Jim,
I think the important clues are, the sound continues after the engine stops
turning and it goes away when the valve cover is removed and also at higher
rpms. These symptoms seem to point to a vacuum leak, and a noisy one in
this case, so where is it? Near the bell housing of course. A leak at the
back of the intake manifold wouldn't take only ten seconds to fix - well
maybe a dab of the right stuff would do it. But Curtis says "the noise was
VERY clearly coming out of the bell housing", so what's left? If the PCV
valve is hooked up; i.e., then with the valve covers on and the oil fill is
plugged, then it would suck a good vacuum on the crankcase. This could
perhaps make the rear main seal "whistle". Then, removing the PCV or the
stopper in the oil fill tube would break the vacuum and, voila, no noise.
Certainly a ten-second fix, whaddya think??
Bob
At 11:10 PM 7/6/00 -0400, James Barrett wrote:
> >Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 23:10:03 -0400
> >To: Curtis Fisher <Curtis.Fisher@trw.com>
> >From: James Barrett <jamesbrt@mindspring.com>
> >Subject: Re: Puzzler
> >
> >Curtis,
> > You stated several times that the noise came from the rear.
> >If so then that must eliminate fan, belt, alternator, harmonic balancer,
> >water pump etc on the front of the motor.
> >
> > Sounds like the valve cover and springs were miss direction unless
> >there was something external connected to the valve cover that was
> vibrating,
> >such as the fuel line or fuel filter connected to an electric fuel pump.
> >
> > My guess is the noise was from the flywheel or a clutch bolt
> > rubbing either the bell housing or the plate between the flywheel and the
>block.
> >
> >However; you stated that the noise was with both the stock and the aluminum
> >flywheel. I assume that you would not have clutch bolts in
> >both flysheels, screwed in so far that both would rub. Did you forget the
> >dowel pins to locate the bell housing and plate?
> >
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