Propshaft help

Thu Jun 25, 2015 5:49 pm

Help needed please

Driving back from the school run today I started to slow and got a vibration starting like running over the thick painted lines on the road when your slowing down on motorways, thought it was brakes so checked under car couldn't see anything and then started getting a loud knocking noise, then sounded like prop spinning and the bolts catching as the prop spins.

Nursed it to the garage as was going to get mot anyway and crawled it as slow as I could there.

Got it up on the ramp and the bearing up by the gearbox was diagnosed you could move the prop massively from that end, owner said take it round the block and he drove off in it and you could hear it really loud and he came back and agreed that it wasn't really drivable.

Left it with him and he called later today to say its done i go to collect then Drive off and I've got a different vibrating coming from the back, like the first vibrating like driving over painted lines when I accelerate.

Any ideas what it could be I've left it there with him as he said drive it for a couple of days and i said no i need it fixed, also could he have damaged something else taking it for a spin to confirm what I told him it was really fucking loud as he drove off?

Any help apprieciated

Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:08 pm

Did they replace the rubber gulibo at the front ?

It'sa good idea to replace the center bearing as well.

The nuts used are self locking(not nyloc ) do are considered single use.

Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:13 pm

He showed me a bearing in a rubber mount that had failed but that's all he's changed, he's gonna get that part swappe out to see if sorts it but I don't know if it will the major knocking had gone but getting a vibration when I accelerate

Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:10 pm

Poss center bearing worn....

Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:40 pm

He said he marked it when removing so it went back the same, could the centre bearing be gone as well then l had no prop issue's at all before this morning no vibrations no knocking or warning that anything was on its way out, which part is the guibo?

Have to see what he says tomorrow, are centre bearings expensive?

Fri Jun 26, 2015 2:30 pm

Thanks for all the advice so far but it's still not right and I've had to bring it home

I've been under the car with him and he's shown me the work done, it was the centre bearing he changed the rubber holding the bearing was knackered and he says he's swapped it for another one in case the first was faulty. I got him to check the uj's and he says they are fine he says there's no movement up the gearbox end that he can feel and he's at a loss as to what it could be so I'm a bit p**sed off at the moment.

I'm still getting a shuddering under acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear from 2k if I accelerate quite hard but not so noticeable in 3rd not tried the rest of the gears yet, its not a major vibration and the car is drivable now but there's still something wrong, I feel it's coming from the back end but I could be wrong.

The guy didn't have any other suggestion apart from getting the prop balanced but he said it may come back fine so what do I try next as he couldn't give me any other idea saying he's done loads of them and never had one come back with this problem

It definitely was not there before and as I've said I've never had problems with the prop before, maybe he didn't change it again and I've been fobbed off??

Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:51 pm

I don't class myself as a master mechanic just someone who can read and use his hands.
If you don't have faith in the people working on your car and wonder if they are lying to you then
The only advice I can give you is to buy a Haynes manual and read it then jack your car up and get underneath it (on axle stands obviously) and find what's wrong with your car.E30's must be one of the most easiest cars to work on with basic simple mechanics (mainly) and very satisfying when your driving your car all fixed and it was you who done it!

Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:08 pm

I know what your saying and you're right I probably could but it's a combination of lack of tools and confidence that stop me doing it, I use my car daily and don't have the time to be doing stuff myself, would be a different story if it was a hobby I'd have the time.

I've had such a sh*t time with mechanics, I used to have a friend who was the best I've ever known but he went back to Sicily and I've had one after another who always cause me problems when I put my car into them.

I'm usually quite good with knowing what's wrong with my car but I've never experienced this before just not sure what to look at fixing wise, the four mechanics and owner couldn't tell me what the problem could be they just fixed the obvious problem and scratched their heads when I took it back twice