re:Drive train rumble

["Reid, Warren" <Warren.Reid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bob,

Read your problem in A.D. and would like to confide in you in that I think I
know the exact sound you are talking about, although not quite sure about
the actual cure for the problem.

I have a 86 Spider which also produces a rumble on take off from somewhere
in the rear end/driveshaft area. Its only in first gear and momentarily at
take-off. If I remember rightly the intensity varies according to how hard
you take off also. Clutch dumping (and more mild) take-offs are more likely
to produce it than light clutch fethering ones.

Now, I'm not quite sure about this prognosis, but I suspect I know what the
problem is. When I was working in the US back in 1993/94, the Spider was the
one and only car I had access to. A few weeks after buying it I decided that
the universals in the car should be replaced before I went on any longish
trips. I had access to a hoist for a few hours and went for it. What should
have been a 2 hour job turned into a 4 to 5 hour job because I had trouble
getting the new universals into the driveshaft yokes. Anyway when it was
finally all together (5 minutes before I had to be out of the shop, I
discovered that I had left one of the small springs out of one of the
universals which preload the cups to keep them against the circlips. Ever
since then I've had that minor rumble at take off and have always wondered
whether that is the problem.

I'm pretty sure the car didn't do it (rumble) before then, although it was
hard to tell beforehand because of all the other racket the universals were
making. I guess if you can slide one of the cups in and out of the universal
yoke then this may be your problem. I must check mine again one day,
although the Spider doesn't get driven very often. Hope this helps.

Warren Reid
Melbourne Australia.

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