The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hoping for some re-assuring intel about a very disconcerting noise from the newly reconditioned BW65 autobox in my 1850. The gearbox has fresh mineral automatic gearbox fluid, but it makes a real graunching noise when trying to select park with the engine running.

Stopping the engine and selecting P - all is fine, with the engine running, selecting R, N and D - all fine - but when trying to go from R to P with the motor running - it emits a loud and alarming metal on metal noise.

Please can anyone advise what may be causing this and what to do about it? Thank you

Best regards

Andy H

The parking pawl engages on the output shaft. Unless that output shaft is turning then there's nothing to graunch, the pawl should just simply lock into the output shaft.
Your not by any chance testing it with the prop disconnected?

Thank you for the quick reply Matt. The propshaft is definitely connected - however, the car is on a 2 poster lift with the wheels clear of the ground - could that be it...?

Dunhookin wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 10:16 am Thank you for the quick reply Matt. The propshaft is definitely connected - however, the car is on a 2 poster lift with the wheels clear of the ground - could that be it...?

If the wheels are spinning (or the prop is) then the car is 'moving'. You're doing the equivilent of selecting park whilst driving along. That's going to make a bad noise.. Apply the brake first!

Thanks Steve - I have a bit of a dipstick feeling going on - as that makes perfect sense and I should have realised myself. I can't apply the brakes though - they don't damn well work - I suspect the master cylinder has decided to suddenly fail - but that's another in a range of irritating snags with this car!

It's an easy mistake to make, you're not the first, and you won't be the last. The good thing is that the Parking pawl on the BW65 has a ratchet mechanism that allows the pawl to override until the shaft stops rotating, at which point it will engage and lock the output shaft, and hold the car. Do the same thing on a BW35 and a lot of the time it will snap the end of the pawl off.

Dunhookin wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 11:04 am Thanks Steve - I have a bit of a dipstick feeling going on

Wouldn't feel too silly - I only know because I've done it myself