'88 G. Voyager Tranny Clatter?!!

[Misha]

I have had my 88 Grand Voyager for 6 years.
last year after a long 2400 mile trip I noticed a clatter/chatter form my engine compartment. It is a 3 speed with 3 liter. No 4 speed or I would be walking ages ago.
If i rev the engine a bit ,it stops.
When I shift into drive or reverse, the clatter/chatter starts but subsides as soon as I accelerate. It returns when I slow down and stop at a light and gets a bit louder as I accelerate and then it gets quiet.
It makes this noise as it sits idling also.
Is it some sort of drive train problem. I know it is not my AC or steering pump. At least to the best of my knowledge.

Any comments or questions ?

[rwood13]

sounds like you have something loose, at idle you will have the most vibration from the engine plus no road noise so that is when you hear it, get a repair manual, get an automotive stethascope, get a helper in the car, put the emergancy brake on, have the helper hold their foot on the brake, put it in gear, listen and find out where the noise in, use your repair manual to identify what is rattling.

[rrbtheman]

i have a 89 voyager with the same problem i took it in a transmition place and they said it was my trany mount going

[Spectrum888]

I have an '88 Caravan, same setup, same problem. In trying to figure out what it was, I noticed I couldn't hear the noise as well or at all when I was outside looking down at it, but from the driver or passenger steats it's quite noticable. I have been living with the problem since March and would LOVE to be able to make it go away once and for all. Let me know how it goes, right now, i have bigger problems on my van to worry about.

[89caravanman]

Originally Posted by Misha

I have had my 88 Grand Voyager for 6 years.
last year after a long 2400 mile trip I noticed a clatter/chatter form my engine compartment. It is a 3 speed with 3 liter. No 4 speed or I would be walking ages ago.
If i rev the engine a bit ,it stops.
When I shift into drive or reverse, the clatter/chatter starts but subsides as soon as I accelerate. It returns when I slow down and stop at a light and gets a bit louder as I accelerate and then it gets quiet.
It makes this noise as it sits idling also.
Is it some sort of drive train problem. I know it is not my AC or steering pump. At least to the best of my knowledge.

Any comments or questions ?

I've also ran into this problem on my 89 caravan with a 3.0 liter engine (3 speed auto)...I believe your noise/clatter is coming from your "tourque" converter...the A404/A670 family of transaxles combine a tourque converter Lockup feature, with the automatic three speed transmission--thus transfering gearing and differential gearing into one compact unit...the noise you are experiencing is "converter noise" (a "whining noise due to fluid flow is normal during the stall operation with some converters)--however, LOUD metalic noises from loose parts or iterference within the converter assembly is an indication of a defective tourque converter.

I had that same problem--within two months I had lost all foward gears...I had to replace the tourque converter and overhaul the transaxle...so far I have over 1400 miles on the unit with NO problems!!! my van runs/shifts just like it was new. I had bought the converter from my local Autozone aproxx $110.00 the trans kit was 89.99 which includes new clutch steels and friction plates and seals. I did find a price on a reman unit in Arizona for about $495.00 (exchange after a $400.00 core charge.)--that one was the cheapeat the most expensive one was about $1300.00 exchange with a year warranty (after the core)...good luck ---
89caravanman