Vibration while in 2nd gear ?

[Jean]

Hoping that someone here would point me in the right direction. I noticed that under wot acceleration through the gears, car vibrates more in 2nd gear than in any other gear. I can accelerate through the 1st to redline fine, go to 2nd and in the second half of the rpm range to the redline car vibrates. If I let off the gas it's fine, if I take it to redline and then shift into 3rd it goes away.

I thought it might be something with the rear end but it doesn't make sense for it to do that only in 2nd, and not in every gear.

Ideas ?

(just got an idea to try going 1st to 3rd and see if it vibrates the same at the specific mph range, while going through 3rd gear instead of 2nd. I just had wheels/tires mounted and maybe it has something to do with that )

[AndrewBird]

I would say either flex disk or center support bearing. They are picky about what gear you are in for some reason. Have you ever replaced them?

[Jean]

The flex disc was changed with the flywheel/clutch job along with urathane tranny mounts. The center support bearing i didn't change and have no records on if it was ever changed by the p.o.

[Jean]

Vibration occurs at about 30-40mph at about 3500-4000rpm, that's the most noticable spot. Not as noticable if I skip 2nd, 1 to 3.

[Rennsport]

center support will give you hell during heavy load, normal driving it wont cause any vibration (unless its completely shot of course)

[Mike325]

Does the shifter shake too? My flex disk was bad and would skake the car in first and second. It was because the shifter rod was hittling the flex disk. Get under the car real quick and take a look at it.

[golfdmb18]

Like everyone else said...most likely your guibo

[Jean]

Like everyone else said...most likely your guibo

center support actually, guibo or flex disk is brand new.

[Jean]

Does the shifter shake too? My flex disk was bad and would skake the car in first and second. It was because the shifter rod was hittling the flex disk. Get under the car real quick and take a look at it.

shifter does shake a little, but it's done that since I replaced worn tranny bushings with ie urethane bushings. i'll get under the car this weekend and see what I find out...is there a procedure to check for sure if it's the center support that needs to be replaced ? just look for wear or play ?

[Jean]

About to order a new center support bearing , does it matter what brand it is , I see a couple different ones on BMAparts.com

[Ryan Stewart]

U-joint
/thread.

You can waste time replacing the CSB but the CSB goes bad when the U-joint gets stiff and wears it out. Then the symptom is usually a bearing noise under load. Replace the bearing and the vibration should be much worse and more noticable at slower speeds.

Then its new driveshaft time (or rebuild if you have a rebuilt d-shaft but then yours joint wouldnt be shit yet).

New CSB usually comes with a driveshaft.

[Jean]

Is u-joint seperate from the driveshaft or it's not removable by itself ? I have autox coming up next weekend, not feeling good about this.

I am starting to hate this car :(

[JGood]

I assume you removed the driveshaft. when you reinstalled it, did you preload the CSB to the front 4-6mm? I killed 4 or 5 of them on various e30's by not doing that, but since I started doing that I've had no problems.

[Jean]

I assume you removed the driveshaft. when you reinstalled it, did you preload the CSB to the front 4-6mm? I killed 4 or 5 of them on various e30's by not doing that, but since I started doing that I've had no problems.

I have not removed the driveshaft, a shop replaced the clutch and flywheel (don't know if it was removed then or not, does it have to be?) and I have replaced the open diff with an lsd diff but did not have to remove the driveshaft.

Maybe I should take it to a shop and pay for inspection .:(

[Mike325]

You do have to undo the csb to do the trans, so the shop may have put it on wrong.