1994 Ls400 - Grinding/whirring Noise When Braking To A Stop.

[MrLS400]

Hello Everyone!

Today I am having an issue that I can not seem to search out any really good ideas for online or in the forums.

1994 LS400

When coming to a stop I am hearing a grinding/whirring noise coming from what I am guessing to be... the transmission/torque converter as I hear it coming from the area under the shifter / console.

---------------------------

(I will be going to take some video / audio to post up to this soon)

---------------------------

This noise is only prevalent when braking in the last 20 or so feet of braking unless you jam it REALLY hard i suppose (haven't tested it, but it did make some noise on the highway when someone almost cut me off)... . It is NOT as noticeable when braking in Neutral (it may also be the brakes are grinding a tad due to thin rotors and a pad swap without changing rotors, and that's why I am still hearing something and it's actually not there at all. but let's keep it simple) It's definitely very different sound and progressively worse being in drive, drive with o/d off, 2nd, and of course 1st being worst.

- If I keep the transmission in first, or any gear, and coast down in speed against the motor's compression, I do not hear any noise, even in first from higher rpms and letting off.

- if i apply the brakes at a standstill, and load the motor a bit, you hear a grrrrrrrrr coming from the same area not just a nice solid motor load sound ( again... t/c?), but it's not the exact same as the added grinding/whirring sound when braking.

Acceleration makes no noise. Transmission shifts smoothly, there's power to the wheels, but she feels a bit old and sluggish off the line, definitely does not spin the wheels from a standstill.

However she rips from 50km/h+ - even kicking down to 1st gear, or hold 1st up to 50, and then booting it, until she's really warmed up, and then she feels like she's fighting herself a bit or something and the power curve definitely falls off.

=========================================================================

-- what ideas do you guys have as to what this grinding/whirring during braking sound might be?

-does a dying t/c do this under braking?

-does a transmission (hence why hearing it the most when holding 1st gear with the automatic shifter do this under braking?

----------------------------------------------------------------

any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks Everyone!

Dan