cant imagine a filter beign clogged causing the whine. I say if a new shiny modulator with a good vacuum source doesnt cure it, I would likely go to a pro trans shop. Dont go just to anyone, ask around. There are good and bad. Dont know where youa re but its typically $1500 to redo a trans.

Dang son you got a lot of "sorting out" with that ride. One issue at a time! Keep the faith!

yea i’ve never worked with a trans so i’ll be doing my research and hopefully doing something this weekend because i’ll finally be off. hopefully i can be quiet enough so my mom and newbies won’t know in our shared driveway...

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

I agree with everything above, that's the transmission whining, not the rear end whining.

Do the easy stuff first.

First thing check (or get checked) is the u-joints. That could be causing the clunking issue as well as the clicking noise you are hearing in reverse. That won't be the cause of the transmission whine though.

Second thing I would do is as Al suggested and change the fluid/filter - that could be the source of the whine.

After that, if nothing has been resolved, you are looking at a transmission internal issues, which most likely means it needs to be pulled and checked internally.

yea i’ll do some fluid and a filter and a vacuum modulator and hopefully that fixes it, sounds hard but i know i’ll learn something that that excites me

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

Also, ensure it isnt a gear drive, which means the whine is eminating from the engine front cover, right behind the water pump. They can be foolishly loud and send the vibration throughout the engine. Which is why they ought never be used!

PS you can use a long length of hose ( small fuel line works good) to isolate noises. The fuel line to your ear works like a unidirectional microphone, helping pinpoint noises. Of course, you cant do it while driving!

Otherwise do the transmission service Al speaks to, If that dont work., park her until you can save 1500+ for a transmission rebuild.

the noise only comes when i’m in drive or reverse and when i touch the petal and thanks neat trick i’ll give it a try

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

I agree that the clicking in reverse sounds like U joints. I also agree with the consensus that the problem seems to be in your tranny. Try the modulator first, as suggested. If that doesn't fix it, get someone reputable to look at it. Good luck.

thanks

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

As I stated in your Other Thread in my Post # 18 that it was the Trany making the Whining Noise

By starting another/2nd Thread on the same Topic/Problem people have lost what you already Posted there
NOT Good
First You check the U-Joints like suggested above
Why did I say the Trany was making the Noise before I even Heard your above Video
I have a Deep Trany Pan on my TH400 & the same thing happened to my Trany in 2019
and it was the Pickup on the Filter in the Bottom of the Trany that came loose

SO if you take it to a Trany Shop and have them Drain then take off the Trany Pan
Replace the Filter with a new one and reattach the Tube properly as DMH says in his # 5 Post above
I would also Replace the Vac Modulator as outined in DMH's # 5 Post and have the Trany Shop also check the U-Joints
this may stop the Hard Shifting OR the previous Owner put a Shift Kit in it
and therefore that is why you get the Quick Hard Shifts from one Gear to another
plus the Hard Shift into Reverse if the RPMs are higher than Idle 750 to 850

thanks for the suggestions, i’ll try the fluid filter and modulator and if that doesn’t do anything, i’ll either make the decision to park it and pay storage fees and bearly save up for another car or keep driving it and get some of my moneys worth until it blows

 

[DUTCH MAX HEADWORK]

the noise always seems to come from the rear wheels, it’s like a clicking clunking noise, i was starting to think it was the drums, i don’t know if my ebrake works though, the petal works and clicks down and i can hear a click in the rear if my doors open and i’m listening, but one time i drove with the ebrake down and it felt no different...

This is a different issue from many others you have listed. The rear brakes are probably out of adjustment. This can be due to worn out pads, broken return spring package, frozen adjuster. You may find leaking brake cylinders.

The only way to know for sure is to isolate the noise then investigate. You may not even have rear brakes at the moment. I think the rear brakes account for about 20 percent of the vehicle's stopping power. The front brakes do most of the work.

ADD TO YOUR LIST, Service rear brakes. Check the front pads for wear. Right now, check your brake master cylinder for proper fluid level. Put some rags under the master before removing the lid. Brake fluid eats paint and some rubbers.

Also, add check drive shaft and u joints for worn u joints and check for play, movement, or leaks in rear-end pinion. Make sure non of your buddies put zipties on your driveshaft. 🤪

Start a little notebook so you know the things you need to do and keep track of the things you've inspected or repaired.

 

[427L88]

Note book, great idea!

