Looseness in prop shaft

Technical Area Engine, Transmission, Exhaust etc
2

A few weeks ago I started a thread on my Mk1 which often judders when taking up a gear, especially 2nd.

When it was up on the ramps at Wheels in Motion I took the opportunity to look at the prop shaft.

It has ten or twenty degrees of free play in it - ie. you can swivel the shaft by hand that amount.

Also the joint when the prop meets the end of the gearbox is weeping oil (this sounds none too good).

I have a picture if anyone is interested.

Also the differential casing is extremely rusty - rust is flaking off when I touch it. Is this normal?

3

Hi, thats something that needs sorting sooner rather than later. I have no experience to be able to advise you but I would imagine the weep from the gearbox has been caused by the play in the prop.

Regards

Simon

4

Just quickly checked the transmission thread and I couldn’t find anything relating to your problem. You will have A bit of play in the prop(backlash) but is yours play in one of the joints? Might be worth you dropping A PM to somebody like Mazdamender who will probably be able to advise you and is vastly more experienced than me. Good luck

Regards

Simon

5

Thanks Mikexray.  By looseness I mean that when I grab the propshaft it rotates quite freely by 20 degrees (my estimate)

I’m not sure if this is play in the joints, but it seems a huge amount of play to me.

6

Hi

Ye I agree, it does seem excsessive. As I mentioned before I would get it seen to asap. or get some further advice

Regards

Simon

7

 Hi, some free play is normal, you were feeling the slack in any UJs and the diff and halfshafts. If there’s no excessive diff noise/whine it should be fine.

What you need to do is pull and push the prop up and down looking for play at the gearbox tail bearing. If there’s no play and just an oil leak the gearbox tail seal can be changed with the prop out and the box still in.

Then turn the front of the shaft whilst keeping an eye on the rear to check for play in the prop UJ.

The judder may be oil on the clutch or even engine/gearbox/diff mounts, does the gearstick move much under load?

If everything looks ok and the clutch works well otherwise (no slip) you can try burning any contamination off by slipping it gently between gears or pulling off in 3rd a couple of times, obviously don’t do this to excess or if the juddering becomes very harsh but it can clear a lightly contaminated plate.  

8

I don’t think this is a slippy clutch, though the clutch bite point is quite high which might indicate a new clutch sometime.

I see Autolink have a second hand propshaft for 60 pounds, which is reasonable.

It doesn;t look that big a job to fit one, plus the rear gearbox oil seal.

I will be starting a thread in a minute in West London / south Central to see if a kind soul will let me get the car up on their ramps.

9

 

 

Hi, No point buying a prop if your UJ is ok Smile and no point fitting a seal if the tail bearing has gone! You need to get it in the air again to check and make a plan. The seal is do-able in the car but the exhaust may need dropping.