grinding in neutral, worse in reverse, bad in 3rd

Hey, I'm new, and I have done some searching and found some things to check (need to check the oil in the transmission..) so please bear with me.

My transmission makes a terrible grinding sound when it is neutral, which goes away when I push in the clutch and mostly goes away when I shift the transfer case into neutral. It also seems to want to creep forward when it is in neutral. It makes an even worse grinding sound in reverse and third, but isn't too bad (but still present) in 1st and 2nd. Like I said, I am going to be checking the transmission oil tonight, and hopefully that is it. I have tried putting the transmission into all of the gears with the transfer case in neutral, and it has the same sounds (not bad in 1st or second, bad in reverse, terrible in 3rd) Just wanted to see if there is anything else in particular that I should look at. Thanks guys!

 

A noise that goes away when you push the clutch in usually comes from the clutch throwout bearing.

 

Hi Tim, funny, my last name is Reese too. Any tips on how to check the throw out bearing? This is my first "old" (as in I really have to work on it) vehicle, so I am going to probably have tons of questions and problems as time goes on. I do know how to use search, so hopefully my "I have a problem! EEK!" posts will be kept to a minimum, but I'm glad to see that this group doesn't seem too prone to flaming newbies! I've got a CJ-5 restoring manual on the way, but haven't bought a service manual, just waiting to see what is in the one that I've got on order before spending $60 on that. Probably worth it though, huh? Anyway, thanks for your help and I look forward to being a part of this community!

******* Reese

 

I agree with tim sounds like a throw out bearing , mine did that about a month after getting it.

 

Hmm, sounds like the throwout bearing it is. Any links to a guide to replace/adjust the throwout bearing? I hope that that is it, I would much rather spend money working on the body than fixing things I thought were in good condition when I bought it (engine, transmission, frame..) Thanks!

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Sorry guys but I have to disagree. Noise when clutch pushed in is usually throwout bear as that is when it's turning. With the clutch out the to bearing shouldn't be turning so can't make noise. If the noise goes away with the clutch pushed in it usually means transmission or transfer case issues. With the clutch disengaged (pushed in) the transmission input shaft isn't turning to drive anything downstream. With the clutch engaged then the input shaft is driven constantly, even in neutral.

Sounds to me like a bearing or gear issue in the transmission or transfer case. I'd pull the top on the tranny and the inspection cover off the bottom of the transfer case and take a good close look. I'd also drain the fluids from both and look for chunks or particles in the oil. Just my 2 cents worth...

 

Can I get to the top of the transmission without pulling it from the truck? Also, what is the capacity of the transmission fluid? Thanks for your help!

 

The old fart has it right. 3 sp trans is 2 1/2 pints and t-case is 3 1/4 pints both SAE90 for summer. From another old fart. You can unbolt the cover (floor pan) around shift lever to get acess to top of tranny.

 

soooo...it turns out that manual transmissions DO need oil! who woulda thought that! take note guys! haha seriously though...the...we'll be nice...previous owner apparently didn't know that... I opened the drain plug on the tranny and barely a dribble came out. I drained it and the transfer case (which was empty yesterday and I put some fluid in it...but I drained it today for good measure) and filled 'em back up..and guess what! no grind! It is making some "interesting" noises periodically, so the transmission still may be fragged, they probably destroyed it by driving the 65 miles to my place at 60+ mph with very little oil in the transmission... sigh...

 

It's worth pulling the top cover off of the trans, believe me(don't ask), if for nothing else than to just verify that all the teeth are still there. Your '69 probably (unless someone changed it or rebuilt it with T90 parts) has a T86 trans that have a reputation for being weak. But, this may not be compltely necessary. When treated right, they are an okay trans.

When you changed the "fluid," did you see any metal bits on the drain plug (mine had a magnetic plug...not sure if that was a stock plug)? If not, I'd say fill and run for a while and check the fluid for discoloration and/or metal bits. I think the more you run it, the more it'll loose the wierdness. Also, the D18 can be a bit noisey, so don't mistake that for problems...it's a function of the off-set design.

