2003 ES - Clunking/Transmission problems.
 

2003 Mitsubishi Galant ES - 2.4L 4cy - 110k miles - automatic transmission.

About a week ago my wife informed me that her car was making a "clunking" sound when she accelerated and when she would turn right. So I took the car around the block, and sure enough it was clunking, and not just a single clunk, a rapid clunking. Like if you stick your finger into a fan kinda clunking. Mainly when the car was at a dead stop and accelerating and while turning right. Once you reach about 25mph the sound would just fade away and the car sounded and drove fine. The sound seemed to come from the center/left(behind the steering wheel) of the engine and at some points it was so bad it made the car shake.

My first thought was a CV joint going bad, so I took the wheels off and had a look, they looked fine. So I "googled" and asked around, and a few people suggested the motor mounts, checked those, and they look okay, but I was having a hard time seeing the back one.

So I took the car for another spin, I went to an empty parking lot and started doing circles, going left, the car was silent, going right, "clunking" like crazy. So I held the brake lightly and I heard a "snap!" and then "buzzzzzzzz", the car came to a stop. The car wouldn't move in drive or reverse, it just made a rubbing sound. When I put it in park it would make a horrible grinding sound, but only for a second. I jacked it up, started the engine and put it in drive, the wheels would move, but I could literally grab them and they would stop. When I would tug back and forth on the passenger side wheel, I can hear a clunking sound from the transmission. I also noticed when I hit the brakes with the wheels spinning in the air, the engine would violently rock back and forth, so I'm pretty sure the front and rear motor mounts are destroyed. My step father also notice that when I changed from drive to reverse the transmission would twist a bit as well. So my theory is that with the engine twisting and tweaking around, it caused the CV axles to get misaligned(?) and destroy the transmission, but I'm honestly stumped. So, anyone have any ideas before I call the local junk yard?

nope. you broke something good and proper.

does it have a transaxle? or is it a normal half-shaft gearbox? either way, sounds like you stripped the input spline. or, (slightly cheaper) shagged the clutch rotor plate.

also, i'd say you're at least right on shagged engine mounts.

only way to really find out is to drop the box out.

It has a half-shaft.

sorry,my thinking is a bit upside down today. half shafts into a slip diff, or straight into the gearbox?
either way, you're pulling it apart.

i'm having a similar sound... nowhere near sticking your finger in a fan... but it does it MOSTLY when accelerating up until about 25mph.. then fades away. haven't noticed it being exacerbated by turning. I have a 2004 Lancer ES auto with the 2.0L Haven't checked my motor mounts.. as soon as i get a semi-warm day i'll look at it..