The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 4: Burnouts for Distance

[jeffsqartan]

The others are right there were two different flywheels. But I'm inclined to agree that hitting the shift perfect shouldn't change that if the combo was wrong.
First I would look at the engine mounts if they are a factory type with rubber. I have heard your description twice that I can recall...many years ago now, and both of those cars had a trashed pilot bearing (bearing not bushing). Some cars had a solid bushing too.
It's plausible that you could have a U joint getting sloppy. Seen those cause a vibration mostly at highway speeds though.

Motor mounts were one of the first things I replaced on this car. Same with the harmonic balancer, then I think I did the transmission mounts.
The driveshaft has been rebalanced twice since I've had it. You can still see where they wrote my name on it last time it was there rofl. I think I did it like two years ago. The vibration happens regardless of the position of the car. Sitting still in the driveway and it will do it.

Man... the pilot bearing.... So there's two things I can't remember at this point.

1 - I think I changed the pilot bearing when I rebuilt the transmission last year. But I also may NOT have done that.... I know I have a new bearing in the garage, but can't remember if I swapped it. When I did the clutch about 3-ish years ago, I know that I did change the pilot bearing.

2 - when I had the transmission out last year, I started the car without the transmission in it. Flywheel, clutch, and bell housing were in; no trans. I did it to see if the engine would vibrate without the trans attached. And I can't find any freaking notes, or texts, or anything that tells me what I found when I did it. Kind of irritated by that. I want to say that it still vibrated, but I seriously can't remember. Too many moons ago.

 

[thunderchicken]

Motor mounts were one of the first things I replaced on this car. Same with the harmonic balancer, then I think I did the transmission mounts.
The driveshaft has been rebalanced twice since I've had it. You can still see where they wrote my name on it last time it was there rofl. I think I did it like two years ago. The vibration happens regardless of the position of the car. Sitting still in the driveway and it will do it.

Man... the pilot bearing.... So there's two things I can't remember at this point.

1 - I think I changed the pilot bearing when I rebuilt the transmission last year. But I also may NOT have done that.... I know I have a new bearing in the garage, but can't remember if I swapped it. When I did the clutch about 3-ish years ago, I know that I did change the pilot bearing.

2 - when I had the transmission out last year, I started the car without the transmission in it. Flywheel, clutch, and bell housing were in; no trans. I did it to see if the engine would vibrate without the trans attached. And I can't find any freaking notes, or texts, or anything that tells me what I found when I did it. Kind of irritated by that. I want to say that it still vibrated, but I seriously can't remember. Too many moons ago.

Lol sounds like we use the same filing system

 

[Jaybird1980]

The random smoothness is strange to me. Must be all the stars aligning kind of thing. I do think the later models are the heavy flywheel/balancer and the early models were the lighter balancer/flywheel Does it have a vibration at idle? Like feel it in pedals or everywhere?

I do remember you having the DS balanced last year. And maybe the rear end gear change? May have to yank the ol trans again to freshen up them notes, and yes I imagine we all use the same filing system.

 

[churchmouse]

Yeah I would definitely want to throw some pistons and rods in it at that point. If you do the ball hone try to find a scrap block somewhere to do some test runs. Figure out speed and how fast to go to get a good looking pattern

And keep the hone wet. I use parts washer fluid or similar to do the same effect as wet sanding. It leaves a very clean and distinct crosshatch.
Even brake parts cleaner will work.

 

[churchmouse]

The others are right there were two different flywheels. But I'm inclined to agree that hitting the shift perfect shouldn't change that if the combo was wrong.
First I would look at the engine mounts if they are a factory type with rubber. I have heard your description twice that I can recall...many years ago now, and both of those cars had a trashed pilot bearing (bearing not bushing). Some cars had a solid bushing too.
It's plausible that you could have a U joint getting sloppy. Seen those cause a vibration mostly at highway speeds though.

