# Howling tranny?



## hublocker (Jan 6, 2005)

My transmission in my 1995 Nissan 4x4 whines when I get up to a certain speed in 1st gear, then subsides when I shift, then whines as I rev up in second just before I shift to the third and again in 3rd before I shift again.

It used to groan just a bit on starting one time out of 20, but that has quit.

What is it? Do I need anew clutch?

Thorow-out bearing?


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

have you check the fluid level?


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## Fred S (Aug 26, 2006)

My 95 V6 2wd also makes a lot of noise in all gears except 4th.
4th is very quiet.

I've been wondering if any 2wd trucks were affected by the transmission fluid level problem.

How does 4th sound on your truck?


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## hublocker (Jan 6, 2005)

4th is okay


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## 87Hardbody1 (Feb 17, 2007)

Check to see if you have any holes in the transmission I found the same problem in a chevy not to long ago, the hole could be really small. let me know what you find


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## Fred S (Aug 26, 2006)

I checked with Nissan and my truck is not listed as needing a transmission recall due to fluid level. Since it sounds like you are I are hearing the same sort of noise, and given that my truck has howled its way past 200k miles, I don't think that the noise is a big concern.

It is annoying, though.

Fred


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## hublocker (Jan 6, 2005)

It was the fan clutch!

Mechanic changed the tranny oil anyway.

That is a good thing.

Cheaper than a new transmisison.


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## 88pathoffroad (Jun 6, 2004)

I hope he used GL-4 and not GL-5. GL-5 will eat the brass synchroes and kill the transmission. Plus, they didn't issue the revised case design until 96, so yours is probably still the wrong design, needs an extra 1.5 quarts to fill it up properly.


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## hublocker (Jan 6, 2005)

Well, he drove a 1994 Nissan HB 4x4 p/u until 2 years ago before he bought a Frontier , previously worked for the biggest local Nissan dealer and has had his own shop for 29 years now.

I think he knows his Nissans.


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## 88pathoffroad (Jun 6, 2004)

You never can tell...it would pay to ask before the trans needs a rebuild.


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## nissanbeater (Nov 9, 2006)

Can anyone help me locate where I check the fluid level in my transmission? (97 HB 2.4L Manual Trans) Mine makes the previously mentioned howling noise, I suspect the trans fluid is low but i can't find where i fill it. Not mentioned in the owners manual unfortunately.


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## 88pathoffroad (Jun 6, 2004)

There is a fill plug on the side of the transmission. Get a Haynes or Chilton's, it will show you.


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## LowNSlow87 (Aug 23, 2007)

My tranny made the same howling noise. I believe, and tell me if I'm wrong, that 4th in my particular tranny is the only "direct drive." Mine howled all the way until I lost all gears except for 4th. Still not certain what happened but I'm getting a used tranny for $125 so I guess I can't complain too much. Anyone have any ideas on what exactly could've happened? I can still drive fine in 4th. But I don't even have reverse.


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## Fred S (Aug 26, 2006)

Well, I found out why my transmission (95 V5 2wd manual) was howling. I'd assumed it was bearings and I finally coughed up the dough to get the tranny rebuilt. I was right, the bearings were toast.

I've got the two worse ones here. One is rough, the other is so bad that occasionally it will jam up when I turn it. Its outer surface is even lightly polished, indicating that the outer race was occasionally moving. Luckily it didn't move a lot or the transmission housing would have been ruined.

Rebuilt transmission, new clutch, and the truck is quiet and smooth to drive again. It needs a driveshaft carrier bearing still to silence the last little squeaky noise.

Also, they found that a bushing underneath the shifter was worn, which is why my shifter had about two inches of play in it. I'd assumed this was normal for Nissan, but it's not. The shifter feels great now, just like a normal car.

If your transmission is howling, suspect the bearings.

As a final note, why did my bearings fail? I blame Jiffy Lube. The fools put the magnetic drain plug into the transmission's filler hole, causing it to be totally useless. I drove for almost 100K miles with metal circulating through my transmission oil.

