Transmission Banging!

[RisinTiger]

(automatic trans)
Hey guys so i just got my rack and pinion (rebuilt)/ tie rod replace. After the repair i took it for a drive and to my surprise my transmission began BANGING! when i accelerate after a dead stop. it only happens in first gear and get stronger if i accelerate fast, after first gear the sound compeletly stops and my transmission shift very smooth after that for a 120k car. prior before that i notice that my transmission was kind of dragging a bit from first gear. any input would be greatly appreciated.

also the mechnic recently changed my injectors and o2 sensor for 650.00!!! completly robbed me of my hard earn money.

[NolimitZ32]

650 to change injectors is cheap by most standards, it takes at least 3 hours if you know what you're doing and new injectors aren't cheap. I'm not even sure he used new injectors. Either way $650 for that work is CHEEEEEEEEEAP! as for your trans I say just swap a 5speed in lol. jk sorry can't help ya with the trans never been an automatic kinda guy

[nissanfreak12]

650 is cheap compared to what other post on how much they paid, some have paid close to 2k! If you want the shops to stop taking you rmoney, learn to work on your own car. You will save time and gain some knowledge. Besides, wait till you have to do a timing belt change, parts alone will cost about 650.

The banging in first gear, are you absolutely sure its the transmission? Most things are connected in the transmission together, especially auto, and you should hear similar or any noises in different gears. Remember, first gear is the hardest on your car cause it has to move the car from a dead stop, all the other gears is just candy to it. lift your car up, check your drive shaft, make sure it doesn't move up and down. If so, center carrier bearing. Does the car make a thud instead of a banging, and its coming from the rear, differential bushings. Check the transmission mount, it easily could be out and hitting something while your accelerating. Check the fluid with the car running, make sure its not low.

If the actual transmission was "banging", something catastrophic is going on inside, and most of the time the auto's are not very forgiving.

On a side note, if you car is at 120k, maybe its time to do a 120k service on the timing belt. When was the last time this was changed?

[RisinTiger]

sorry let me correct what i just said. The mechanic charged me 650 to change the injector wires and o2 sensor.

i just recently visited them again and told them about my transmission knocking and the ytold me that the Driveshaft Bearing had to be changed because the driveshaft was moving freely up and own side 2 side. I don't even KNOW HOW THAT WOULD OF BROKEN DOWN!

of course i want to repair my own car but i know how a PITA it would be to change the steering rack without the necessary tools (hoist, ramp etc...) thats why i brought it to the mechanic and the 650 repair was so that my car can pass smog test and im not allowed to touch the dang thing. if i knew that the injectors and the wires had problem before hand i would of done the job myself.

the ***hole that own the car previously really recked the car up. and yeah i havent done the 120k yet... i'm down the 123k right now and hoping to get to 125k before i do the "120k"

i also need to know if i have a blown head gasket. i steadly losing coolant and brown sludge is showing on my radiator cap car again after i flush the radiator numerous times (previous owner only used tap water). the crazy thing is that my oil is not losing oil nor changing color or overheating or throwing out smoke etc... dang thing idles like a charm

[NolimitZ32]

Sounds like your HG is bad, go to autozone and loan the block tester kit, no extra tools required, it will tell you if you have combustion gasses in your coolant which is a sure sign of a bad HG. The carrier bearing goes out with time, mine is currently bad (but the car is 32000 miles away and not being driven so i'm in no rush to replace). it can be replaced with a jack, jack stands, a set of sockets and a breaker bar, well rather the driveshaft can be replaced because the carrier is built into the DS on these cars so you have to get a new DS, good news is that an aftermarket lightweight 1-piece driveshaft is fairly cheap (and a hell of a lot cheaper than the factory unit). Be happy its the DS Carrier BEaring and not the trans, muuuuuch cheaper to fix. As for the 120k kit, if you have to redo the head gaskets than do the 120k kit while youre at it, if your HGs are good than do the 120k kit ASAP, a broken Timing belt is a VERY expensive repair. Also check your water pump, if the PO ran only tapwater it could have damaged or corroded the water pump and has not caused it to leak, that would explain the brown crap in the rad, and the loss of coolant. GL man.

