I just got a Motive 3.73 installed (by the dealer) in my T/A. From the first time I drove it off the dealer lot it has been whining at around 55mph. The whine goes away when you let off the gas. The guy who installed it told me that this should go away in time. Is he bs'in me or what??

 

Gears are a bit of a touchy subject. Some people say a little whine is acceptable, some say not. I would say that the whine shouldn't be audible when cruising. Gears aren't that hard to install, but they can be a pain to do "just right". Most people simply reuse the old shims that were in it before, because thats how they were taught. I'd take it back.

 

Mine does the same thing in 5th and 6th gears. Does your rear whine when your not in gear and just coasting? That woudl distinguish your whine between the tranny and the rear. Mine only whines when I'm in 5th or 6th gear but does not whine in neutral at higher speeds. Check that out. A lil rearend whine doesn't hurt much anyway, just annoying.

 

maybe he is right, but sounds like BS to me

we just put new gears and posi in my car the other day, and it doesnt make a sound...you gotta take the time to get the right fit and proper backlash and get the gears lined up perfectly or they will whine. alot of shops just wont spend the time to do it right

is it only at that particular speed or only when you are on the gas or ?

 

It's definately coming from the rear as my rear end was silent before this install. They put some new shims and seals in the rear, but I just cant believe that a dealer could screw up something like this.

 

My rear (maybe its the tranny) whines only when I'm on the gas in 5th and 6th gears. Let us know what yours (sp528) does.

 

It's definately when you accelerate. When you let off the gas it goes silent and then makes a little noise when the car starts to coast against the motor.

 

Any particular gears? I would guess that if it's in a certain gear then maybe the tranny is to blame, not the rear...like in my case. My whining started up a couple weeks after I had my gears installed.

 

First off please never have a dealer do anything. Their "techs" arent specialists in any way except they have some better equipment to work with. You should not be able ot hear your rearend whining at 55mph. The reason he says it will go away in time is because since it wasn't installed correctly it will wear the ring and pinion down to wear it won't whine. This decreases strength in the rearend. I would have a rearend specialist build it or at least someone besides the dealer.

 

Well usually when you are going around 55mph you are in 5th or 6th so you would think that's the case. But putting it in neutral does that same thing as letting off the gas. It is definately coming from the rear. Some people sitting in the back tonight were commenting on the noise.

 

my buddy who did most of mine and was teaching me how to do this has said i should watch for a whine when cruising or especially when letting off the gas/slowing down... its always possible to be your transmission or something else, but odds are its the rear, plenty of people speak of aftermarket gear whine, but as much as shops may want you to think it just 'happens', it happens cuz of halfass work

it is time consuming to right, and i wouldnt doubt for a second that a dealership will rush thru this kinda job

if it persists, take it back, try and tell them you want to see the final product before they reinstall it...make sure it is shimmed so you cant pull the posi out without some force or leverage (it shouldnt just be floating around in there with shims that arent the right size)...have them check the backlash infront of you, etc.... might work might not, but its your money, might as well make them prove a good job to you if you can get them to

 

If the whine is still bad by sunday I will probably take it back in on monday and ask if the service manager would like to take a ride and tell me that the gear is installed correctly. Their work is guaranteed for a year, so why not try.

 

good advise, you pay them 65 to 75 bucks an hour to do the job right, bring it back and tell them your not happy with the install, and tell them you came on this board with guys that know what there talking about, JMO

 

Does a brand new car's rear whine when you take it for a test drive? How would they sell them if it did? Whine is not normal, IMO.

 

That is very true. But I know the dealership is going to try to pull some story about how Motive gears are known to whine when I know that is not true. But personally I know it would have whined even if it was a genuine GM part. Oh, they're gonna hear more from me. I'll keep you guys updated on how this goes.