Driveshaft to gearbox joint

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

Hi.
Lifted my R19's (E7J) front up and figured out the annoying sound source. Bloody hell if it wasn't the left driveshaft's joint to the gearbox (JB0 or JB1, can't remeber). Haven't yet opened it but is it possible that there's something else broken besides the yoke of the driveshaft? Is there a severe possibilitity that I have to repair the damn gearbox too?

Thanks.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

what exactly is wrong with it?

The needles fall out and get collected on the magnet inside the box casing, some may fall out when you drain the oil you can try t move them with a magnet ont he outside of the casing.

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

Thanks Chris. Once again. Very Happy

Since I haven't yet opened the thing I don't know for sure what's going on. When I open it and if can't see what's wrong, I'll post here with some pictures.

Anyway, the symptoms are:
Juddering/rustling when the wheels spin. No matter what speed or if there's load or not. The sound comes from inside the gearbox. I localized the sound to where the left driveshaft's joint to the gearbox is. The sound changes as I turn the wheels and the driveshaft's position and angle change a bit. The sound increases with increased speed.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

probably the inner joint then.

Remember to drain the box oil before removing that shaft. Nice and easy, theres a drain plug on the bottom of the box for it. Use a hose and funnel to fill the box back up.

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

Easier said than done the plug thing. Sad

Some previous ownder or Finnish Renault dealer Bilia (Everyone with Renaults here hate the place - bad service and high prices) have practically ruined the drain plug. It has gone a bit round on the outside and the hollow, hexagonal top part is cracked in the plug's direction, so a socket wrench won't grip it properly. And, of course, the inner rectangular hole is gone too shallow to get a good grip of it with the key.

Should you have any suggestions how to get the bloody plug open I'd be very glad to hear them. I'll have to get a new one for it if I can get it open.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

use a chisel and a hammer my man, The only way.

A new plug is very cheap. Under Â£1 when I last got one.

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

Er, I'm probably missing something now.

If i punch the plug in I'll destroy the threads or something else. Is there a way to get the plug loose with a chisel and a hammer without breaking anything in the gearbox but merely destroy the plug and get a new one for 2.70â‚¬ = 1.80Â£?

EDIT:
I tried to get the plug off when the gearbox was lying on my garage floor when I switched the engine. I was shamely defeated. And if I can now get it off... I'll be humiliated. But it'll be worth it.

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

If you can take a hacksaw blade across the face of the plug, make a score big enough to allow for something like a flat headed screwdriver to fit and unscrew it.

Gay Rights Activist Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 1268

Chris means attack it sideways on so as 2 turn it.....not punch it through!

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

yeah hit it around not punch it in! lol

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

So I'll hit it sideways from every direction to ustuck it and try to open it then. If it doesn't work, I'll try the hacksaw with a very wide flat headed screw driver.
If I don't succeed then, I'll try to warm up the surroundings a bit and freeze the plug to get it unstuck.

If nothing works, I'll have to find someone with welding equipment and weld a lever onto it. That should do it if nothing else works.

Thanks for all the advice.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

not sideways from all directions as if u r tryin to get the head off....hitting it at a tangent so that it turns...stick the chisel or punch onto one side of the underside face of the plug so that when u hit it it turns...

Retroholic Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 5685

Like so

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

lol i was thinkin of doing that but couldnt be arsed...nice one chet

Level 1 User Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 34

Yeah, I got it. Sometimes its just so that no matter how much you punch from some angle nothing happens. And when you hit from another direction, it'll come loose. This is what I meant by hitting from every direction (first one, then opposite if it doesn't work, then at a 90 degree angle compared to the previous. All, of course to the unscrew direction.) Have to take a file and make proper steps to it to make the hitting work.

Thanks all.

Nice pic! Razz