Driveline vibration.... harmonic balancer?

[Digitalwave]

Well, for the first week after my manual swap everything ran fine. Then during an autocross, I got a very bad vibration under 1-2nd gear WOT acceleration (but at no other times). Its gotten worse and vibrates in the bottom of 3rd gear now too.

I have been brainstorming what exactly could be wrong, and might it be the harmonic balancer since I removed it? Could that be causing vibrations like that?

[James Crivellone]

I removed my harmonic balancer and I have not noticed anything out of wack

stupid question but have you gone under there and checked the TQ on everything? and did you replace your guibo and center support?

[trent]

Re: Driveline vibration.... harmonic balancer?

Well, for the first week after my manual swap everything ran fine. Then during an autocross, I got a very bad vibration under 1-2nd gear WOT acceleration (but at no other times). Its gotten worse and vibrates in the bottom of 3rd gear now too.

I have been brainstorming what exactly could be wrong, and might it be the harmonic balancer since I removed it? Could that be causing vibrations like that?

I remove harmonic balancers all the time and never have any problems.

Ujoints.

[Digitalwave]

I removed my harmonic balancer and I have not noticed anything out of wack

stupid question but have you gone under there and checked the TQ on everything? and did you replace your guibo and center support?

Everything was torqued to spec - twice. Guibo and CSB are both new, but I didn't put those 2 metal dust covers around the CSB, I think its possible that it got cocked sideways.

[James Crivellone]

I removed my harmonic balancer and I have not noticed anything out of wack

stupid question but have you gone under there and checked the TQ on everything? and did you replace your guibo and center support?

Everything was torqued to spec - twice. Guibo and CSB are both new, but I didn't put those 2 metal dust covers around the CSB, I think its possible that it got cocked sideways.

maybe, I put my metal dust covers on, didn't want to damage the bearing

however I am thinking it could be u-joints as well

[Digitalwave]

I just don't want to accept that it was the u-joints, I can't afford a new drive shaft and I really feel betrayed by the guy I bought my tranny swap parts off of.

[James Crivellone]

I just don't want to accept that it was the u-joints, I can't afford a new drive shaft and I really feel betrayed by the guy I bought my tranny swap parts off of.

heh, I hear where you are coming from, but shit does happen

[kylebes1]

You should check them, since the e30 DS works at a constant and almost flat the bearings wear in only one spot. Youcan chech this by pivoting the UV with the DS in your hand, it will feel notchy right off center. My ucnle was with mw as I was installing my DS and said I should watch for that thing to go.

[Digitalwave]

You should check them, since the e30 DS works at a constant and almost flat the bearings wear in only one spot. Youcan chech this by pivoting the UV with the DS in your hand, it will feel notchy right off center. My ucnle was with mw as I was installing my DS and said I should watch for that thing to go.

Can you reword that, I can't really understand what you were trying to get across.

[kylebes1]

sorry, sometimes i even confuse myself.

I was agreeing with others the it could be your UV joints.

To reword the other stuff:

Since the e30 DS is flat and the UV joints only use a couple degrees of their potential the bearings are worn in a single spot over the years, unlike in some turcks where the UV joint has a higher degree of articulation.

You can feel the worn spot by pivoting the UV joint, when the DS is disconnected, it will feel notchy right off the centerline.

[Den]

. . . but I didn't put those 2 metal dust covers around the CSB, I think its possible that it got cocked sideways.

I'd check the position + preload of the CSB.
If not CSB, then yeah, U-joints get my vote.
Oh yeah, make sure you put the 2 halves of the driveshaft back together in the correct alignment.