[nissanfreak12]

Easy way to find it if the car has a bad HG, run the car and take the rad cap off, you had a constant stream of bubbles, that normally will tell you the HG is bad. I mean a constant stream, not a bubble here and there kind of thing.

The carrier bearing goes bad with millage, age, and stuff like that. All it is hard rubber with a bearing in the center and a metal brace on the outside. They normally cost about 130, new one piece will cost about 100 more, but you will never have to deal with the bearing again. Worth the extra money if you are keeping it.

[NolimitZ32]

Easy way to find it if the car has a bad HG, run the car and take the rad cap off, you had a constant stream of bubbles, that normally will tell you the HG is bad. I mean a constant stream, not a bubble here and there kind of thing.

This doesn't always work, if the PO ran tap water, there could be minerals in the coolant system constantly burning off which would create a steam/smoke effect with bubbles. Go get the block tester, you get your money back when you return it and you can be sure if the problem exists.

[nissanfreak12]

Easy way to find it if the car has a bad HG, run the car and take the rad cap off, you had a constant stream of bubbles, that normally will tell you the HG is bad. I mean a constant stream, not a bubble here and there kind of thing.

This doesn't always work, if the PO ran tap water, there could be minerals in the coolant system constantly burning off which would create a steam/smoke effect with bubbles. Go get the block tester, you get your money back when you return it and you can be sure if the problem exists.

True, but after at least a year of being in the system that should have disappeared. I do agree with the block tester. Personally, I would do a leak down test, definitely more conclusive, or have someone that knows what they are looking for that he can trust.

[NolimitZ32]

OH I didnt realize it has been a year I though OP just got it, my bad, yeah after a year of use it should have boiled out mostly. Once this ordeal is wover and you don't end up needing to tear it apart I would do a full cooling system flush. and NEVER run just water, glycol (antifreeze) has lubricating properties and NEEDS to be in the system at least in dilution.

[RisinTiger]

so i just did all of what you guys told me to do. I went to auto zone and got a block tester kit "held" it down on the tiny as coolant resevoir (didn't fit). First time i tried it for like 2 min then stop, then i tried it like around 7 min (car was warm and idling). both time the blue water didn't change only saw lots of bubbles (I LOVE BUBBLES!). I had my father gas the car while i squeeze the rubber thingy-ma-jig.

I opened my radiator cap and dont see any bubbles bubbling at all... tried that like 2 mins then turn engine of. will do it again on sunday.

so NOW i got my driveshaft bearing installed and the shop owner said that the lower drivershaft U JOINT is making noise and needs to be replaced! He quoted me 800 FOR REBUILD DRIVESHAFT!!! I told him no and left with the broken driveshaft. But the crazy thing is when i asked one of the mechanic there and he told me that the driveshaft is not broken but just the U Joint is moving freely... and that i can still drive it but it will still make vibration noise from stop-to-acceleration.

[nissanfreak12]

You will still have vibration if the ujoint has movement. Replacing a ujoint is actually real easy. Unfortunately our driveshaft were not meant to be rebuilt, the ujoints are not replaceable, AFAIK. Personally, return the bearing and buy a one piece, little more pricey, but completely worth it.

With the brown crap in your cooling system, might be a good time to change the radiator or take it to a rad shop and have them professionally clean out each row. I have had several cars I have worked on that we flushed the system multiple times and still could not get all of it out, until we changed the radiator. The rad has multiple row and stuff gets stuck to it, over the counter stuff works, but if it was that bad it will never clean it completely. You are probably losing coolant because some crap is getting under the rad cap and slowly releasing pressure, therefor losing water. Something to look at.