My manual makes a rattling sound


I found my heat shield bent out. I attached a picture. Maybe this is the cause but its towards the rear and i hear the rattling near my tranny

People here have already advised you that the “rattle” is probably engine knock due to your incorrect use of the clutch. Please stop looking for trouble in the transmission.

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That could very well be it, relatively inexpensive fix at an independent shop—not a chain like Midas. Quite a bit of rust,
may need more exhaust system work.

As far as the transmission, about 90% sure your transmission take ATF.
The “75-90 gear box oil” might be okay for the rearend.

Get to the library, see if they have a service manual. Take a notebook, these often are not available for checkout.

The Ford website for fluid requirements only goes back to 2001. However you maybe able to purchase a service manual on line.

Make sure that gear oil is YELLOW METAL COMPATIBLE, otherwise you will be the reason this transmission needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Also, some of these transmissions have an oil pump. Use too thick of an oil for that pump and you will fry it as well. If I were you I would look at what Ford put in and ONLY use that. If you want to go to synthetic for good measure, that won’t hurt as long as it meets all the specs.

In the beginning of the thread people were saying it was a transmission issue thats why i was still somewhat cocerned on it. And ive know figured out it only rattles when im under 800 rpms. As long as i start in first above that or stop in neutral/clucth above it it never rattles so i beleive it the engine shaking a loose braket at low rmps. Im not very mechanicly inclined so sorry for the dumb questions but what is engin knock

I will look into that. And i figured out that it only happens when i start out below 800 rpms or put the clucth/neutral in below 800 rpms aswell as long as i stay above that it never rattles

The transmission capacity is 5.6 pints of ATF - MERCON.

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What is engine knock
 complex question, engine knock is also called pinging or pre-ignition. It is the phenomenon of the air-fuel mixture in the engine’s cylinders exploding rapidly instead of “lighting off” with a smooth flame front. It causes tremendous strain on the engine’s bearings and can even burn a hole in a piston if it continues for a great length of time. Primary causes are:
using gasoline of too low an octane.
Putting the engine under load at too low an engine speed also called “lugging”.
Too high an engine temperature.
Too lean of a fuel mixture
Too advanced ignition timing.

I’d ask @Mustangman to review this as he’s a real auto engineer, and i’m not.

I figured out that it was only when i was trying to get the truck going below 1000 rpms and stoping with the clutch under 1000 aswell. As long as i boost the the rpms above that when starting and and and putting the clutch in before it drops below 1000 the rattling goes away. so i no longer beleive its a transmission issue. But forcing engine to roll at low speeds, does that sound correct? Is there anything else i should be cocerned for. I appreciate the help from you guys and ive already learned alot from this thread

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You are correct! I think that was the issue

Spark knock is a real thing and loading the engine at low speeds can make it happen.

It will also cause the engine to shake loose things on and old truck.

Your transmission is a M50R1 5 speed as posted before is used 1988 to 2011
 so any fluids listed only back to 2001 should be correct. Universal atf should work.

There is a fill plug up high and drain plug down low. Fill the trans on level ground until the oil runs out the fill hole.

Use a smear of teflon pipe sealer on the fill and drain plugs if they have no sealing washer so they won’t leak.

Will do thank you. I tried to check my fluid today and when i opened the fill plug on the top it started to leak a bunch of fluid. Is this because it was overfilled wich i dont see possible because then it would spill out or just leaking from the fluid being thrown around the top of the gearbox?

No, overfilled is just that. Easy to do if you only jack the fill plug side and the truck is tilted when you fill it. Once level, oil comes out the hole when the plug is removed.

If it leaks the previous owner may have overfilled it assuming it would leak down.

If the owner didn’t know they were overfilling it, and did, the leak might actually be excess coming out the breather vent on the top of the transmission.

Always make sure to remove the fill plug first before draining. It sounds like your fill plug comes out without trouble so this probably isn’t a concern but have heard plenty of stories were people drain their transmission and then cannot open the fill plug. This is advice I have always been told and figure it is good.

It sounds like you might be lugging the engine as others have suggested. You might try a higher octane gas and see if the rattle sound lessens or stops as well but this is probably going to happen in 2nd gear starting out.

These are Mazda engines and I don’t think they have a knock sensor. My parents had a manual Mazda 626 when I was growing up. You could definitely hear the pinging if you lugged the engine. I remember it being worse when hot outside which makes sense as well as the AC on. This was one of those cars that seemed decently peppy when you had the AC off and no one in the car but dogged down when loaded up. It was the 4 cylinder.

Ray’s suggestion to folks wanting to learn how to operate clutch as I recall was to take car to big, empty, level parking lot with a lot of empty space in front of you. Leave foot entirely off gas pedal, idle rpm only. Gradually let out clutch pedal. The first few times you’ll stall the engine. No worries, just restart and try again. Keep trying. Eventually you’ll learn the best method to let the clutch pedal all the way out without stalling the engine. Now try the same thing, only apply a little gas pedal at the same time, just a little. You’ll find, probably after a few hiccups, letting the clutch pedal out it is even easier now. At this point you’ve learned most of what you need to know to use a clutch.

Appreciate the advice. I had a question about the shifter. My 1 3 4 and 5 gear are smooth but my second goes in okay without a problem but doesnt feel as smooth unless i get it just right.
The best way i can explain it is it feels like it rubs against some stuff as im putting it in, no grinding or anything. Just feels not as smooth if that makes sense. I assume because its a 27 yo transmission and the 2 gear was probably used alot is the reason why

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Agree. The 1-2 shift is quick for many people. Tends to wear syncros

Let us know, when you get the heat shield repaired, if the rattle goes away.

I had a question about clutch operation. If im in 3,4,5 gear and have to stop i just go into nutruel and coast till my stop come up. Is this okay or should i be downshifting? The main reason im asking is today i went into neutral from 4th gear and stopped at the light and my truck died, i made sure to check it was in nuetral after i started it and it was and it didnt die again. It has only died in nuetral this one time the whole few months ive been driving it and i tested it after and it didnt do it again so maybe it was slighty in gear still or just a random thing but your insight would be great