cool gear noise

[treed2 at wsu.edu (T. Reed)]

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this..

While drifting around parking lots glistening with newfallen powdery
snow, I occasionally put it in 3rd or 4th gear and gunned it just for the
purpose of flinging snow. When I did this at speed (10-15 mph), I noticed
that the tranny makes a very noticible "vhrrrrrrr" noise that sounds like
a large boat in reverse, or.. kind of like a vw in reverse but much
higher pitched.

I chalk this up to the lack of resistance at the wheels (since in the soft
snow they're spinning almost as freely as if the car was jacked up) and
the gear lash inside the tranny being great enough to make 'oscillation
noise' each time a cylinder fires.

It really made it seem like I was driving a boat; not just the noise-- the
steering was so much less responsive (a lot like a rudder on a boat) and
the throttle behaved a bit like on a boat, too.. in that the car wasn't
solidly linked to the ground.

It was really weird; I felt like I should be yelling 'hard to starboard!'
as the rear end swung around.. ;)

-Toby

[ Recently (this summer), I tore down and then installed a 4K tranny,
  adding a bolt kit and changing the 5th gear while replacing all the
  seals, bushings, etc.

  It has 2 qts of gear oil in it and has been working nicely except for
  the 2nd gear grind at temperatures near and below freezing. During the
  first 3 or 4 minutes of driving it's nearly impossible to shift in to 2nd
  unless I "slam" it in to gear. When I do this it makes a minor "chunk"
  noise, rather than the horrible grinding sound it makes if I try to ease
  it in to gear.

  Anyway, my point is that AFAIK the tranny is in excellent health.  ]