This is a stick car yes......Bushing in the crank to support the input shaft....???
Buddy had one the it had the wrong bearing in it and the car shook like a baby passing a golf ball but not all the time.

Just throwing that out there.

 

[thunderchicken]

This is a stick car yes......Bushing in the crank to support the input shaft....???
Buddy had one the it had the wrong bearing in it and the car shook like a baby passing a golf ball but not all the time.

Just throwing that out there.

Yes. Not sure if it was dependent on which trans was used or by build date. But some cars had a solid bushing and some had a roller bearing.

When I was a kid dad had a driveline vibration in the stock car when he was warming the car up and it just wouldn't go away. When he got it home and yanked the trans he found the pilot bearing was the wrong size and the input shaft was just kind of flexing around. Solid bushing fixed it

 

[Brad69]

My brother had a 69 Chevelle back in the day. 76-77 ? He replaced the 350 with a 400 SBC.
Vibrated like crazy puzzled everyone my father studied it while drinking PBR one afternoon.
After a few hours he discovered the key on the crank was sheared and the balancer was outa wack.

I had small enough hands to help still have that afternoon in my mind.

Do men still work on cars wearing a white t shirt and dress pants?

 

[Jaybird1980]

My brother had a 69 Chevelle back in the day. 76-77 ? He replaced the 350 with a 400 SBC.
Vibrated like crazy puzzled everyone my father studied it while drinking PBR one afternoon.
After a few hours he discovered the key on the crank was sheared and the balancer was outa wack.

I had small enough hands to help still have that afternoon in my mind.

Do men still work on cars wearing a white t shirt and dress pants?

Good point.

Jeff go get you a 12er of PBR.

Problem Solved.

 

[thunderchicken]

Do men still work on cars wearing a white t shirt and dress pants?

Not that I'm aware of. Wasn't around to see those days other than pictures and I always shake my head and wonder if pretty much the only shoes available were slip on loafers.

 

[gregkl]

Not that I'm aware of. Wasn't around to see those days other than pictures and I always shake my head and wonder if pretty much the only shoes available were slip on loafers.

That was during the time when a lot of men dressed like Gregory Peck just doing normal things

 

[Bigtanker]

 

[churchmouse]

Good point.

Jeff go get you a 12er of PBR.

Problem Solved.

We called this step in procedure "Budweiser" engineering because, well, we drank Bud.

 

[churchmouse]

My brother had a 69 Chevelle back in the day. 76-77 ? He replaced the 350 with a 400 SBC.
Vibrated like crazy puzzled everyone my father studied it while drinking PBR one afternoon.
After a few hours he discovered the key on the crank was sheared and the balancer was outa wack.

I had small enough hands to help still have that afternoon in my mind.

Do men still work on cars wearing a white t shirt and dress pants?

Same deal pretty much. Buddy swapped out to a 400 and put the wrong balancer on it. They are externally balanced.

 

[jeffsqartan]

So, balancer and all should be good because I replaced both the balancer and the flywheel and made 100% sure they were the right balance. I mean, I guess it's always possible some idiot swapped the wrong block into this car and it needs the older balance, but I'm doubtful of that.


I don't think I posted this the other night, but I found texts from last year when I took the transmission out. I started the car up with the flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing still attached. NO vibration at all. At the time, I surmised it was the input shaft, so I swapped the input shaft out with one that I'd had in the shop for a couple years (brand new). Well, that didn't fix it and idk why but I guess I gave up hope after what? Who knows. That was literally a year ago.

Starting to think now that maybe the pilot bearing has been the issue the entire time. I know we replaced it when we replaced the clutch, but there was a lump on the input shaft where it went into the bearing. I did a little redneckgineering because I had to get the car running by sun-up, and I ground down the lump that was on the input shaft and not letting it go into the new bearing. Guess it's possible that just did the same thing, that or it was the wrong fricken bearing the whole time.

