This is going to be a very broad description about my problem but here it goes:

At around 3,000 rpm in first gear I hear a grinding noise. Metal to metal banging around. This is typically in first gear. It may do it sometimes in other gears but usually in first. This is an automatic as well. No engine mods as of now.
Only major thing I've done to this day is seafoam the car a few times.

Any help appreciated.

Edit: This is a 98 Civic lx. With about 65,000- miles on the engine.

 

hard to say but im guessing the tranny is going out, have you checked the fluid level??

 

Edited original post. But I hope thats not it.

 

i hope its not also, but thats what is sounds like have you checked the exhaust to see if it loose and maybey rubbing against the undernieth. how does it drive when it makes this sound, slugish or normal.??

 

Oh it drives perfectly normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. Its just the sound that I'm woried about. Could it be debir running in the car from seafoaming?

 

hmmmm thats weird, drives fine huh. then i would say check the inspection cover se if its loose, it has to be something loose under there

 

Thats what Im hoping. Ill look under the car again when it gets nice out.

 

Maybe the brakes? just a thought

 

My civic sounds like it doing the same thing. Its a metallic noise, kinda hard to explain. It does it when its getting to high rpm's before getting ready to go into the next gear. It only does it when it his has to go above 3500 rpm to shift. If it stays lower than that you cant hear it. It also doesnt seem like theres any loss of power either. I'm stumped. This started last year, nobody can seem to find any issues with it though.

 

A common problem for those noises (other than a busted up tranny, which we hope not) is, as said above, a rattle from a loose component. You only hear it at certain rpm's when the vibration frequency is just right. Check the exhaust thoroughly for any loose heat shields or clamps, give the exhaust a good shake to see if it's banging into any thing else.