BANG! SNAP! Why me?

[FiatDavidFiat]

I started accelerating from a red light when all of a sudden I hear loud cracking and metal-snapping sounds... What could it be? I'm thinking it's only the teeth on the clutch or a gear snapping off.. maybe a gear in the rear differential.. anyone heard this before?

It'd be helpful if anyone knows links to videos for replacing the clutch or flywheel.. maybe doing work on the rear-dif? Thanks...

[So Cal Mark]

could be a bad ujoint or a broken diff. There aren't any teeth on the clutch

[FiatDavidFiat]

what about the flywheel or the gears? I'm thinking it probably isn't those because I still drove it a half a mile or so back to my house.. I noticed it didn't make any noise if I accelerated slowly.. (you're giving me hope!) =S

[FiatDavidFiat]

How do I tell if the Ujoint is broken? I'm gonna check the rear dif tomorrow also. After these, if I don't find a problem, I'm gonna drain the tranny to see if it has metal in the fluids..

[ventura ace]

Check the rubber donut, also.

Alvon

[FiatDavidFiat]

By 'rubber donut', do you mean the rubber donut drive axel coupling? Where is this situated? I've never heard of it before now...

[4uall]

This might help



http://124racer.wordpress.com/2012/05/1 ... -replaced/

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 2&p=161544

[FiatDavidFiat]

Brilliant! Yes, thank you!

One other question I have that may pertain to what has happened is that while I was driving it the other day I notice a high-pitched whine, which I attributed to the tires on the pavement, and it drowned out the engine and everything else while the top was up. I'm wondering if this might indicate what may have gone out.. will be under the car within the hour!

[FiatDavidFiat]

I ran the car in nuetral and it sounds great.. I put it up on jacks and put it in gear.. as soon as I let off the clutch it was squeaking. I removed the driveshaft and checked the driveshaft coupling and the U-joints.. they look fine.

I was told that if I drive it and allow it to coast in nuetral that if it's the axel/differential that it'll make grinding and grating sounds.. I did that and there was no sound while in nuetral and moving. I think this rules out the rear axel/differential as well.

This narrows it down to either the clutch, the flywheel, or the transmission.. can anyone narrow it down further before I pull the transmission? I will remove it, check the clutch and flywheel, and if I don't see anything than I will assume that I should rebuild the tranny.. I've never done this on a car before, but I have a book that lays it out nicely.. Anyone know where and how much I can get a transmission rebuild kit for? - cheap please, I have to borrow $$ to pay for it =(

[So Cal Mark]

trannys don't usually make that noise. Does it do it in every gear? Before I just started dismantling things, I'd try to pinpoint the noise. When you removed the driveshaft, was the pinion yoke loose?

[FiatDavidFiat]

I'm going to take it to the shop in the morning to have them diagnose it before I rip the tranny off or pull the back axel to get at the dif. =/

[FiatDavidFiat]

So, it looks like it was the bearing and support on the driveshaft! I had tried to get at this before I took it to the shop, but I couldn't get the U-joint to come off.. Now that I have the new part in it seems obvious that the old one was busted.. The new one holds together as a single unit.. the old one was able to slide back and forth and separate.. if only I had realized this before taking it into the shop ;( Anyway.. They open tomorrow (Monday) and they'll give me a quote as to how much it costs to change it out for me.. mind you, I'd do it myself if I hadn't already sunk $100 into the cost for diagnosis, which goes toward repair if they do it.. Shouldn't be more than $150-$200 in my eyes.. I pulled that shaft off and put it back on within an hour.. they should have no problem.

[rlux4]

Something to consider when you get thier quote vs. diy, the bearing will need to be pressed on. Being in such bad shape you should be able to get the old one off without a press, but if you don't have one an expense for diy will be a shop to do the pressing. Also, if you're unaware, you should mark the orientation of the drive shaft sections so it goes back together the same way it came out.
Ron

[FiatDavidFiat]

Huh.. good point.. What's the purpose of marking the orientation? I didn't do this when I took it off...

[divace73]

Huh.. good point.. What's the purpose of marking the orientation? I didn't do this when I took it off...

often its a case of you know the shaft was balanced and working in the last state, not putting it back in the original position can make trouble shooting a little harder down the track if there is a vibration issue?? Saying that, you may be just as fine in the new position....