Idk, I'm rambling at this point.
What really matters is, the Mountaineer will be gone tomorrow and I'll be stuffing the car into the garage to swap out the pilot bearing and see what happens. Current plan is to put a pilot bushing in first and see what happens. If that doesn't fix it, I'll snag an actual bearing and try that. And if THAT doesn't fix it, I'm calling it an issue with the engine and going back to the drawing board.

 

[Lmo1131]

There's one born every minute ... sometimes two.

"A Ford GT owner in Boca Raton, Florida crashed his recently purchased supercar into a tree Friday evening because he was "unfamiliar with how to drive stick shift," police say.

The driver, 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini, told police he lost control after downshifting while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m. This led to a head-on collision with a palm tree. Guarini then told a nearby security worker that he did not have his phone and needed a ride back to his house, where he spoke to police via landline after leaving the vehicle unattended, police say.
Facebook user John Peddle's photos from the crash site show that the damage is limited to the front third of the car. The hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags and disable the vehicle. It's unclear how fast Guarini was going when the crash occurred, but the GT slid far enough after hitting the tree that it blocked a nearby sidewalk.

The car was not registered or insured when the crash occurred. The listed VIN indicates that the car was purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach for $704,000 in early April, about the going price for a 2006 Heritage Edition GT. That would make replacement a very expensive endeavor.

Guarini was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and a warning for operating an unregistered vehicle."

 

[Jaybird1980]

So, balancer and all should be good because I replaced both the balancer and the flywheel and made 100% sure they were the right balance. I mean, I guess it's always possible some idiot swapped the wrong block into this car and it needs the older balance, but I'm doubtful of that.


I don't think I posted this the other night, but I found texts from last year when I took the transmission out. I started the car up with the flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing still attached. NO vibration at all. At the time, I surmised it was the input shaft, so I swapped the input shaft out with one that I'd had in the shop for a couple years (brand new). Well, that didn't fix it and idk why but I guess I gave up hope after what? Who knows. That was literally a year ago.

Starting to think now that maybe the pilot bearing has been the issue the entire time. I know we replaced it when we replaced the clutch, but there was a lump on the input shaft where it went into the bearing. I did a little redneckgineering because I had to get the car running by sun-up, and I ground down the lump that was on the input shaft and not letting it go into the new bearing. Guess it's possible that just did the same thing, that or it was the wrong fricken bearing the whole time.

Idk, I'm rambling at this point.
What really matters is, the Mountaineer will be gone tomorrow and I'll be stuffing the car into the garage to swap out the pilot bearing and see what happens. Current plan is to put a pilot bushing in first and see what happens. If that doesn't fix it, I'll snag an actual bearing and try that. And if THAT doesn't fix it, I'm calling it an issue with the engine and going back to the drawing board.

I mentioned this to a buddy of mine who is a mustang guy. He said he thinks they switched again when they went to the hydraulic clutch.

I do think you're headed in the right direction with pilot bearing/bushing though.

 

[femurphy77]

Can you interchange the bearing/bushing, assuming that all the diameters and depths are right of course? I never have liked open bearings in non-greasable locations. Of course, I'm assuming that all pilot bearings are open since the only one I have experience with was open.

 

[churchmouse]

So, balancer and all should be good because I replaced both the balancer and the flywheel and made 100% sure they were the right balance. I mean, I guess it's always possible some idiot swapped the wrong block into this car and it needs the older balance, but I'm doubtful of that.


I don't think I posted this the other night, but I found texts from last year when I took the transmission out. I started the car up with the flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing still attached. NO vibration at all. At the time, I surmised it was the input shaft, so I swapped the input shaft out with one that I'd had in the shop for a couple years (brand new). Well, that didn't fix it and idk why but I guess I gave up hope after what? Who knows. That was literally a year ago.

