I am getting a knocking noise from the bell housing on the tranny of my '83 380sl. It is worse after being driven. If I let the car just warm up without moving it is not as bad. If this is the torque converter bolts coming loose, how do I get to them? Is this an engine pull situation or can I just move the tranny back a little? Thanks for any help you can provide.

More likely the flex plate is cracked, this is the plate the torque converter bolts pass through. The bolts are easy to check though, through the hole in the front of the bell housing (actually on the rear of the oil pan I believe). You'd rotate the engine through by hand, similar to if you wanted to find the drain plug for the torque converter. When checking the bolts watch for cracks.

Gilly

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Thanks Gilly. At least that gives me somewhere to start.

No problem. On the rear of the pan there may still be either a plastic trapezoidal shaped insert/plug to access the bolts, or it may be a square metal cover, held in place with a few small machine screws.

Gilly

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Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)