Corvette.Jeff Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 (edited) I dont really post here about real cars besides in a few threads, but about three months ago my 'vette started making a clinking noise from inside the differential. So a few months of being chauffeured around by my mom(or driving her Taurus) and working nonstop i had enough extra scratch saved up to buy some major parts for my 'vette. So here we are today, i took apart the diffy yesterday night(i slept in a little to long,lol) and this morning i finally found out why my 'vette was clinking. So here we have everything that I've taken out(minus the driveshaft) (and yes the differential does go together in two pieces like they do on the models.lol) Heres the main damage, its kinda hard to see but the part that connects withe the driveshaft is missing a tooth. Last but not least heres what broke off, its laying next to a 16mm socket. Just thought i'd share with ya'll some of my fustration and what happens when you do burnouts in a 25 year old car.lol Happy motoring,Jeff Edited June 21, 2009 by ThatOneEmoKid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torinobradley Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I think all of us gearhead have little broken bits of memorabilia. I have chunks of a piston and the valve spring (now in 3 pieces) that caused my 289 to become a boat anchor, amoung many other broken bits in a little jar in the garage. Broken second gear band of a C4, etc, etc, etc... I think my brother still has a chunk of his powerglide he blew up at 100 mph ('66 GTO + 389 + 2 Speed Trans + 4:11 gears + 100mph = SOMETHINGS GONNA BLOW!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 A little superglue should take care of that...then a light sanding, reassembly and you're good to go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 i swapped the whole rear axle for a later 8.8 unit and a new set of 3:55's. not sure how much money you want to spend or even if you are interested in changing anything up but at this point a move to some steeper gearing may be something to do. it's my educated guess that you are probably running some high 2:73 or similar gears in the stock differential. swapping to something along the lines of some 3:55's or even 3:73's will make your car a whole lot more fun to drive and give you an nice increase in performance. i'd go with a new Auburn posi-unit too and ensure you arent doing any lame peg-leg burnouts. Dave I had a 3:54 axle in my '69 AMX (390 C.I., 4spd Manual) and it was a very lively performer with that setup! (just ask some mid year Sting Ray owners! ) The axle in your 'Vette looks a lot like what happened to my beloved '65 Volvo P1800. It was making a "clinking" noise (very subtle at first) which I kept ignoring. I eventually took it to the Volvo dealer and they wanted $1500 (!! ) to fix it! One day I went out to move the car because they were street cleaning that day..............wouldn't move forwards or backwards. I ended up selling the car-------I wish I hadn't looking back as they're as scarce as hens teeth now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 glad you just heard some "clinking" i broke teeth off the pinion gear in my '85 Mustang and it would skip teeth while trying to accelerate or even worse lock up the rear axle momentarily while at cruising speeds i swapped the whole rear axle for a later 8.8 unit and a new set of 3:55's. not sure how much money you want to spend or even if you are interested in changing anything up but at this point a move to some steeper gearing may be something to do. it's my educated guess that you are probably running some high 2:73 or similar gears in the stock differential. swapping to something along the lines of some 3:55's or even 3:73's will make your car a whole lot more fun to drive and give you an nice increase in performance. i'd go with a new Auburn posi-unit too and ensure you arent doing any lame peg-leg burnouts. Dave no one wheel donuts for me this baby's got lsd the 'vette will burnout unlike anything i've ever done a burnout in(thats saying alot!) she'll start sliding towards one side untill you let up off of either the throttle or the brake. I think i have 3:11's in it right now(thats what my corvette friends told me i had) I have thought about upgrading to some better gears but shes really my main source of transportation at the moment(at least till i can find a cheap datsun 510 ) Its wierd describing what this diffy will do, it'll turn a whole rotation then lock up once the pinion gear hits the main drive gear(thats what i call em.lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 I think all of us gearhead have little broken bits of memorabilia. I have chunks of a piston and the valve spring (now in 3 pieces) that caused my 289 to become a boat anchor, amoung many other broken bits in a little jar in the garage. Broken second gear band of a C4, etc, etc, etc... I think my brother still has a chunk of his powerglide he blew up at 100 mph ('66 GTO + 389 + 2 Speed Trans + 4:11 gears + 100mph = SOMETHINGS GONNA BLOW!) thats what i told my dad when i saw it, i told him "dad it looks like i have another trophy " I have this, some teeth off a flywheel, a wheel that blew at 110 mph.