 

[BillyGman]

Ok man, I'm all petit and sensitive I guess; odd considering my past playing through 300-600 watts of thumpin low end bass, and standing right in the sound path. ( not to mention high end hearing loss courtesy of US Army)

ITS A FREE COUNTRY MAN, if y'all want to stick sewer pipes in y'alls ears, you are free to do so!

( i;ll try a heater hose to see if tis more effective next time! )

hahaha....I always figured that more of the problematic noise would be heard through a larger hose, and it might be easier to diagnose.

As I stated in your Other Thread in my Post # 18 that it was the Trany making the Whining Noise.....

You mean he has Katlyn Jenner riding in the car with him?

the noise always seems to come from the rear wheels, it’s like a clicking clunking noise, i was starting to think it was the drums, i don’t know if my ebrake works though, the petal works and clicks down and i can hear a click in the rear if my doors open and i’m listening, but one time i drove with the ebrake down and it felt no different...

Wait a minute....I'm wondering if you can have more than one thing going on here with this car. Is there any chance that one of the previous owners installed a Detroit Locker rear, or some other brand of rear in this car? Is the noise the loudest when you're taking turns?

 

[71350SS]

yea i’ll do some fluid and a filter and a vacuum modulator and hopefully that fixes it, sounds hard but i know i’ll learn something that that excites me

It's not that hard but you will need a large drain pan or you will make a mess.If the trans pan does not have a drain bolt : When you unbolt the trans pan take out all the bolts except one end of the pan leave them all in and tight(leave the straight end of the pan bolts tight).The fluid will then start leaking around the pan where the bolts were removed,let it leak there until it slows down or stops almost completely.
Only then do you start to loosen the bolts you left tight on the one side.As you loosen them a little at a time the pan will tilt down slowly & fluid will start to spill over the edge of the trans pan and into your drain pan.Doing it this way makes it so much easier to control the way the trans fluid drains and makes it much less of a mess this way.
Now once the trans pan is off when you unbolt the trans filter pay close attention to what bolts came from & where you removed them from.
You want to make sure you put it back the same way it came apart.Don't be afraid to take pictures as you work.

https://www.autozone.com/shop-and-garage-tools/oil-drain-pan/flotool-flotool-less-mess-oil-drain-pan/886356_0_0

One like this or bigger

 

[MikeN]

PLEASE READ - there's no need to put PLEASE READ DECRIPTION or PLEASE WATCH in the title of every thread.

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

This is a different issue from many others you have listed. The rear brakes are probably out of adjustment. This can be due to worn out pads, broken return spring package, frozen adjuster. You may find leaking brake cylinders.

The only way to know for sure is to isolate the noise then investigate. You may not even have rear brakes at the moment. I think the rear brakes account for about 20 percent of the vehicle's stopping power. The front brakes do most of the work.

ADD TO YOUR LIST, Service rear brakes. Check the front pads for wear. Right now, check your brake master cylinder for proper fluid level. Put some rags under the master before removing the lid. Brake fluid eats paint and some rubbers.

Also, add check drive shaft and u joints for worn u joints and check for play, movement, or leaks in rear-end pinion. Make sure non of your buddies put zipties on your driveshaft. 🤪

Start a little notebook so you know the things you need to do and keep track of the things you've inspected or repaired.

thanks for this, i know i still have a lot left to do with this car, now schools over i have the time, but since i keep throwing in money now i need moremoenu

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

hahaha....I always figured that more of the problematic noise would be heard through a larger hose, and it might be easier to diagnose.
You mean he has Katlyn Jenner riding in the car with him?
Wait a minute....I'm wondering if you can have more than one thing going on here with this car. Is there any chance that one of the previous owners installed a Detroit Locker rear, or some other brand of rear in this car? Is the noise the loudest when you're taking turns?

i’m not really sure? i know when i’m in reverse and turn the clicking starts clicking faster

 

[cranberryredchevelle454]

It's not that hard but you will need a large drain pan or you will make a mess.If the trans pan does not have a drain bolt : When you unbolt the trans pan take out all the bolts except one end of the pan leave them all in and tight(leave the straight end of the pan bolts tight).The fluid will then start leaking around the pan where the bolts were removed,let it leak there until it slows down or stops almost completely.
Only then do you start to loosen the bolts you left tight on the one side.As you loosen them a little at a time the pan will tilt down slowly & fluid will start to spill over the edge of the trans pan and into your drain pan.Doing it this way makes it so much easier to control the way the trans fluid drains and makes it much less of a mess this way.
Now once the trans pan is off when you unbolt the trans filter pay close attention to what bolts came from & where you removed them from.
You want to make sure you put it back the same way it came apart.Don't be afraid to take pictures as you work.

