Driveline vibration summary

["Livio Passera" <livio@domain.elided>]

A while back I posted a question regarding driveline vibrations
on my 1973 Berlina.  I received a few off-list answers and will
summarize them now for the benefit of others who might have
a similar problem.  I've thanked these digesters off-list but
have to reiterate that I have learned so much by getting some
tips and then just going for it.  I recommend you try it too.
Some of these answers may be obvious to most, some may
not.  If I misquote anyone well, there's your warning.
I should add that I have not solved the problem
yet but will post the result once she is all buttoned up!

Possible reasons for driveline (or driveline-like) vibrations:

1. Out of balance wheels - easy enough to diagnose by moving
wheels from front to back.  Front wheel vibration felt in steering wheel,
rear wheel vibration felt in the seat of your pants.
2.  Loosened large nut on transmission output shaft. - allows driveshaft
to move forwards and backwards.
3. Dead U-joints in drive shaft.
4. Damaged rubber donut.
5. Damaged hanger bearing.  Bearing or rubber support could be shot.
6. Driveline shafts bent out of shape or out of balance.  Once removed
can be checked at a truck shop.
With the drive shaft out (or propeller shaft as the workshop manual calls it)
 I checked the driveshaft bushing and the ball on the output shaft of the
tranny.
Both show a high degree of wear.  Since my second and third synchros are
bad and I have a suspected bad throwout bearing a tranny rebuild is around the
corner.
It is also important to apply grease inside the bushing before reinserting the
driveshaft yoke
on the tranny output shaft.

That's it for now.

Livio Passera
ARCC member, Toronto
77 Spider
73 Berlina
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