Hawk73ku

I seem to be making every possible mistake on my first ever rebuild experience. Today it's replacing the drive line ( I always thought it was called a drive shaft). As I was putting the 'drive line' on I discovered it would not fit with C-Beam installed. With incredible disbelief I rushed to the service manual and sho-nuff. (expletive) It was a bitch getting those C-Beam bolts lined up and now I have to take at least 3 off? grrr

But what I noticed in the manual is it says to mark relationship of drive line to pinion. WTF?? I'm piecing this thing together after it was disassembled years ago and there aren't any markings that I see. How important is this and what can I do to mitigate?

WVZR-1

You have no choice and you will NOT have any issues. Did you replace or were any u-joints replaced while the drive-shaft was out of the car? It is customary to index the relationship of the shaft to the pinion when you remove but it's certainly seldom an issue. Relax - it will likely get worse. Enjoy the moments and the project.

What is the project?

Tom400CFI

Not important.



The drive shaft (I call it a drive shaft, b/c it's a shaft). is balanced by itself...not as an assembly with the pinion, so it doesn't matter which way it goes back together.

Hawk73ku

I was given a 96 Vette with thrown rod bearing. Engine was pulled and etc... but was told everything that came off was in boxes. Anyway I rebuilt with a SCAT crank assembly and am now piecing back together. Just running into little gotchas like this (and the wrong flex plate shipped with crank assembly and I went along fat dumb and happy and put it on only to find starter wouldn't mount ) Hopefully worst is over. Got the shaft back on, C-beam in place, and starter mounted. About to go top side and see what gotchas I can find up there.

Joe C

wish I would have seen this thread earlier - I may have been able to save you a bit of work and trouble. the FSM does indeed indicate removal of the "C" support beam prior to driveshaft removal, and I guess it holds true for installation, HOWEVER, I found on my 85, there is a formed sheet metal flange on the LH side, toward the rear, and perpendicular to the drive shaft - just forward of the pinion. there is the source of the interference for R&R the drive shaft. on my 85, I took a small grinder and removed about a 1" x .125 (maybe .250 - ???) from the flange at the interference point. the drive shaft came out without issue. I assume this holds true for all C4's. it's such a small area, that grinding down the flange has no ill effects on the structural integrity of the car. hope this helps - well, maybe maybe next time....

here's a couple shots of the area I'm talking about -