Driveshaft Destruction!
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,169
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX / Boston, MA
Driveshaft Destruction! As some of you may know, I had a little 'misfortune' down at Texas Motorplex in Ennis on Saturday. I do my burnout, go to launch... tach it up, dump the clutch and *BANG*... nowheresville. car will rev like normal, no weird noises, but it wont go anywhere. They push me off to the side, I look under the car, and see tranny fluid dripping out.
After getting towed home, i let it sit for a day while i try to get un-pissed off. Tonight i got it on jackstands to take a closer look. Driveshaft broke at the transmission yoke. from a visual glance, it doesnt appear that any damage has been done to the transmission output shaft or tail housing, but i wont know until i can get the rest of the pieces of the drive shaft out, replace the seal, and put some fluid back in it to see if it leaks out from anywhere.
driveshaft was a 3.5" PST "1000+ HP" aluminum driveshaft. dunno how my 350-360rwhp car broke it, but it was used when i got it, so maybe it was already fatigued. They supposedly have a lifetime warranty, so i'm not overly concerned about the driveshaft, i'm more worried about the tranny.
i'm having trouble getting all the pieces of the driveshaft out... one piece i was able to get out with a pen magnet, but the bigger piece wont come out like that, and not enough is sticking out for me to get pliers on. will the transmission seal come out, or does the driveshaft have to come out before the seal will? I tried to take some 'dental picks' and try to get under the driveshaft chunks to pull it out, but coudlnt get under it. i figure if i can get the seal out, i'd have more room to work.
and ya... driveshaft safety loop FTMFW!
After getting towed home, i let it sit for a day while i try to get un-pissed off. Tonight i got it on jackstands to take a closer look. Driveshaft broke at the transmission yoke. from a visual glance, it doesnt appear that any damage has been done to the transmission output shaft or tail housing, but i wont know until i can get the rest of the pieces of the drive shaft out, replace the seal, and put some fluid back in it to see if it leaks out from anywhere.
driveshaft was a 3.5" PST "1000+ HP" aluminum driveshaft. dunno how my 350-360rwhp car broke it, but it was used when i got it, so maybe it was already fatigued. They supposedly have a lifetime warranty, so i'm not overly concerned about the driveshaft, i'm more worried about the tranny.
i'm having trouble getting all the pieces of the driveshaft out... one piece i was able to get out with a pen magnet, but the bigger piece wont come out like that, and not enough is sticking out for me to get pliers on. will the transmission seal come out, or does the driveshaft have to come out before the seal will? I tried to take some 'dental picks' and try to get under the driveshaft chunks to pull it out, but coudlnt get under it. i figure if i can get the seal out, i'd have more room to work.
and ya... driveshaft safety loop FTMFW!
On The Tree
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Katy/Cypress/Pearland, Texas Bitches!
So did you have a safety loop?
Or
You are going to get one now?
B.T.W. Any damage to our cars suck but we all know the saying "..cant pay don't play". Just sucks more when it actually happens to us.
Good luck on fixing it. Keep us updated.
Or
You are going to get one now?
B.T.W. Any damage to our cars suck but we all know the saying "..cant pay don't play". Just sucks more when it actually happens to us.
Good luck on fixing it. Keep us updated.
12 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 508
Likes: 0
From: Rowlett
I believe the shaft will have to come out before the seal.
The seal puts the SEAL on it, so yeah...
But hey glad to see you putting down some power. Or at least getting it to the rear.
Joining the crowd on breaking DS and tranny parts huh...
LOL
call me and I will give you place where they have all these tranny parts for sale, seperately and at dam cheap prices....
I fixed my tail housing 3 times..... and all of it done under 100 dollars and some elbow grease...
here is what happened to mine. at least yours did it at a stop.. mine was 120ish.
The seal puts the SEAL on it, so yeah...
But hey glad to see you putting down some power. Or at least getting it to the rear.
Joining the crowd on breaking DS and tranny parts huh...
LOL
call me and I will give you place where they have all these tranny parts for sale, seperately and at dam cheap prices....
I fixed my tail housing 3 times..... and all of it done under 100 dollars and some elbow grease...
here is what happened to mine. at least yours did it at a stop.. mine was 120ish.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,169
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX / Boston, MA
and PST has a 'lifetime warranty' on their driveshafts... so as long as i didnt do any tranny damage, i will come out of this having only spent time and frustration.
naw, i got mine through a sponsor.
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,169
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX / Boston, MA
but anyways, just got off the phone with PST. they are going to send out UPS to pick up the old DS and send me a new one. but they want to look at the old one first.
The guy i talked to said he doesnt think he's ever seen the transmission slip yoke break before.
yeah, you're probably right about this.
but anyways, just got off the phone with PST. they are going to send out UPS to pick up the old DS and send me a new one. but they want to look at the old one first.
The guy i talked to said he doesnt think he's ever seen the transmission slip yoke break before.
but anyways, just got off the phone with PST. they are going to send out UPS to pick up the old DS and send me a new one. but they want to look at the old one first.
The guy i talked to said he doesnt think he's ever seen the transmission slip yoke break before.
well theres a first time for everything.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,169
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX / Boston, MA
i was the guy you were up against at the line...glad to see that its possibly only the ds. after i talked to you i quit racing for the day cuz you said you broke your ts housing. i'm ordering a whole new torque arm setup so mine isnt on the tailshaft anymore. keep us updated
Nope, same thing happened when I shattered my diff at Ennis last year on those 28" slicks. The tires stuck and I didn't have enought Tq or power to move those big sumbitches and something had to give and the weak link was the diff. So it blew up. Samething happened to him. The tires stuck and the weak link was the yoke of the driveshaft. So it gave out. Not enough power will also break parks just like having too much power...
Good to hear the transmission may be ok. You were cutting some good times Saturday and the track was hooking better than my memory can recall. You may be able to support the tranny and unbolt and remove the tailshaft housing to clean out the yoke pieces and inspect the housing for any hairline cracks.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,169
Likes: 1
From: Dallas, TX / Boston, MA
hmm.... being that its an upgraded driveshaft, i figured that the weak link of my drivetrain would be the only thing not upgraded yet... the transmission. i'm going to head in the garage in a little bit to pop off the rear transmission seal and try to get the rest of that yoke out. if i can get it all out, i'll put my old DS in the yoke and put some fluid in the tranny to check for leaks.
That was my friend Matt Holubecks car...he busted a few things (bent the primaries on his headers and broke radiator clips) but his SYA bars kept him from killing it...needless to say the track was hooking well