Dear Tom and Ray:

My classic 1965 Ford Mustang coupe is on blocks in my driveway because I am concerned about an awful noise emanating from somewhere beneath the hood. It is the 289 V8. The sound of this engine turns me on more than the voice of a beautiful woman, except when I am traveling at about 20 miles an hour. Then, it is absolutely horrid. This rather loud "k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k" appears only at that speed. I'm scared. What's going on? _ Adam

Tom: Well, my first piece of advice is to go back and give the voice of a beautiful woman another try. I think you dismissed that too quickly.

Ray: But in terms of your car, you may have something as simple as a loose torque converter bolt. There are many things it could be, but that's the first one that comes to mind.

Tom: The torque converter -- which is part of the transmission -- is bolted to the crankshaft by means of a flex plate. If one of those bolts has come loose, it could be hitting something, like the bell housing or the transmission inspection cover. And that could be causing a loud, metallic banging at 20 mph.

Ray: Or the torque converter itself could be vibrating at that speed and making the noise.

Tom: The way we find these noises is by "loading up the engine." We put the car in Drive, apply the brakes, give it some gas to simulate driving conditions and try to reproduce the noise. This is best done on a lift, where you can get under the car and actually hear where the noise is coming from (and where there's no danger of accidentally driving forward into a neighbor's living room).

Ray: Or, alternatively, just keep driving it until it gets worse, Adam. And then when something finally falls off, go back, pick it up, take it to your parts store and ask for "one of these."

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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