Today my truck started making a new sound, and it's not a good one. Have you ever dropped a utensil down the garbage disposal? Right after I started it, it sounded a lot like that, but not quite as fast. It wasn't constant either. It would come and go every few seconds. Finally I got the courage to drive it home from work. It ran flawlessly the full 22 miles. The sound vanished after I started seriously driving too. Of course it clattered a clanked again when I test started it again later.

Over the past few Winters, it would sometimes make a squealing noise immediately after a cold start. I was told that was most likely the bendix not disengaging the flywheel as quickly as it should. I'm wondering if this is the next stage. Actually I'm really hoping it's the next stage and is isolated to the starter only.

 

The best thing is to locate the noise. If the truck is making it while sitting in the driveway then pop the hood and listen for a specific area. A noise at the starter should be easy to pinpoint. Sometimes the metal PCV shield that is under the passengerside cam cover right under the PCV can come loose and drop onto the cam. It will make a noise very much like you discribe. Find the area of the noise first and then work from there.

 

^X2. i had an 87 f150 that did these same thing. bendix got hung up, by the time i realized what it was. it sheared 4 of the 6 teeth off of it. i love inspection covers lol. pinpoint and go from there, id check all of your accesory pulleys as well. when a bearing goes out in one of those, it sounds like the whole truck is getting ready to fall apart. let us know what you find out. good luck

 

It was indeed the starter. All better now.