I think the S4 is trying to tell me something

SANDPSYCHO

SANDPSYCHO

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I got a Mendeola S4 that during last season started making noise. When I'd start it, it sound fine. After I put it in gear, move it and put it into neutral and let out the clutch you could very clearly hear the tyranny spinning over the loud running V8. I also notice now I can hear it if I just start it in neutral but not as loud.. So I go to drain the oil and the drain plug is full metal.

20211001_151414.jpg

At the start of last season the magnet was clean and got fresh oil.

This is what I was able to clean off and let sit over night on a paper towel.

20211002_111421.jpg

The piles are not flat. I'm guessing I have a bearing going out, input shaft, main shaft? What do you think @Sean@Weddle ?

 
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Run it. Or pull it and send it in and risk missing the season. I waited 5 months for a S4 R&P this year, May till mid September.

 
Noise go away when you push in the clutch?Hope its just a mainshaft bearing

 
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SANDPSYCHO said:
Yes.
Click to expand...
Mines only an 091 but did this last year i got it fixed was the mainshaft bearing slight rumble when in N push clutch went away let it out rumble again.Luckily the bearing didnt come apart but you could see where the pressure was put on it.(was casued by another issue since been fixed)Hopefully easy fix for you since other internal parts are hard to get now.

 
SANDPSYCHO said:
I got a Mendeola S4 that during last season started making noise. When I'd start it, it sound fine. After I put it in gear, move it and put it into neutral and let out the clutch you could very clearly hear the tyranny spinning over the loud running V8. I also notice now I can hear it if I just start it in neutral but not as loud.. So I go to drain the oil and the drain plug is full metal.

View attachment 15298

At the start of last season the magnet was clean and got fresh oil.

This is what I was able to clean off and let sit over night on a paper towel.

View attachment 15299

The piles are not flat. I'm guessing I have a bearing going out, input shaft, main shaft? What do you think Sean@Weddle ?
Click to expand...
Sean says thank you! It looks like his kids are going to Harvard after all.

 
L.R.S. said:
Run it. Or pull it and send it in and risk missing the season. I waited 5 months for a S4 R&P this year, May till mid September.
Click to expand...
I think risk is being optimistic  - Weddle S4 parts section looks like a supermarket Toilet paper section at the start of COVID ...unfortunately

 
With any luck, it will be a part that is inexpensive and in stock, like a main shaft bearing. Hoping and praying here!

 
i would pull it before it takes the rest of the trans out   hopefully its just a bearing but probably not that much metal isn't good. if its making noise when you are not moving it not coming for the ring and pinion. the ring and pinion only turn when your moving chances are its a bearing you would notice the sound change when you drive in different gears 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fullthrottleguy said:
I think risk is being optimistic  - Weddle S4 parts section looks like a supermarket Toilet paper section at the start of COVID ...unfortunately
Click to expand...
I was in a similar situation last season but with my Albins.  I November it started making a really loud noise in neutral with the clutch pedal out.  It was loud enough that @DZRTRUN heard it with his/her car running sitting next to me.  I babied it to camp and could hear the noise in 2nd gear only while driving.  I called Sam at Rancho and he said there are no parts available so run it or park it.  I also called @Sean@Weddle and was told pretty much the same thing- park it or drive it and don't use 2nd.  I went the rest of the season and put hundreds of miles on my car not using 2nd gear, even broke the chassis in two spots while driving like an ahole and jumping.  Finally pulled the Albins in April and got it to Rancho.  2nd gear (on the main shaft) was wasted.  When I picked it up Sam asked how many trips I had on it like this and I said I had no idea, I had 65 days total in Glamis that season and burned a 500 gallons of E85.  He was surprised it lasted that long but I told him I never used 2nd,  1st to 3rd, which made it boring to drive.  I would put it in 2nd every once in a while just to see if it was still bad... and it sounded like a tin can full of marbles.  

20210527_111804.jpg

Zoom in on 2nd gear/main shaft.

20210526_171536.jpg

About $5000 in this box.  Eff me.

 
I think you should pull it down. An s4 is too expensive and sometimes one thing leads to another..  waiting and driving could also be another few $k. You can always fix what you can and maybe reassemble with fair parts and new bearings

 
SANDPSYCHO said:
I got a Mendeola S4 that during last season started making noise. When I'd start it, it sound fine. After I put it in gear, move it and put it into neutral and let out the clutch you could very clearly hear the tyranny spinning over the loud running V8. I also notice now I can hear it if I just start it in neutral but not as loud.. So I go to drain the oil and the drain plug is full metal.

View attachment 15298

At the start of last season the magnet was clean and got fresh oil.

This is what I was able to clean off and let sit over night on a paper towel.

View attachment 15299

The piles are not flat. I'm guessing I have a bearing going out, input shaft, main shaft? What do you think Sean@Weddle ?
Click to expand...
Just FYI, you didn't actually tag Sean.  You need to start with the "@" then add his name, like this: @Sean@Weddle.  Hopefully he'll see it this way and respond. 

-TJ

 
L.R.S. said:
I was in a similar situation last season but with my Albins.  I November it started making a really loud noise in neutral with the clutch pedal out.  It was loud enough that @DZRTRUN heard it with his/her car running sitting next to me.  I babied it to camp and could hear the noise in 2nd gear only while driving.  I called Sam at Rancho and he said there are no parts available so run it or park it.  I also called @Sean@Weddle and was told pretty much the same thing- park it or drive it and don't use 2nd.  I went the rest of the season and put hundreds of miles on my car not using 2nd gear, even broke the chassis in two spots while driving like an ahole and jumping.  Finally pulled the Albins in April and got it to Rancho.  2nd gear (on the main shaft) was wasted.  When I picked it up Sam asked how many trips I had on it like this and I said I had no idea, I had 65 days total in Glamis that season and burned a 500 gallons of E85.  He was surprised it lasted that long but I told him I never used 2nd,  1st to 3rd, which made it boring to drive.  I would put it in 2nd every once in a while just to see if it was still bad... and it sounded like a tin can full of marbles.  

View attachment 15324

Zoom in on 2nd gear/main shaft.

View attachment 15325

About $5000 in this box.  Eff me.
Click to expand...
great story..... i have a 18 speed in one of the petes the low side of the splitter has a bad gear loud nock if you put in low been like that for two year and about 200k miles so its a 9 speed now.  well ist about 4500 for a rebuilt 18 speed i just cant understand the pricing for these gearboxes 

 
mine looked like that, no noise, ran fine, shifted off,

it was a bearing cage, 

non of fulcrums where in the oil or on the plug no flat pieces, 

tore it down,  all the fulcrums where stuck in the case like bullets, in the gears smashed down, and stuck in areas away from the Diff housing, 

Was big money and process to fix it, 

I should have just pulled it down at the start would have saved big big money,   

 
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