(that was fun!) and some broken engine mounts (a result of the tire blowing at 110 ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 A little superglue should take care of that...then a light sanding, reassembly and you're good to go... A little putty here a little primer there, its all the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Youch- that looks expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 It is good to know that at least you realized a problem,With the rear diff and parked the car before you did any Major damage to the housing. a New Ring and Pinion is a lot cheaper than a housing.now with some new bearings and gears you will back on the road in a short time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfhess Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Burnouts, eh? That would cause the same kind of damage even in a brand-new car. ....the consequences of abuse...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diymirage Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Burnouts, eh? That would cause the same kind of damage even in a brand-new car. ....the consequences of abuse...... what he means to say is, you have found a weak link in your drive train and are now "offered" a primo chance to replace a out of date and inferior part with a up to date and superior part gotta love the free excuse to upgrade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuel Coupe Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 The burnouts didn't break the rearend. its the violent act of pulling all the slack of of the drivetrain that did it. when you get it back together remember these three little words, Preload preload preload.... Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyBad Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 what he means to say is, you have found a weak link in your drive train and are now "offered" a primo chance to replace a out of date and inferior part with a up to date and superior part gotta love the free excuse to upgrade Mmmmmm, I got a whole lot of weak links in my 4by. I wonder if she'll buy that excuse for more parts? I broke the front axle in my 4x4 Tracker and it costed me $1,200.oo to upgrade. Definitely have a Pro set up the new gears, don't guess or shade tree mech it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 i knew a girl that had a mid-80's Monte Carlo SS and that thing would powerbrake so easy it wasn't funny! it would twist up a bit and then the passenger rear tire would just go up in smoke for as long as you cared to hold it there. the thing barely had enough beans to get out of it's own way, but man could it spin that one tire is your 'vette an automatic or one with the 4+1 standard transmission? Dave Its a auto thankfully, i've heard horor storys about 4+3 transmisions. Heres what i know about my Transmision, its a th700r4 with a stage two shift kit, the owner before the guy i bought it from had a speed shop or something and did a little modifying to the stock tranny and motor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 It is good to know that at least you realized a problem,With the rear diff and parked the car before you did any Major damage to the housing. a New Ring and Pinion is a lot cheaper than a housing.now with some new bearings and gears you will back on the road in a short time. Yea right when i first started hearing the noise i parked it, i only moved it a couple times to wash the dust off(and that was just intot he driveway.lol) I've gotten a few quotes for the gear i need, its gonna be around $100(unless i can find someone withe the same gears laying around from a upgrade) and thats not counting shop time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 The burnouts didn't break the rearend. its the violent act of pulling all the slack of of the drivetrain that did it. when you get it back together remember these three little words, Preload preload preload.... Have fun Prelaod? wahts that? i didnt do this drag racing(i didnt even get a chance to take it to the strip ) it all started about a week and ahalf after i got it, i was coming back from bluffdale after visiting my sister(and showing her the car) and about the time i got back to my town(granbury, round trip about thirty miles) it started, so i pulled into a parking lot to see if i ranover something and it was caught in my driveshaft, well nothing was. so i parked it that night and worked on it the next weekend. I jacked it up where the rear tires would spin freeley and put it in nuetrale then spun the tires by hand, it felt like either a u-joint was bad or it was the hubs. so i worked almost nonstop for the next three months and here i am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 Mmmmmm, I got a whole lot of weak links in my 4by. I wonder if she'll buy that excuse for more parts? I broke the front axle in my 4x4 Tracker and it costed me $1,200.oo to upgrade. Definitely have a Pro set up the new gears, don't guess or shade tree mech it.. thats basically what happened to my cousins blazer, only he didnt catch it soon enough and lost a wheel going down the highway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuel Coupe Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Prelaod? wahts that? i didnt do this drag racing(i didnt even get a chance to take it to the strip ) it all started about a week and ahalf after i got it, i was coming back from bluffdale after visiting my sister(and showing her the car) and about the time i got back to my town(granbury, round trip about thirty miles) it started, so i pulled into a parking lot to see if i ranover something and it was caught in my