Fred

P.S. Despite my using the dreaded GL5, the synchros were just fine.


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## LowNSlow87 (Aug 23, 2007)

Let's hope that it's just my bearings, then I'll have a spare tranny...


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## jo31b (Oct 24, 2007)

88pathoffroad said:


> I hope he used GL-4 and not GL-5. GL-5 will eat the brass synchroes and kill the transmission. Plus, they didn't issue the revised case design until 96, so yours is probably still the wrong design, needs an extra 1.5 quarts to fill it up properly.


Just curious,

Wouldn't GL-5 supersede GL-4?

Edit-- Found this pdf explaining it thanks anyway. http://www.upmpg.com/pdf/gear_lube_designations.pdf



Fred S said:


> Well, I found out why my transmission (95 V5 2wd manual) was howling. I'd assumed it was bearings and I finally coughed up the dough to get the tranny rebuilt. I was right, the bearings were toast.
> 
> I've got the two worse ones here. One is rough, the other is so bad that occasionally it will jam up when I turn it. Its outer surface is even lightly polished, indicating that the outer race was occasionally moving. Luckily it didn't move a lot or the transmission housing would have been ruined.
> 
> ...


Did you find that when your clutch pedal was depressed that your transmission was very quiet, but when you released it you could hear a bearing spinning?

I know the truck transmissions are different from car transaxels in shape, but if your problem sounds like mine could you let me konw?

http://www.nissanforums.com/l30-199...tima-se-5-a.html?highlight=transmission+noise

Thanks


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## thorn87d21 (Jun 2, 2007)

So if im reading this thread right I best drop that GL-5 out and put back into the truck GL-4?


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## Fred S (Aug 26, 2006)

> Did you find that when your clutch pedal was depressed that your transmission was very quiet, but when you released it you could hear a bearing spinning?
> 
> I know the truck transmissions are different from car transaxels in shape, but if your problem sounds like mine could you let me konw?


What you're describing sounds like a bad clutch throwout bearing. Also sometimes called the clutch release bearing. The clutch linkage contacts this bearing, so you will hear the most noise at the clutch linkage with your stethescope.

My truck had a bad bearing there as well as the transmission bearings, and a bad driveshaft carrier bearing. So I had a whole bunch of noise, both stopped and when moving. But when stopped, like you, I could put the clutch in and the throwout bearing noise went away.

Hope this helps you out.

Fred


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## jo31b (Oct 24, 2007)

The release bearing was my very first instinct, the idea being that it is loose and once you push the pedal it tightens up and the noise from a slack bearing goes a way.

Two things are pointing me away from that idea. 

1. I took it to the dealer and their "senior technician"/service adviser manager said he thought it was internal bearing noise.

2. The manual lists "noisy clutch" as being the release bearing bad, but it doesn't say noisy when engaged, or released. It lists noisy transmission as being an internal bearing. The only problem being they don't describe what they mean by "noisy transmission". 

I still think the release bearing IS damaged though because the used car dealer that had the clutch replaced did not present themselves as a business with integrity, so I may open it up and put a new one in for good measure. I'm making a 4500km trip in a couple of weeks so it would be worth a try.

Thanks Fred S


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...my symptoms sound simular to some you you guys. Knocking in the tranny, that quieted down when I pressed in the clutch. Also vibration in 5th gear. I was betting bad bearings, but when I tore into it it turned out a gear on the counter shaft was sheered the woodruff keys and was knocking around. Pics here..

http://www.nissanforums.com/hb-truck/138899-95-pickup-tranny-rebuild-thread.html


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## Brooklyn (Oct 16, 2007)

I have a "whirring" noise that I noticed after the transmission is warmed up from driving. The noise only occurs when I let off the clutch pedal. (Clutch engaged) I about thinking about changing the tranny fluid, and adding redline mt-90 to see if it will quiet down.


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