offset442

my truck is a 3.4 liter with the 19 bolt pan and a transfer case..........

for some time now about the last 5000 miles I have had a problem building inside my transmission. I have few symptoms..

1. 2 twice about 5000 miles appart when i have started my truck a makes a very loud disturbing clanking ringing sound almost like an engine knock. and i have to turn it off and re start it to make it go away once 2 or 3 times, i have gotten out and listened, it sounts like its not the starter stuck engaged because I hear no trace of a wining motor gear. but it seems centered around the foward part of the trans mayber the torq converter

???Is is possible for the torque converter to fall apart and make internal noise?

2. while crousing in with the trany downshifts into 4 gear climbing a hill at about 70 this sound crops up but as a slight ringing / clanking sound about 1/15 as loud barely audible over the engine if i let off the accelerator it goes away or comes back not as loud

3. when cruising in 5th gear on a bumpy stretch of road some bumps cause the same ringing clanking sound but only for short 1/3 second bursts

if anyone knows what this might be I would like to hear some advice on this? does it mean doom or do i have some time to scrape up the $2,500 for a replacement trans , have you had something like this happen, is it common?

I'm thinking that the system is starving for fluid so im going to drop the pan and change the filter and see how much debree is built up in the pan if any, the fluid appears and smells slightly burned, I last changed it around 150,000 miles with high quality fluid, due to a shift solenoid code (code went away ands stayed gone) but i didn't change the filter ever since i have owned the truck, its got 220,000 miles on it now and hundreds of hours off road.

I think i will look at the starter too just in case, but the sound was not louder by the starter, it was louder on the drivers side while walking around the truck sticking my head in the wheel wells and crawling under the trans.
most definitely it was between the motor and the center of the trans

this is my work truck, without it no money.................

offset442

been searching the threads, and would like to add another question.........

Could this be a flex plate issue? if so how to I check for it? as i was reading that flex plate issues are somewhat common........... bue i cant find a good discription of what exactly those issues are..........pics would be nice if anyone knows where i can see some