On the road, grinding noise diagnostics

[Sebastian S]

So, i'm on the road some 600-650km's from home, and am having one of those "crap, what's that sound"-moments. Would appreciate some help if possible.

I had this raspy grinding noise come and then disappear after a long motorway run before I went on this trip. Then drove here and didn't hear it again on the whole trip. Yesterday I drove some bad gravel roads and the noise have come back, for what seems to be, to stay.

As said, a raspy grinding noise, it gets worse when accelerating hard or when under heavy load (uphill etc), and almost disappears (probably still there but gets drowned in road noise) when coasting, downhill etc. Also disappears when pressing the clutch.

I've checked the cv joints, all attached and all but two was recently checked and repacked. Removed the prop, made no difference. Can't feel any play in water pump or alternator pulleys. Can't feel any not normal play in the wheel bearings (and the noise doesn't change when turning etc). Hard to say where from the sound is originating as it seems to be resonating through the body, probably somewhere In the rear and what seems like right hand side.

Is it the sound of a imminent gearbox failure? :S

Will try and upload a sound/video clip if my phone can manage.

[Sebastian S]

http://youtu.be/vFS4ubAolu4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not great quality, doesn't sound as boxy in real life.
Best heard at around 0:05 and 0:10.

[Syncrobaz]

Hopefully just a vibration, maybe exhaust touching ?

[max and caddy]

Stone in the bash plate?

[Aidan]

driveshaft running against front damper due to cv joint breaking up ? Seems to come on on bumps - as said could be something between engine/box and bashplates and could be something in the front bashplate too
If in any doubt about the gearbox change the oil and see what the drain plug magnet has to tell, major bearing on the way out will show up as a 'sludgy stem' rather than just a head
mainshaft bearing usually is what I describe as grumbly, worn pinion bearing generally whiney

[Sebastian S]

Limped it home in the end, very gnarly sound came and went the whole way.

Yesterday I started tearing it a part. Of course there is a rubbing mark on the skid plate from the fore exhaust pipe. Wasn't touching when I checked, guess it only touches when the engine moves around. Oh well, happy ending on that one Probably time for new engine mounts, and that skid plate might need a bit of massage I reckon.

Thanks for the tips and input, appreciate it. Syncrobaz wins the guessing game!

Also, changed the gearbox oil for peace of mind. Nice little tree on the magnet but couldn't feel any bigger bits in it. Oil certainly hadn't been changed in a good while, if ever (210,000km'ish).

[Syncrobaz]

All's well then

Do I get a prize??