driveshaft, well nothing was. so i parked it that night and worked on it the next weekend. I jacked it up where the rear tires would spin freeley and put it in nuetrale then spun the tires by hand, it felt like either a u-joint was bad or it was the hubs. so i worked almost nonstop for the next three months and here i am. you dont have to be drag racing to do the damage you did. power braking or ever top fuel style long smokey burnout will do the samething if you dont preload. Just remember its a vette, it may be fiberglass but its still a heavy pig... To preload it place your foot on the brake(or set the line lock) and ease into the throttle until you feel the car "bind up" once you do that , let her rip. Im not bashing on you I just know what can cause that kind of damage. Plus (I may be corrected here) those vette rears are pretty weak to begine with so with the "mild" engine and trans work the previous owner did may have played a roll too. fix it a beat the heck out of it some more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 you dont have to be drag racing to do the damage you did. power braking or ever top fuel style long smokey burnout will do the samething if you dont preload. Just remember its a vette, it may be fiberglass but its still a heavy pig... To preload it place your foot on the brake(or set the line lock) and ease into the throttle until you feel the car "bind up" once you do that , let her rip. Im not bashing on you I just know what can cause that kind of damage. Plus (I may be corrected here) those vette rears are pretty weak to begine with so with the "mild" engine and trans work the previous owner did may have played a roll too. fix it a beat the heck out of it some more oh! thats what preloading is! i usually do that anyway! i usually do it so i dont twist a driveshaft, plus it always took me a few times to get a burnout going in the 'vette(remember though i only drove it for a few weeks ) once i fix it its up to kennedale to the drag strip see if a i cant get into the 13's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 plus if i had been thinking before i took it out of town i woulda' checked the diffy thats about the only thing i didnt check before i left! it might have also been crakced a little bit before i left town and just on the way back it went ahead and broke off. My subs wouldnt of helped it break would it? When i ususally go down the road i dont have the radio up that loud, but that night i had it over half way playing a song with really low frequancy bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuel Coupe Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 i really dont think your stereo had anything to do with it but music can sometimes inspire some "spirited" driving anytime you buy a used car you end up with a car you have no idea what it's been through before you owned it. there's is no way to know what the previous owners or even drivers did with the car or truck. things breaking is just a part of life and car ownership. Dave Good point Dave. More than likely the abuse to the rearend occurred with the previous owner and had little to do with you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mustang3.8 Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I know how you feel, Jeff. I just had to replace the distributor in my '83 Mustang GL. It was completely fried! And as for burnouts, I'm pretty sure my car can do some killer ones. She's got a rear wheel drive posi-trac. I've never tried to burnout in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.l.nye Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 that is some "good" carnage! I drive a E350 box truck that has had a tooth missing like that for 20000 miles!!!A little whine and a clunk here and there but it works...The worst I did in my own vehicles is a cam shaft piece about 4 inches long in the oil pan and 2 lifters flat out gone.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 21, 2009 Author Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) I know how you feel, Jeff. I just had to replace the distributor in my '83 Mustang GL. It was completely fried! And as for burnouts, I'm pretty sure my car can do some killer ones. She's got a rear wheel drive posi-trac. I've never tried to burnout in it. Once i get my 'vette fixed we could have a burnout contest let the memmbers decide whos te victor! I may have to drive it like it is just to wherever my dads being transfered untill i can find some new parts, i dont want to but i might have to Edited June 21, 2009 by ThatOneEmoKid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvette.Jeff Posted June 21, 2009 Author Share Posted June 21, 2009 i really dont think your stereo had anything to do with it but music can sometimes inspire some "spirited" driving anytime you buy a used car you end up with a car you have no idea what it's been through before you owned it. there's is no way to know what the previous owners or even drivers did with the car or truck. things breaking is just a part of life and car ownership. Dave I promise i dont drive like a bat out of hell like most 18 year olds i've only had it up to 90mph. and didnt even realize it till i looked at the speedo I tend to drive nice and slow(at least thats what my folks say) if oyu dont how else are the girls gonna notice you driving a 'vette? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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