e12 guru's: help wanted

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:40 pm

I was climbing up a steep incline on my way to a costumers house when something pooped out in my car and i had no ability to move. I had to park my car on the incline but even in neutral on my way back down the hill i could here clunking from the underbelly.
Here are some symptoms of what caused the breakdown and the preface of it.
---Bought brand new guibo [Lemforder? (not the doughnut one)] and c.s.b. from 002 salvage, i did everything correct. i.e. align driveshaft, make sure arrows are on the right way etc.etc. my car rides supper smooth now fyi.
-I here a clunking noise but cant pinpoint where its coming from, differential maybe?
-clutch grabs and i can insert the shifter into every gear with minimal effort, i think?
-the driveshaft isn't moving, for an example, I put my car in first and accelerated as if i were to get out of the gear but my car remains stationary, it just wont move or stall out. I can move the shifter into any gear i want, but still nothing. Im beginning to think its a problem in the clutch because My driveshaft isn't moving, but i can still put it into any gear easily. Engine works but i cant generate that power into my wheels. Again it cant be the driveline I hope to god its not my transmission. Is there a possibility it could be my diff or clutch/pressure plate?

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:13 pm

Just to make sure i get everything across. their is a clunking noise, think a metal bracelet twirled around on a metal rod you can only hear it when the car is moving in neutral. Stationary with gears engaged i dont move and rarely ever hear that sound. It honestly sounds like its coming from the differntial but from my past experience where it 'sounds' like its coming from is rarely accurate. i.e. thought i had a problem in my transmission once, but it was really my fan clutch.
I've been doing some research, potential culprit include, an axle popped out.. clutch/pressure plate/ slave cylinder and fluid levels, transmission shifter linkages, driveshaft issues (i know thats not the problem I fixed the issues already) differential.
any help is greatly appreciated

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:41 pm

Did you also change the 'center bearing' on the drive shaft when you did the guibo?
Just a guess.

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:46 pm

yep csb has been replaced with a new one

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Mon Jan 18, 2016 3:25 pm

update: with the car off and in first gear. I can move it forward by pushing it, so im assuming it is a problem with the clutch or throwout bearing??

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Mon Jan 18, 2016 5:32 pm

If you mean it moves as though it isn't in gear,
I would start small & think about the tranny linkage?
Or maybe the clutch master cylinder? But, I don't think that would
cause the noise. Try the linkage.

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 2:03 am

hi greg, im beginning to think its a problem with a linkage too.. I wont be able to get it on stands until all this raining has stopped tho.

thx

Mike W. · Post by **Mike W.** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 11:22 am

It does kind of sound like the diff, but until you get it in the air it's just guessing.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 2:41 pm

If the driveshaft doesn't move with car in gear, running, it would t be the differential as you are not getting any motive force to it. Since you did recent work on driveline, I'd first look at mechanical connection between transmission to drive shaft. Maybe driveshaft is disengaged?Did the problem appear instantaneously? Clunking while rolling suggest driveshaft wobble; something came loose and allowed ds to disengage. With one wheel in the air try turning wheel by hand, in neutral, driveshaft should turn, but not with car in gear. When you get it in the air try turning the drive shaft by hand with transmission in gear. Shouldn't budge. Of course you'll have wheels blocked so it can't roll. If driveshaft spins with car in gear, you'll know the problem lies between shaft and engine. Also might try starting it and trying to engage a gear without clutch, gingerly. You'll know by the sound if the clutch is good or not. Grinding=good, slipping into gear without driving away=problem between tranny and engine.

My money's on the driveshaft.

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:04 pm

The first half of the driveshaft tore off the beginning of the u joint. Thoughts on why this happened? I made sure the splines were relatively within the exact same place from where I seperated them from.

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:16 pm

Shit by Aneet Sahota, on Flickr[/img]

neetyrom · Post by **neetyrom** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:17 pm

sorry for the humongous picture, im guessing cause it wasnt perfectly aligned when i put everything back together.

JodyStevens · Post by **JodyStevens** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 7:03 pm

Wow

Does the rear diff still turn? Either the driveshaft was damaged/weak for a while and the extra load on the hill finished it off, or, there was a sudden stoppage in the rear(ie. The diff seized up) and the torque sheared the driveshaft.

Not really a symptom of unaligned driveshaft, and if it was out of balance enough to cause that kind of damage you would have known for a while.

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 7:51 pm

That is really unfortunate. Ditto what Jody said. Looks as thought the center mount gave up as well. Hard to know what failed first. When you checked the ds alignment after install was it at just one point or did you rotate ds and check for trueness? I'm thinking maybe play at the guibo caused the center mount to fail leading to driveshaft wreckage. But hey, it wasn't the tranny!

RonDwyer · Post by **RonDwyer** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 2:50 pm

This is crazy. After everything we talked about regarding the driveshaft rubber parts while we were driving your car the shaft breaks. I have a driveshaft here if you need it. Call me at 510-590-7369 Ron