dragging sounds and no reverse...

[GOOBER]

(Note: Car is a five speed) So I was driving my car pretty hard today because I've been trying to get a feel of what needs to be replaced in order to pass inspection. Long story short I heard some kind of noise like something either broke loose or came off all together but it didn't seem to affect driveability in the forward gears except for the sound of something dragging (almost like it was hitting every other wheel spoke).

So I decided to head home because I was only a few blocks away. Then I tried backing into my driveway and the car would engage reverse and even move a bit, but then would abruptly stop like someone slammed on the brakes. I have no idea where to even begin. I looked to see if something was dragging but everything looks okay so I'm thinking something failed internally.

I'm kinda under the impression that it's not the transmission because I can engage all of the gears...even reverse it just backs up a little bit and than stops abruptly.

I'm wondering if it's a driveshaft problem, but I don't know what would explain the dragging sound in the forward gears.

New driveshaft? Or just replace the CSB and guibo (Neither of which have been replaced since I bought the car)

Any help on what to look for would be awesome. Thanks!

[GOOBER]

help?!

[GOOBER]

more help?

[george graves]

Tranny or diff. You're going to want to drop the exhaust and drive shaft and go from there. Get the rear wheels off the ground, and see what spins, and what is FURB'ed.

[GOOBER]

could it possibly be the ebrake getting caught up? it stops abruptly in reverse, but all the gears engage including reverse

[george graves]

Could be. Time break out the tools maybe?

[GOOBER]

ah yes...probably this weekend, I've just been wracking my brain at work today trying to narrow down the endless possibilities :(

[416stroker]

E-brake shoes could have came apart but it would bind up in the foward gears to making the wheels skid.

You might have lost the csb and the drive shaft could be binding maybe an axle shaft?
There's a few possabliities

[GOOBER]

Well I did replace the parking break shoes and new springs, but alas the problem still continues. At this point I'm leaning towards the idea that the transmission is bad, specifically the reverse gear.

I'm lead to believe this because even though the gear engages it doesn't seem to move without a lot of high revving - though it eventually does but as soon as I take my foot off the throttle it stops. Also the driveshaft spins when I move the wheels forward and reverse but it requires a little bit of strength to do because there is definately resistence.

I'm not entirely convinced that it's the transmission alone though because I heard that if the guibo goes bad it makes the car unable to drive. But again it works in the forward gears (with some dragging sounds).

I'm wondering if my best option would be to just drop the driveshaft and the transmission replace the guibo and the center bearing along with the entire transmission along with the shift linkage. Thoughts?

[jlevie]

That sounds more like a problem with the differential or half shafts than with the transmission.

[GOOBER]

I was thinking maybe the reverse gear blew out because driveshaft still moves freely in the forward gears and the flex disc looks to be recently replaced.

...maybe the half shafts are worn but I don't see that as being it because the car hasn't been making any funny vibrating noises, just dragging sounds in the forward gears.

[george graves]

I blew the diff in my m30e30. It would only roll backwards and not forwards. Just FYI.

[GOOBER]

sounds like a good excuse to upgrade to a 3.73 LSD :D

[GOOBER]

I though the diffs on e30s were indestructable. My car has an open 2.93. Are they known to fail? Are there any warning signs of a failed differential? I'd like to know if I should pull the trans or not.

[george graves]

They are - I think mine had a rare manufacturing error.

Get under there and start checking things over man. It's either the tranny, the DS or the diff. I'd pull the tranny last - as it's the biggest PITA.

We can't see what you can see, so get the tools out, stop posting, and get to work. Either that, or take it to a shop, cause at this point I really don't think you have experience/smarts to diagnose, or figure it out on your own.