Riddle Me This…

DOE-SST

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1993 E350 7.3 N/A IDI E4OD


what makes a rattling sound like thin metal hitting thin metal.

it occurs when vehicle is parked and engine running. Unable to check when vehicle is in motion. all fluids look normal.

the sound increases in frequency with an increase in engine rpm but it only increases slightly.

the sound appears to be emanating from the transmission area. It cannot be heard when standing in front of the engine. The sound is identical when your ear is a foot aft of the front wheel on the left or right side.

I’ve checked for anything loose under the body but found nothing.

I have one possible guess,

what is yours?
 

laserjock

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Sounds like a heat shield or something exhaust related.
 

yARIC008

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Mine had lots of noises including this one. It was the heat shield on the transmission protecting the connector. I just made a new one out of some sheet steel. The old one had cracked from vibration.
 

jwalterus

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Do you have the factory aluminum running boards?
I had that sound with my truck, couldn't find it, turned out one of the brackets was just loose where it attached under the cab..................
 

BrianX128

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^^ I had that, and the metal trim around the windshield. Only rattled at 1100 rpm, terribly frustrating to locate.
 

DOE-SST

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Do you have the factory aluminum running boards?
I had that sound with my truck, couldn't find it, turned out one of the brackets was just loose where it attached under the cab..................

yes it does have factory running boards.

I haven't been able to look over the vehicle closely yet, it belongs to a friend, but you guys have provided a great source of possibilities to look at.

THANK YOU.

I'll update this post, and the title when I find the problem..
 

nj_m715

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the flexplate can sound like rocks in a tin can.
in most cases I've experienced, it goes away under load ie compression breaking or accelerating and you can notice it the most at idle.
I've seen the cracked like towcat said, but they can make the same noise with loose torque converter bolts too. my truck came with a replacement jasper trans. either the bolts were too long or the washers were too thin. they would "tighten" appear tight but they were actually bottomed out and allow the rattle. I thought my flexplate was cracked and I was stumped was I pulled it and discovered it was fine. sucks to pull a trans only to find out it wasn't broke
as loose heat shield or other rattles are easier to track down. crawl under with the truck off, poke and shake things, look for something loose
 

DOE-SST

1994 E350
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Well,

not much to report. The noise has stopped so the owner isn't concerned about finding the cause. Of course when it returns and becomes a major problem I'm sure he'll give me a call.

I found the running board mounting arms loose but that wasn't the source. There is no trim around the windshield on this year van. None of the sheet metal or exhaust components are loose so my guess is the flex plate. Time will tell. Very few mechanical problems actually fix themselves.
 

steelheadguy

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On my dakota the exhaust wasnt loose. The rattle was inside the cat. So maybe somewhere inside the exhaust.
 

catbird7

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Sometimes using a piece of wood, like a broom handle, works great for identifying vibration noises, especially convenient testing areas that are hot. Simply press the wooden handle against any suspects and the noise typically stops.
 

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