Nasty sounds from trans tunnel...

[The Wingnut]

Hey folks,

Got some disturbing sounds coming from my trans tunnel, sounds like a bad U-joint, but evidently, it's not. Only present with the clutch out and accelerating / decelerating or at cruise with a light load, an oscillating / 'revolving' scrape / clank that sounds like something's broken or in the process of breaking.

Mechanic says the clutch is good, trans is good, motor is good. I assume he means operationally. Clutch doesn't seem to have a problem, got a little 'grunchiness' going into 2nd and 3rd when cold(worn synchros, no big deal), no vibration at speed.

I'm not sure what the heck this is and I've got a 130 mile road trip coming next week, which I can't avoid. Rental car is not an option.

[Hrududu]

Check out your differential. Sounds exactly like what mine was doing before it destroyed itself. I drove it like that for several months though, but when it goes, its not good. I have some pics of the damage in my gallery.

[Pir0San]

My tranny is doing the same thing. It sounds like a scraping noise when driving, but the noise seems to come from the transmission and not the rear of the car. I've got a spare tranny, I was going to swap it and see if the sound goes away.

[The Wingnut]

Definitely not the diff, it's a fresh R200 swapped in back in December. The scraping noise is coming from the trans area.

[HizAndHerz]

Check the collar on the driveshaft yoke. If it gets dented, it'll rub the extension housing.

[jezze]

Just today my tranny started doing the same thing, I think. The sound is not loud, but it is like this scraping kind of vibrating noise. Also, if I keep my hand on the stick I can actually feel the scraping vibration. The noise and vibration only occurs when I am decelerating or accelerating. When the car is in gear or neutral when at a stop it's fine.

I checked the U-joints and only the stub axel has one that is kind of bad, but I know from experience that this is not what is causing this strange noise/vibration. My tranny mount and bolts also seems to be fine. I feel like it's something internal inside the transmission, but I'm wrong all the time, so I can't figure this one out. Anyway, I want to go five speed, so maybe it's that time.

More thoughts on this would seem to benefit a few of us at this point.

Thanks all,

Jesse

[The Wingnut]

Car's back from the mechanic and fixed.

...problem? Bad U-joints. SCARY bad. Check 'em, guys! Don't drive on them!

[1 Bravo 6]

G'Day A.J.

I take you to mean the U.J's on the driveshaft???????

Rick.

:devious: :devious:

[The Wingnut]

Yep! Front and rear, mostly the front.

[jezze]

mine was that my U-joints were kind of toasted too, but the noise/vibration was the result of those four bolts that hold the driveshaft to the diff coming loose; I mean those bolts were so loose the nuts were almost falling off. The torque of the driveshaft then bent two of the bolts, so the driveshaft at the diff end was not flush to the joining part at the diff where they bolt together. This caused the driveshaft to vibrate, hence the noise and vibration at the gearshifter.

Happy Irish Day, stay safe out there,

Jess