Grinding sound under load

[vsv8berlinawag]

All well with the 5 litre until last weekend when the wagon began to make a grinding like sound (I suspect from the auto) for a second or so when you floor it. Apart from that it still changes well and from what I can tell doesn't slip. It's still the original box so any ideas ie is this turnong into something major or something that can be repaired at the drop of the pan or is it time for a rebuild ?

[Monster-VZ]

go to your local mechanic and get them to just make sure it wont get worse it maybe just be minor

[hako]

Possibly just a slightly soft/worn engine mount allowing the engine to lean over a bit more when you floor it - this can allow bits of the engine like the exhaust to momentarily come in contact with the body causing a grinding sound. I'd also check the colour of the trans fluid - should be red and not brown or burnt. A rebuild will cost about $2000 which is almost the price of a complete car so it's something you put off till last. Good Luck.

[vsv8berlinawag]

Thanks Hako. I think over the years we have "spoken" before. Anyway the wagon is in my mind a bit of a classic and for its age still in excellent condition (passenger airbag, shiny engine and all). The fluid is still red and doesn't smell burnt though the wags now done 250k and would be happy to part with $2k (if it comes to that). It's just weird that when driven casually all is fine, but "floor" it and this new noise comes through.

[hako]

There is the possibility that the bands in the trans are grabbing/slipping when you floor it....comes with old age...so maybe a can of 'trans stop slip' will not go astray and cannot do any harm....however, slipping/grabbing usually makes the oil brown/dirty and you say it is still red.....so that gets back to exhaust/engine hitting body which you might be able to check by putting car on ramps and doing a very close inspection with a bright light. I'd still throw a can of 'stop slip' in anyway just for luck.
Regards.

[vsv8berlinawag]

Possibly just a slightly soft/worn engine mount allowing the engine to lean over a bit more when you floor it - this can allow bits of the engine like the exhaust to momentarily come in contact with the body causing a grinding sound. I'd also check the colour of the trans fluid - should be red and not brown or burnt. A rebuild will cost about $2000 which is almost the price of a complete car so it's something you put off till last. Good Luck.

Got it in one !!!. Went to a trans shop this arvo and the mechanic took it for a drive and after some tests he sussed it out to be the engine mount. We popped the bonnet he put on the hand brake and placed it in drive and then accelerated and low and behold the engine lifted at an amazing yet scarey angle....presto a broken mount.

Thanks for the help/diagnosis !

[hako]

Got it in one !!!. Went to a trans shop this arvo and the mechanic took it for a drive and after some tests he sussed it out to be the engine mount. We popped the bonnet he put on the hand brake and placed it in drive and then accelerated and low and behold the engine lifted at an amazing yet scarey angle....presto a broken mount.

Thanks for the help/diagnosis !

Excellent - you were luckier that I was - the last 3 days my bro-in-law and I spent under the Commodore changing the transmission - let me assure you that it ain't fun, especially for 2 old farts both pushing 70!.

[VS_Pete_1]

I`m sure 3 days was well worth it as the job was done with skill, knowage and patience which only comes with age and you don`t have to rush things. lol

[vsv8berlinawag]

Both pushing 70..... very impressed. My Pop is 87 and he's still spinning and milling jobs in his workshop. I must admit the wagon did have a worn "bearing" sound a year or so ago and yes someone said engine mounts so I did buy a pair and after a few weeks the sound went away and so did the engine mounts LOL. Should have replaced them back then. Oh well I have to learn to listen and not to think cars are self healing (stupid me). Anyway I have now ordered a new transmission mount as well so I will the book the car in next week at our local mechanic and have them all replaced. I suspect that a lot of these odd vibrations and noises that it has had in recent years should go away and make the wagon drive like a new 16 year old car !

[hako]

I`m sure 3 days was well worth it as the job was done with skill, knowage and patience which only comes with age and you don`t have to rush things. lol

Geez Peter, if only it were true........first day (or most of it) was spent raising the car so it had 500mm crawl space under it....this is in a small garage doing one corner at a time in stages....2nd day pulled the box and dragged it out from under.....3rd day installed new one from wrecker and finished at 5PM. We knew it was a risk buying from a wrecker ($600 with 3 month warranty) so the big moment was when we fired it up and selected "R" then "D".......all firm!!! YEAH.
The old VS looks great now - it has greasy handprints all over the paintwork from where we dragged ourselves from under the car many, many times. I don't begrudge mechanics of any money they charge after this job. But we did it first up with no bits left over - and have the empty beer cartons to prove it.

[Defected]

If only i had read this thread earlier, my VN s1 sedan is doing the same thing, just spent the last 9 hours mucking around with a few mates replacing the whole rear end, axle to axle as i thought it was a rear wheel bearing. Depending on how much longer i keep the car i may check out engine mounts too.