https://www.autozone.com/shop-and-garage-tools/oil-drain-pan/flotool-flotool-less-mess-oil-drain-pan/886356_0_0

One like this or bigger

thank you, i need to educate myself more about th400s

 

[BillyGman]

i’m not really sure? i know when i’m in reverse and turn the clicking starts clicking faster

Like I said, you might have several different issues going on with that car, so you have the challenge of trying to sort them out one at a time. As far as the rear end being a locker or not, you can easily get to the bottom of that by removing the cover, taking a couple pics, and posting them here. Detroit Lockers and other lockers do NOT have any clutches nor spider gears. And if you have a Locker rear, then that is the reason for the clicking around turns. That's normal for Lockers. And once in a great while, you'll even get a loud bang while going around a turn too.

If you have a locker rear, then the only way to get rid of that is to remove it from the housing, and install a limited slip rear, which has clutches and spider gears.

 

[Bob Tiley]

I watched your video and it sounds like a normal Turbo 400 1st gear whine to me. Nothing wrong and nothing to check. Don’t waste your time/money changing rear diff gear oil

 

[Ole' Yeller]

I agree with the people who say change the fluid and filter in the trans. I had the same issues in autos that I drove hard on a regular basis when I was young. I started changing filters every 7,000 miles, but I was very hard on my cars back then.

 

[Humberd]

It almost sounds like a pressure issue or a vacuum whistle? Hard to tell in a video.

 

[wags70ss]

Ok I read a lot of posts on here, but normally don't reply a lot, but I'm going to on this post because I have a different take on this.

First off, where are you located? Do you belong to any Chevelle clubs in the area? Are there any Chevelle clubs in the area? One suggestion I have is to find a club in the area and go to one of their meetings. Take your car and ask if there's anyone in the club that would be willing to take a look at your car and help you diagnose the problem with it. I'd say that more than half of Chevelle owners work on their own cars and know them intimately. They most likely will be more than willing to help you.

Second, it's a bad idea to just start throwing money at your car until you fix the problem. You need to isolate it and verify it before you go ripping into expensive parts like transmissions or rear axles. Do this: take your camera /phone/whatever and go underneath the car with it sitting, turned off. Video the transmission, drive shaft, and rear axle. Get really good videos of everything, paying close attention to the transmission oil pan, and the rear end cover (the cover facing the back of the car with 10 bolts in it). Also video the area where your wheels bolt to the rear axles (the brake backing plates where the emergency brake cables go in) and look for wet areas or fluid leaks in the lower areas, and on the tires. Video the driveshaft u-joints while you are trying to rotate the driveshaft with the vehicle in park. Also try to move the driveshaft up and down, and side to side.

If you do ANY of this with the car jacked up, PLEASE USE QUALITY JACK STANDS AND A QUALITY JACK! DO NOT GET UNDER THE CAR WITHOUT MAKING SURE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO! People are killed every year by cars falling on them!

When you are under there, look for signs that work has been done, IE new gaskets on the transmission pan or rearend cover, the absence of grease, oil etc on the transmission or rear end. Also note & video any leaks, damage, etc.

Next put your car on jack stands, lay your recording device under the car next to transmission, recording video. Start the car and shift through the gears while your device is videoing under the car. Let off the brake with the car in park, reverse, neutral, and drive, and allow the wheels to spin. Then shift from park, reverse, neutral, drive while holding the brake. Next put your device under the rear axle and do the same thing. Try to make it all in one video if possible, keeping it as short & quick as possible. AGAIN BE SURE THAT THE CAR IS ON QUALITY JACK STANDS AND PERFORM THESE PROCEDURES SAFELY. DON'T REV IT TO 4000 RPMS! You should be able to perform all of these actions at idle or slightly above.

Put the video on YouTube and post a link here. You can talk about this stuff until you are blue in the face, but a video is worth a thousand words!

I wouldn't recommend just taking your car to any shop. Unfortunately, many of them, if they see you have a classic car and can't fix it yourself will try to sell you stuff you don't need. You need to properly DIAGNOSE the problem BEFORE you start throwing money at it. Show us some good video of the issue as suggested above and I'm willing to bet we can help you figure it out. Might be simple, might not, but at least you'll have a better idea exactly what is going on! Good luck Chevelle dude! We are here to help! 😊