Rattling in gear, quiet in park...?

[Burbdood 74]

Hey all! Just like the title says, I'm getting a little rattling from under the truck while it's in drive, but once you put it in park, it goes away. I have no real way of checking it because I don't trust anyone to not roll over me while I lie under the beast to listen for the rattle while it's in gear.

I have suspected the exhaust system may be plugged or damaged somewhere along the line for a little while, but now I'm worried that i may have a cracked flexplate or loose torque converter bolts.

Which is more plausible?

 

[Greg Ducato]

Check your torque converter bolts, they may be loose or you could possibly have a cracked flywheel at the center where it bolts to the crank, either of these will make the noise in gear you describe

 

[jp0863]

Without being there, it's obviously hard to say, but here's what I have had rattle in the past, only in gear and not in park... Catalytic converter (seems the lower rpms of being in gear made the rattle, but it was bad), Transfer case not all the way in gear (sounded like a rattle), Loose bolt on the transmission dust cover, loose linkage for trans selector.

Block the wheels, set the parking brake, put her in gear.. not the safest thing to do, but sometimes a lil danger solves the problem.... Have a prior mindset to roll a certain way if she does move.

 

[nvrenuf]

Bad motor or trans mount allowing movement when you put it in gear?