 

Well, like I said, there was barely a dribble of oil left in it. It did seem like there was some sludge on the drain plug that could have been very fine metal shavings. Yeah, now that I have an oil pump (THANK YOU ADVANCE AUTO, best 11.33 I've spent in a while...) it is easy to change the fluid in the tranny. I can only describe the "interesting" noises as "pops and grinds." It didn't do it right away when I fired it up with new oil, it started after I took it on a very short spin down the road and back. I will probably pull the top off of the tranny tomorrow and look at it. How bad/expensive is it to rebuild the transmission myself, if it is fragged? Thanks for the help guys, I like this forum a lot already!

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The unless someone has swapped the tranny, you 'should' have the t14. easiest way to tell is 1st grear is syncro'd in the t14 and not in the t86/90.

 

Its a T14 (99% sure anyway...) First gear seems to be synchro'd, its shift characteristics are closer to my Civic than to my dad's old grain truck (well...other than the foot long throw and stiff clutch...haha). Any cost estimates for a "typical" rebuild if I do it myself? I saw that rebuild kits are ~$160, but I assume that that doesn't include gears etc. that might be stripped? Is the consensus that Herm the Overdrive Guy is the best place to buy tranny stuff from? I'm just glad that it isn't grinding like it was, if it can just last until spring, I'll probably end up ripping the whole truck apart and restoring stuff, so it would be easier to do it then... I would like to have it for this winter to get firewood out of my woods... Where in Northwest Indiana are you from 66cj5? I am in WesternNorthCentral Indiana (south of Lafayette). Thanks guys!

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Typically you replace the blocking rings, all the small parts like rollers and thrust washers, and the front and rear main bearings in a rebuild. Anything more starts to be a repair rather than a rebuild.

Herm has some pretty good prices on rebuilt exchange transmissions. If you want to keep the T-14, that might be the most cost-effective way to go, especially if your transmission has been run out of oil. If I had to replace many major parts (gears, shafts, synchro sleeves) I'd look for a better core, or exchange with Herm. Ask about shipping, but I recall it's not excessive.

Herm comes up a lot here, becasue he provides a lot of stuff we need, and because he seems to be a very helpful and honest guy. Check out posts where people have done business with him, and I think you'll find a lot of happy customers.

 

Hmm, so two days ago I drained what little fluid was in my transmission and tranfer case (not much more than a dribble...) and filled it up, which eliminated the grinding. Then, after driving it around my yard for a while, the transfer case started making some grinding/popping/clunking sounds (for lack of a better descriptor) which would cause the driveshaft going to the rear axle to shudder (with the transfer case in 2H,4H,N, or 4L, didn't matter...). Today, I go out and drive it around my yard a lot, including climbing over a pile of dirt (not thrashing on it, but putting it under a decent amount of load), and not a single clunk, rattle, grind, or pop. I do think that the transfer case is leaking a bit, which is why it and the tranny were empty in the first place, so I'll probably rebuild it in the spring when I tear the whole truck apart, until then I'll just keep an eye on the fluid level, and probably change the fluid again here in a couple weeks to make sure that any metal flakes or other junk get out of it.. Just wanted to share my good news! Any thoughts?? Thanks guys!

 

EVERY Jeep leaks. That's the truth of it all. They leak. I vote for running it until something really gives or causes threats to driver and innocent bystanders.

 

yes, after reading more on this board, I am coming to that realization: jeeps leak. well, that makes me feel better about mine then...'cause it is back to exactly what I THOUGHT I bought...good engine, drivetrain, and frame. Needs body work, radiator, exhaust and brakelines.

 

FIX the brakes before you drive it! Stopping is WAY more important than looking good.R)

Check the clutch adjustments, you should have about and inch (give or take) of free play measured from the floor boards to the top (foot side) of the clutch pedal.

Awful noises in high and reverse sound like maybe gear issues, although low fluid levels can do that too.monkeys

Noise that is present with your foot off the pedal and both the tranny and the TC in neutral positions is most likely the throwout bearing. BUT might be the throwout bearing clearance from the clutch fingers. Ain't much; only like a 1/16th of an inch or some such. That is why the inch on the pedal. Try backing off the adjustment so you have more freeplay on the pedal and see if it goes away.:hurrican:

 

@1960willycj5- oh I am working on the brakes, see my other thread from today. The noise completely went away when I filled up the transmission and transfer case, who would have known that transmissions and transfer cases needed oil!? Now I am just hoping that no permanent damage was done to either during that episode, but today it drove fine (just around my yard, don't worry, no roads until the brakes are fixed!!) and no noises so... {fingers crossed}