Hey Guys,

Quick question out there. High pitch whine while in park on a slope or incline. Taking off from a dead stop it whines until second gear. If truck is already moving it doesn't make the sound. I'm stumpted. Tranny was rebuilt 2 years ago. Don't think it's that. Just started doing this about 2 months ago. It does sound like it is progressively getting worse. I got under the hood to listen and it sounds like its coming from underneath somewhere in the area of the oil pan. If it does it in park only if its on a slope or incline but not on level ground and as you give it gas the sound runs with the idle, I would think to rule out the tranny. Like i said, it only does it from a dead stop thru first gear. I thought maybe a pulley bearing somewhere but i cant seem to pinpoint it with the hood open. Its an automatic but i heard something about a throwout bearing??? Is that only on 5speeds? Anywho, Im going to park it on a slope and get up underneath it and see if I can get to the bottom of this . Any one else ever had this? Thanks all.

2004 Heritage 4.2L V6
83,000
Rebuilt Tranny @ 55,000
Automatic

 

I'm guessing it is the harmonic balancer.

 

Ok, went out to take a look under. I did notice that when in park it whines. Engaging reverse it stops. In drive it whines from dead stop to second gear. When put back in park, the truck rolls back a little so i rocked it back and forth and could here the whine as it rolled backwards. Should there be that much play when in park?

 

My truck use to whine and it was the power steering pump even though the ford house tried to tell me it was the alternator at first. got it replaced with my extended warranty and everything is fine. Just throwing some more ideas out there.

 

Mine did the same thing after about 2 years of bying it new. I got it replaced under wrrnty. I can tell it definetly not that but thanks for the idea. Its really coming from underneath the truck almost right under the cab. I has a shop do the $2500 tranny job already about 2 years ago and dont even want to think that it could be the first gear making that noise. Im a little concerned to keep driving it but i have to get to work and i know what a freakin shop is going to do. they love these kind of process of elimination jobs. She shifts fine but the noise is definitley getting more pronounced. You can hear it with the windows up. Only from a dead stop though. Thats whats so confusing. If i turn a corner real slow and gas her, it doesnt do it. If im on a level surface, i can rev her real high and it doesnt do it. Only on an incline and from a dead stop. Weird huh. I hate taking it to tranny shops. 200-300 just to tell you whats wrong

 

If you really think it is the tranny, I would jack the truck up, put it on study wheel stands. I'd then start it, put it in D and crawl underneath and put your ear up to the tranny.

Just be wary though... NEVER touch or get too close to the rotating drive shaft... treat it as a live pto on a tractor!

 

I wouldnt risk my life to save a few hundred dollars unless it was one of those shop lifts. Every time I rotate my tires, I'll have two floor jacks and 6 jack stands but that truck still scares the living **** outta me when its not sitting on all fours

 

i had a whine like that to a couple months ago and it turned out to be the idler pully. but it could be that or the alternator.

this is what it sounded like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkTVCQsknVw

 

Get a good set of floor stands and you will feel much more comfortable.

Oh and if you want to check out what a powered up pto shaft can do to a person, check this vid out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBSwOS90wgQ

Pretty nasty...

I had a bad alternator with bad bearings and it sounded exactly like that.

 

they said it was the idler pully

 

Did they fix it? Mine was making this same noise this past winter after a 20 - 30 degree weather cold start and after it had been sitting for over 2 weeks. I let if warm up for a bit and sprayed some lube around the pulley. It hasn't made the noise ever since. I was a bit worried there for a while.

 

Thanks a BUNCH for that audio! My 4.2l also has a whine, sounds a lot like yours. I haven't decided if its the alternator or the idler. It makes the noise, not as loud as yours when cold, goes away when warm. Last couple days I get a belt-screeh when engine first starts for a couple seconds. With jack handle in my ear and on the alt. or idler it sounds like the alternator, but hard to know. Probably a good idea to change idler at 130,000 miles anyway. Thanks again, lots of help!

George

 

Hello Guys, I have a 97' f150 4.2l and I have a whining noise but i was told that my crankshaft is moving in and out.. the mechanic that rebuilt my tranny showed it to me and said thats what took out my tranny.. the noise is the flywheel hitting bolts on the motor as it moves in and out... I didn't think a crank could move that much.. about 3/8 to a 1/2 inch movement

 

I had a whine on my 1999 F150 4.2L month or so ago. With 190,000 miles I decided to replace both idler wheels and tensioner wheel. The mechanic found the belt tensioner itself was frozen, so I changed that too. All three wheels were in bad shape! Loose, some with drag. I lost all sorts of underhood noises which I had thought were normal to the engine! Cost was $185.00 for parts and labor, of which there was a one hour charge,$55.00, rest parts. I still MIGHT have a little sporadic whine, but I'm fairly certain it's the alternator which has 120,000 miles on it, but holding off on the replacement. It's probably a good idea as it's a pretty easy fix, and $100 app. part. Oh, my noise was partly occasional, partly constant, not like the problem here.

 

Good info shoman, thanks. I should probably get around to changing mine out. Weather is too cold for me right now.