TH400 bangs into gear

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

mistaake

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Posts
651
Reaction score
17
Location
SF Bay Area, California
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1999
Truck Model
Crown Vic
Engine Size
4.6
The actual automatic 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts and downshifts are fine, but P/N to R/D are pretty hard. Is this normal? Yes, I brake completely before shifting in/out of gear.
 

Green79Scottsdale

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Posts
2,834
Reaction score
7,483
Location
G.R. - MI
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
400
I get a good thunk when I go from drive to reverse, so I will be following this too.
 

mistaake

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Posts
651
Reaction score
17
Location
SF Bay Area, California
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1999
Truck Model
Crown Vic
Engine Size
4.6
My research points to the following possibilities, but I'd still appreciate some input:
-too much atf
-idle speed too high
-it's normal?
-bad u joint (maybe my center drive shaft bearing support mount being broken is causing it?)
 

CorvairGeek

Full Access Member
Joined
May 7, 2012
Posts
548
Reaction score
909
Location
Boise
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
C20 Scottsdale
Engine Size
292 L6, T400
Turbo 400s are known for intermittent excessively harsh engagement into reverse. A Transgo kit lists it as one of the things it fixes. Mine is actually so far on the gentle side the truck has to roll briefly at times (only a couple feet) to 'feel' fully engaged. Prior to the kit, it would occasionally go into reverse so hard you would swear it broke a u-joint.
 
Last edited:

CSFJ

-----------------
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Posts
6,160
Reaction score
5,162
Location
------
First Name
-------------
Truck Year
-------
Truck Model
-------
Engine Size
-------
Well' you know the carrier bearing has an issue. what level is your atf at? does the truck idle high? These are all things you should know the answer to.
 

MadOgre

Full Access Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Posts
4,090
Reaction score
49
Location
NA
First Name
NA
Truck Year
NA
Truck Model
NA
Engine Size
NA
My research points to the following possibilities, but I'd still appreciate some input:
-too much atf
-idle speed too high
-it's normal?
-bad u joint (maybe my center drive shaft bearing support mount being broken is causing it?)



Could be a well worn rear end as well
 

mistaake

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Posts
651
Reaction score
17
Location
SF Bay Area, California
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1999
Truck Model
Crown Vic
Engine Size
4.6
Well' you know the carrier bearing has an issue. what level is your atf at? does the truck idle high? These are all things you should know the answer to.

What is a carrier bearing?
ATF level is fine.
I don't know if idle is high - don't have a working tach yet.
 

CSFJ

-----------------
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Posts
6,160
Reaction score
5,162
Location
------
First Name
-------------
Truck Year
-------
Truck Model
-------
Engine Size
-------
What is a carrier bearing?
ATF level is fine.
I don't know if idle is high - don't have a working tach yet.

a carrier bearing is another name for a center drive shaft support bearing.
does it seem like it's idling high to you? I'm guessing this isn't the first vehicle you've driven, so you should have some basis for comparison.
 

mistaake

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Posts
651
Reaction score
17
Location
SF Bay Area, California
First Name
Michael
Truck Year
1999
Truck Model
Crown Vic
Engine Size
4.6
a carrier bearing is another name for a center drive shaft support bearing.
does it seem like it's idling high to you? I'm guessing this isn't the first vehicle you've driven, so you should have some basis for comparison.

Sometimes it idles higher than other times. So yes, I would say sometimes.
 

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,014
Reaction score
9,008
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
Turbo 400s are known for intermittent excessively harsh engagement into reverse. A Transgo kit lists it as one of the things it fixes. Mine is actually so far on the gentle side the truck has to roll briefly at times (only a couple feet) to 'feel' fully engaged. Prior to the kit, it would occasionally go into reverse so hard you would swear it broke a u-joint.

This is true. Actually, if you can live with it for a couple of weeks, it's likely to fix itself. Mine did it too. I had planned on pulling the valve body. Never got to it, but a week or 2 later it was fine. Probably a hanging regulator valve, but it's a known issue.
 

chengny

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Posts
4,086
Reaction score
1,008
Location
NH
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K3500
Engine Size
350/5.7
What is a carrier bearing?

These are the bearings that support the inboard ends of the axle shafts. They are located inside the differential. I wouldn't worry about them yet. You have lots of easy stuff to check before you head down that road.

It is also another name for a center support for the driveshaft - but I doubt you have one.

ATF level is fine.

That's good.


I don't know if idle is high - don't have a working tach yet.

