Rattle seems to come from bottom of engine, not transmission. Any ideas on how I can diagnose it without taking apart the engine?
Could you describe for us again the rattle noises emanating from the bottom of the engine? When they occur, the sound, etc. Things that rattle when loose–oil pump, fume vent pipe, clutch linkage, air cleaner assembly, oil filter cannister, generator (3 bolts + bracket’s two bolts), suspension parts…. Gear box “pop” out My transmission was rebuilt with the car 2 years ago. Initially the gearing was very stiff but has loosened up nicely. The transmission would “pop” out SNIP Drop the drive shaft at the rear flange of the transmission. See if the nut on the end of the main shaft is tight. This nut must be very tight. I do not have the torque raiting. I use a 24″ braker bar. Yes, good advice. The output shaft holds a lot of the “inner workings” in the right relationship with the gears etc. on the input or main shaft. If the nut is loose, then the rear shaft can move backwards under load, and cause a drop out. However, if the nut is tight, then there could be several other possibilities.
