Rubicon...grinding noise when in gear and moving

43370 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by jim s, Feb 6, 2009

spotter

Discussion Starter · Apr 20, 2006

Hi there! I'm hoping someobody can give me some advice....I just picked up an '04 Rubicon GPScape with about 400 miles on it. It starts perfectly and sounds good, at least until I put it in gear and try to move it. Just shifting into gear it is quiet....but as soon as I hit the throttle a bit, the noise starts. It does move but in both forward and reverse, it sounds like it is grinding. The sound is much like when somebody's trying to learn to drive a stick and can't find the gear.
Someone suggested a linkage adjustment? Another said may be new tranny time (but with just 400 easy miles?)
It's been well cared for and not beat.
Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks!

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Honda Mechanic

· #2 · Apr 20, 2006

When the TRX500FA/FGA makes that ratcheting sound it needs a transmission ... Honda pretty much stopped replacing the hydrostatic transmission for free .. We have 1 just come into the shop this week and Honda will pay a percentage of the repair .. Your best bet is to see what Honda will do for you first..

spotter

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 20, 2006

Thanks very much for the fast reply....now for the big question: How much is this likely to cost? And what causes this failure so I don't have it happen again?

Crin

· #4 · Apr 20, 2006

How about when you hear that ratchet sound when you are coasting down a hill? When I'm just riding all is quiet and good, it just happens when I coast down a hill with no throtle.

Thanks
C-rin

MAD MUDDER

· #5 · Apr 20, 2006

before you go out and get a new tranny you might want to make sure that there is the right amount of oil in it because if the oil is low there will be a grinding type noise. i have seen this happen to people i ride with.
-Aaron

spotter

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 20, 2006

Thanks for the tip on the oil...I had already heard that, being told that there should be about 200 mls more than specs....tried that with no change. There's plenty of oil.

Ramco

· #7 · Apr 21, 2006

QUOTE ("Crin":3lb874t0)

How about when you hear that ratchet sound when you are coasting down a hill? When I'm just riding all is quiet and good, it just happens when I coast down a hill with no throtle.

Thanks
C-rin

Had the same thing on my last trany (number 3) worked fine until going down a hill like you say.. Again it was the tranny . Low oil preassure when engine was at idle or coasting..

Ramco

· #8 · Apr 21, 2006

QUOTE ("Honda Mechanic":3rr7ngxr)

When the TRX500FA/FGA makes that ratcheting sound it needs a transmission ... Honda pretty much stopped replacing the hydrostatic transmission for free .. We have 1 just come into the shop this week and Honda will pay a percentage of the repair .. Your best bet is to see what Honda will do for you first..

I second what HM is saying and he knows his stuff..

One other possible thing it could be thought to is a craked gear in the subtrans.. The only reason i say that is because it happened to me in january.. It drove fine and everthing just made that miss shift grind sound as well. But you could feel that one vibrate in the bike.

i have always been lucky with the trannies being replaced under warranty though, Always 100 Percent covered no questions asked..

Crin

· #9 · Apr 21, 2006

Well I bought my Ruby used, so no warrenty. So how much (ballpark) do you think a job like this would cost. How long before it creates a problem with riding. Do you think I should still contact Honda and see if they can help? I just noticed the sound as of my last ride or so.

Crap!

TIA
C-rin

spotter

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 21, 2006

I'm in the same boat....bought mine used (but not much!) and out of warranty. I guess at this point I'm trying to decide if it's worth fixing.....I'll have it fixed if it isn't likely to happen again, but if this is going to be a recurring issue, I'll probably sell it and start over.

Ramco

· #11 · Apr 22, 2006

QUOTE ("Crin":2wp55z4l)

How long before it creates a problem with riding. .

That is the big question.. I let mine go for a while cause it was very doing it very little.. then it got worse so i took it in for repiar.. the tech heard the noise and knew it was the tranny right away as i had figured. his first concern though was the oil preasure.. so we spun the gauge on it in the parking lot fired it up and very quicly shut it off.. even though the noise was very minor the oil preassure was way down next to none at idle.. The tranny and oil pump run hand and hand in these bikes. and the same pump is what pumps your engine oils... So what i'm getting at here is it one thing to let the bike go until the tranny pops but on the other hand you could be doing damage to you engine side ...

My first transmission problem i had ended up blowing my engine so be careful..

Here is a little thread 'my Honda Story " i think you guys will find interesting with what i have gone through with these rubicons.. a little to read but i think you will like it.