If you don't have a tach, that's okay. You can still reduce the idle speed to determine whether that is contributing to the problem. Just back the idle speed screw out a turn or two. Do it in small increments until the engine is revving slower but not near the point where it would stall. You can always crank it back up if you get no improvement - just count the number of turns that you turned the screw out.


You need to check:

1. U-joints (far and away the most common cause of drive train "clunk" condition).

2. Transmission mount (also check your engine mounts)

3. Axle u-bolts and perches


The best way to do an initial inspection for the source of a drive train clunk is to simply lie on the ground as close to the truck as you feel comfortable with. While an assistant slowly shifts the transmission from R to D and back (over and over), you will be watching the various components and trying to identify which one is generating the noise.

Sometimes the culprit can be easily identified by a jumping or jerking motion, other times the source is obvious simply by the direction of the clank sound.


That first step might not exactly pinpoint the problem but it may give you a good idea of where to start.

After that, get under the truck with a long pry bar, a pipe wrench, a hammer, etc and try to locate loose components by applying force to them.

A hint on u-joints:

A seriously worn u-joint often manifests itself by causing the truck to shake when the load is suddenly dropped while at highway speeds.
 
Last edited:

Green79Scottsdale

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Posts
2,834
Reaction score
7,483
Location
G.R. - MI
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
400
Turbo 400s are known for intermittent excessively harsh engagement into reverse. A Transgo kit lists it as one of the things it fixes. Mine is actually so far on the gentle side the truck has to roll briefly at times (only a couple feet) to 'feel' fully engaged. Prior to the kit, it would occasionally go into reverse so hard you would swear it broke a u-joint.

This is true. Actually, if you can live with it for a couple of weeks, it's likely to fix itself. Mine did it too. I had planned on pulling the valve body. Never got to it, but a week or 2 later it was fine. Probably a hanging regulator valve, but it's a known issue.

Good to know it is "common", I guess. Mine is not intermittent however, it is every time I shift into reverse from drive or neutral. I chalk it up to not being driven enough.
 

MadOgre

Full Access Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Posts
4,090
Reaction score
49
Location
NA
First Name
NA
Truck Year
NA
Truck Model
NA
Engine Size
NA
What is a carrier bearing?

These are the bearings that support the inboard ends of the axle shafts. They are located inside the differential. I wouldn't worry about them yet. You have lots of easy stuff to check before you head down that road.

It is also another name for a center support for the driveshaft - but I doubt you have one.



His is 2wd so it very well could have a drive shaft support bearing. I had an 86 and an 85 that both had support bearings. It is dependent on whether or not you have long or short tail shaft housings on the transmission.
 

chengny

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Posts
4,086
Reaction score
1,008
Location
NH
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K3500
Engine Size
350/5.7
With a 4WD application; if you have an annoying "harsh engagement" condition and are unsure of the source, you can do the following. It certainly won't pinpoint the exact source of the "clunk", but it will eliminate/confirm the entire rear drive train as the cause:

Drop the rear driveshaft. Lock the front hubs (if applicable), engage the front wheel driveshaft at the transfer case and start the engine.

Move the transmission gear selector through the positions that normally produce the noise/vibration when shifting.

If the condition is remarkably improved with the drive shaft disconnected, you can assume loose/worn rear drive train component(s).

Possible causes include:

1. Excessive backlash in the differential gears

2. Loose rear axle bearings (carrier or hub)

3. Excessive play in the rear drive shaft u-joints

4. Loose, worn or broken rear axle mounting components (u-bolts/perches)

On the other hand, if the above procedure results in no real difference (as regards the clanking condition), the source is most likely related to the transmission/transfer case group.
 
Last edited:

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,014
Reaction score
9,008
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
Good to know it is "common", I guess. Mine is not intermittent however, it is every time I shift into reverse from drive or neutral. I chalk it up to not being driven enough.

You're right, it's NOT intermittent when it's doing it. It will happen every time. What we mean by intermittent is, it might last a couple weeks of doing it EVERYTIME you go into R. Then one day, you might just realize it quit doing it for quite some time. Then it come back and happen again for a few days or week or so. As said, mine did it for 2 weeks or so. Then 1 day I just realized it doesn't do it anymore. About 8 - 10 months later it came back for a couple days and didn't do it again ever. Park to Reverse was friggin brutal. It hit so damn hard, if weren't expecting it, damn near jump outta the seat it banged so hard.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,052
Posts
907,996
Members
33,533
Latest member
trchno
Top