Rattle at start up like a tensioner, or worse.
After inspecting the chain and tensioner, all looked good and tight.

Turns out that the recent transmission rebuild and new torque converter we culprits.

The torque converter bolts had come loose...SURPRIZE

 

What used the old bolts with no Loctite ? New bolts are dipped in Locite

Here's a chart for the torque specs

GM 2.2L-134ci-S4 Torque Specifications - TorkSpec - Knowledge for the Motorhead

 

guess the repair shop didnt have a torque wrench handy....or any locktite....

 

Lol...just try and get a torque wrench in there! Loctite helps for sure. I haven't replaced my bolts, both engines have not given me any trouble.

 

Have you seen the socket torque adapters at HF? I think there is one for crescents too.

I don't know if I would put a lot of trust in them, but.

 

Well we are in the next chapter of the story on this transmission repair.
I went for a couple hour road trip, and on the way back a CEL came on and it started to idle crummy at a stop, so I put it in neutral until the traffic lights turned green. Then I shifted it manually to keep the hards shifts somewhat under control.
It's shifting hard shifting through the gears and when it shifts down.
So it's back to the transmission shop again Monday. Hopefully they will honor their warrenty. 12,000 miles or 12 months, and I'm 4 months and and 3,000 miles.

I don't want to risk driving it any farther to get the codes pulled.

Any ideas on hard shifts.It's in every gear.
I stopped and let it cool off a couple of times on the way home, and the cooling off calmed it down for a while, then back to being a bucking bronco!

I really like this little truck, but the honeymoon is definitely over.

 

Loose ground wires? Depending on the codes it could be a VVT solenoid failure also.

 

I checked the ground wire on the engine and it's clean and tight.
Tomorrow when it is cooled off real good, I will nurse it to the "zoners" to pull the CEL codes

 

The Zoner pulled the codes.
P0700 transaxle control malfunction
P0842 Transmission Fluid Pressure Switch Circuit low voltage

And without asking the Zoner cleared the codes, usually that's a good thing.
But it would be helpful when I take back to the tranny shop to have the CEL turned on so they could pull them with a good scanner.

I drove around town and the hard shifting stopped, but when you pull up to a stop it shudders till it gets into 1st gear.

So we will wait till Monday, and see what happens at the Transmission shop.

I hope the transmission Fluid pressure sensor is an external part.