<a href="http://www.trackshare.com/forum/showthr" target="_blank">http://www.trackshare.com/forum/showthr ... onda+story</a>

EDIT ***

If you do read my honda story there is update post i put in that thread after my first long one.. be sure to read them as well..

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Hansencustoms

· #12 · May 9, 2006

my 2002 just started making the same noise about a week ago and I have it almost all tore down checking every little part and have not found anything yet. I was hoping maybe it was just a wore gear but so far its not. I have heard that tranny can cost up to 1500 or so just wondering if there is anywhere cheaper than that. Also what anyone else thinks might be another option to look at as far as this problem goes. To bad you cant just fix the tranny without having to get a new one i had thought about taking it to my local tranny shop to see what they could do but maybe I would be wasting my time. All else fails I thought about putting it up forsale as is with all the goodies in my sigs. shoot me an offer if you are interested.

Truckman

· #13 · May 10, 2006

if you take it anywhere a trans shop is the last place you want to be.Go to a shop that specializes in hydraulic pumps and motors especially the kind found in heavy equipment (dozers,rollers,excavators).in the meantime get yourself a new one and install it then see what the hydralics shop comes up with.most of the time it's something stupid inside these things that fails.

Hansencustoms

· #14 · May 11, 2006

Do you think that a hydraulic shop might be able to fix it because we a have aouple around here that do very good work and we have always had good luck with.

Truckman

· #15 · May 12, 2006

it doesn't hurt to have them check it out....Honda mech will tell you tho that Honda does not offer any repair parts as Honda wants the whole thing replaced as a unit.the only reason i see this is it's relationship to the motor with oil pressure and the qualifications of people diving into a hydraulic motor.if you have a shop that does ALOT of hydraulics from hystat dozers and such take it to them and let them check it out because it won't hurt.Now i'm not saying that's a saving grace as you will still need to prolly get another transmission but they may just be able to fix it if it's something stupid that is really wrong with it.it never hurts to ask.the other problem is your time involved with it.a whole teardown and they say they fixed it and you put it all together only to find it doesn't work then your out a whole bunch of time for another whole teardown.myself i fix anything so i would have to toy with it and make it work as i have with many other hydraulic motor and pumpsets it is time consuming tho as you don't just tear them apart and say "yup that's it" you have to measure every little part and check clearances.this is the only reason i havn't bought a rubicon and that's because of this problem.

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Honda Mechanic

· #16 · May 12, 2006

We've had a couple of transmissions apart ... 1 of them we found what looked like the heads off a couple of rivets ... I'm sure any hydralic shop could take it apart and check it for you ..The hard part maybe getting parts to fix it ..

Post back what you find out .. I do still have several pumps at the shop that may have good parts , the shipping would be a killer..

spotter

Discussion Starter · #17 · May 13, 2006

I talked with Honda today about my machine...and they basically said tough luck, too bad. I brought up the fact that tranny problems are a known issue in these and they said they knew nothing about it and that there isn't a problem. So...I'm going further up the food chain. I'll report back when I hear more. It just seems that a machine less than two years old with not quite 400 miles shouldn't be falling apart, and that they'd stand behind their product better.

cliff668honda

· #18 · Sep 25, 2008

Honda rubicon transmisison noise

Any luck on the tansmission noise? I have an'04 Rubicon with the same problem: shifts fine, runs fine, but has a ratcheting noise when decelerating down-hill. I have been led to the conclusion that the oil pump is at fault. I now have the engine in pieces on my workbech in the garage and am looking for answers. Please let me know what you have experienced on this machine.

nofishin

· #19 · Feb 6, 2009

QUOTE (cliff668honda @ Sep 25 2008, 01:21 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=115102

Any luck on the tansmission noise? I have an'04 Rubicon with the same problem: shifts fine, runs fine, but has a ratcheting noise when decelerating down-hill. I have been led to the conclusion that the oil pump is at fault. I now have the engine in pieces on my workbech in the garage and am looking for answers. Please let me know what you have experienced on this machine.

Any word yet on this topic. mine is in the shop and they say i need a new tranny. i thought hondas ran forever? apparently i bought the wrong machine

jim s

· #20 · Feb 6, 2009

I just got a 2001 foreman 500 . shop wanted $2,500 to put in new oil pump and transmission. so [ I ] will start on it next week myself. the cheapest i have found is WWW.XTREMEUSA.COM on parts.

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