Starting to think now that maybe the pilot bearing has been the issue the entire time. I know we replaced it when we replaced the clutch, but there was a lump on the input shaft where it went into the bearing. I did a little redneckgineering because I had to get the car running by sun-up, and I ground down the lump that was on the input shaft and not letting it go into the new bearing. Guess it's possible that just did the same thing, that or it was the wrong fricken bearing the whole time.

Idk, I'm rambling at this point.
What really matters is, the Mountaineer will be gone tomorrow and I'll be stuffing the car into the garage to swap out the pilot bearing and see what happens. Current plan is to put a pilot bushing in first and see what happens. If that doesn't fix it, I'll snag an actual bearing and try that. And if THAT doesn't fix it, I'm calling it an issue with the engine and going back to the drawing board.

I agree on the bearing and hope it’s the right move.
Fingers crossed.

 

[thunderchicken]

So, balancer and all should be good because I replaced both the balancer and the flywheel and made 100% sure they were the right balance. I mean, I guess it's always possible some idiot swapped the wrong block into this car and it needs the older balance, but I'm doubtful of that.


I don't think I posted this the other night, but I found texts from last year when I took the transmission out. I started the car up with the flywheel, clutch, and bellhousing still attached. NO vibration at all. At the time, I surmised it was the input shaft, so I swapped the input shaft out with one that I'd had in the shop for a couple years (brand new). Well, that didn't fix it and idk why but I guess I gave up hope after what? Who knows. That was literally a year ago.

Starting to think now that maybe the pilot bearing has been the issue the entire time. I know we replaced it when we replaced the clutch, but there was a lump on the input shaft where it went into the bearing. I did a little redneckgineering because I had to get the car running by sun-up, and I ground down the lump that was on the input shaft and not letting it go into the new bearing. Guess it's possible that just did the same thing, that or it was the wrong fricken bearing the whole time.

Idk, I'm rambling at this point.
What really matters is, the Mountaineer will be gone tomorrow and I'll be stuffing the car into the garage to swap out the pilot bearing and see what happens. Current plan is to put a pilot bushing in first and see what happens. If that doesn't fix it, I'll snag an actual bearing and try that. And if THAT doesn't fix it, I'm calling it an issue with the engine and going back to the drawing board.

After some more thought I have a question. Does it still have the stock drive shaft and companion flange that bolts to the pinion? If so when you removed it previously did you mark it so it bolted back on in the same place?

Here's why I ask. Most of those flanges allow the driveshaft to bolt on in 8 different positions and potentially could cause a vibration if not indexed to the same position. Second, I worked on a pick up some time back that had a drivetrain vibration that got worse as speed increased. Ended up finding the companion flange was cracked in the yoke for the U joint. It allowed the needle bearings in the U joint to be damaged. Had to replace the U joint & flange then had it rebalanced. So you're going to have it out, might as well give it a look

 

[gregkl]

There's one born every minute ... sometimes two.

"A Ford GT owner in Boca Raton, Florida crashed his recently purchased supercar into a tree Friday evening because he was "unfamiliar with how to drive stick shift," police say.

The driver, 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini, told police he lost control after downshifting while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m. This led to a head-on collision with a palm tree. Guarini then told a nearby security worker that he did not have his phone and needed a ride back to his house, where he spoke to police via landline after leaving the vehicle unattended, police say.
Facebook user John Peddle's photos from the crash site show that the damage is limited to the front third of the car. The hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags and disable the vehicle. It's unclear how fast Guarini was going when the crash occurred, but the GT slid far enough after hitting the tree that it blocked a nearby sidewalk.

The car was not registered or insured when the crash occurred. The listed VIN indicates that the car was purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach for $704,000 in early April, about the going price for a 2006 Heritage Edition GT. That would make replacement a very expensive endeavor.

Guarini was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and a warning for operating an unregistered vehicle."

That guy probably feels like the guy who bought Tom Brady's "last" touchdown football.

I'm sorry but I can't help but laugh at people with stupid money doing stupid things.