Help me diagnose a drivetrain problem
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 16
From: Nashville TN
Help me diagnose a drivetrain problem
Guys I need some help, here is the deal. The car is an 02Z, stock engine, ECS Novi 2000, Tex single clutch, DTE rear, stock tranny. I was at the drag strip on Sat. I made some good passes with some decent 1.55 60's. After my last pass there is a knocking in the drivetrain. It sounds like it might be originating in the rear and traveling up the torque tube. You can feel it in the shifter. It is hard to pin point the exact location. It is a steady thud/knocking sound. It occurs when the car is under a light load and in every gear. The sound stops when you push in the clutch or put the car in neutral, but this unloads the drivetrain. I do not think it is in the engine or clutch. The tranny still shifts OK. The knocking does change frequency with a gear change and gets louder as you go faster. I suspect it is in either the torque tube(possibly bearings), tranny, or rear differential. Hopefully when I start tearing it apart something will be obvious, but I fear it might be hard to pin point the problem. Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this? Surely someone has been here before.
Thanks for the help
Chris
Thanks for the help
Chris
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Sounds like a torque tube problem. If you have access to lift, you can put it in gear while on the lift and then verify wher noise is coming from.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 16
From: Nashville TN
I thought about putting it on the lift, but it only makes the noise when under load. So that would not help.
-Slowhawk, are you referring to the bolts that attach the coupler to the spline shaft. If it were those bolts I would think it would make the noise all the time and not just under load.
I guess I'll start with the torque tube and go from there.
Thanks guys.
-Slowhawk, are you referring to the bolts that attach the coupler to the spline shaft. If it were those bolts I would think it would make the noise all the time and not just under load.
I guess I'll start with the torque tube and go from there.
Thanks guys.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
I thought about putting it on the lift, but it only makes the noise when under load. So that would not help.
-Slowhawk, are you referring to the bolts that attach the coupler to the spline shaft. If it were those bolts I would think it would make the noise all the time and not just under load.
I guess I'll start with the torque tube and go from there.
Thanks guys.
-Slowhawk, are you referring to the bolts that attach the coupler to the spline shaft. If it were those bolts I would think it would make the noise all the time and not just under load.
I guess I'll start with the torque tube and go from there.
Thanks guys.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...&postcount=141
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,425
Likes: 1,146
From: Dyer, IN
Guys I need some help, here is the deal. The car is an 02Z, stock engine, ECS Novi 2000, Tex single clutch, DTE rear, stock tranny. I was at the drag strip on Sat. I made some good passes with some decent 1.55 60's. After my last pass there is a knocking in the drivetrain. It sounds like it might be originating in the rear and traveling up the torque tube. You can feel it in the shifter. It is hard to pin point the exact location. It is a steady thud/knocking sound. It occurs when the car is under a light load and in every gear. The sound stops when you push in the clutch or put the car in neutral, but this unloads the drivetrain. I do not think it is in the engine or clutch. The tranny still shifts OK. The knocking does change frequency with a gear change and gets louder as you go faster. I suspect it is in either the torque tube(possibly bearings), tranny, or rear differential. Hopefully when I start tearing it apart something will be obvious, but I fear it might be hard to pin point the problem. Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this? Surely someone has been here before.
Thanks for the help
Chris
Thanks for the help
Chris
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,585
Likes: 15
From: New Hartford IA
If it had anything to do with the torque tube it wouldn't increase with speed, but with engine rpm. As you said it gets faster as the speeds increase so I would think it's something in the transmission or further back.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,425
Likes: 1,146
From: Dyer, IN
I'm confused......provided the car is in motion(and the clutch is not slipping), how to you not have an increase in engine rpm without an increase in speed
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 16
From: Nashville TN
I talked to TJ at RPM and he thinks it is in the torque tube. So I am going to tear it apart.
Last time I tore the TT apart, I had to borrow a set of pliers. Where can I buy a big set of snap ring pliers to get that stupid 5" snap ring off? I did a search and can not find a large screw style pliers.
Last time I tore the TT apart, I had to borrow a set of pliers. Where can I buy a big set of snap ring pliers to get that stupid 5" snap ring off? I did a search and can not find a large screw style pliers.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 1
Just think of the torque tube as a REALLY REALLY long input shaft to the transmission