weird drivetrain problem please help!!!!

[Project Draven]

This all started a few days ago i was heading for the car wash to wash my car i went to pull out from my light and the car felt like my clutch was slipping but its a brand new clutch with less than 700 miles on it. so i baby it to the next light and i go to pull out it pulls out fine. then friday as i was leaving school again it felt like it was slipping so i pull off the road and i notice a trickle coming down by the tc and the crossmember. so i go to turn around to head home and i heard a pop then i pulled off the road again and the leak is gone and the car drives fine yet again. today i was driving and i could hear a knock here and there from i think is the tc. Could my tc also couse a vibration under the car? Someone please tell me what is happenening or point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated
thanks in advance
brandon

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Well, I have to ask. What is a tc? Being old, sometimes I don't know abbreviations. Just work with me. I'll try to help

 

[Project Draven]

transfer case

 

[Project Draven]

but hey mitsu i looked in my manual and i can't find anything to associate with my problem and i don't know what to do i was thinking of pulling the car in the garage and checking for loose bolts to the transfer case but it puzzles me to how one minute it drive fine and then all of a sudden it acts like my clutch is gone

 

[FiReBReTHa]

find any new info.

 

[Project Draven]

well i just put the car in the garage about 20 mins ago and i found my problem turns out that my center bearing bracket for the axle lost the 2 bolt out of it and it was hanging down my tj boot is also ripped in half so my guess would be the axle popping in and out is my problem i am trying to find some replacement bolts for the bracket but the ones i tried arn't working

does anyone know the size and thread pitch of the center bearing bracket bolts or tell me how to find them
it would be greatly appreciated
thanks in advance
brandon

 

[Project Draven]

anybody? please throw me some info my dsm is down till i get those bolts and its hard when i don't have one bolt to compare it to.

 

[Dream On]

Call the dealer. Try and explain to them the best you can, and talk very slow.

 

[Project Draven]

i've tried two of them around here and they both said they have hardly any info on the older models

 

[Project Draven]

M10x1.25x35 or 1.50 i think i found them and i wanna know if these are tempered or soft

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

See, even I have trouble with abbreviations sometime. Like I said, I'm old.

If the boot was torn with this incident, and the axle was not clicking or vibrating, I'd just replace the boot. However, if it is questionable, I would replace the whole axle assembly.

Good Job Guys

 

[Project Draven]

well it turns out my problem isn't as simple as i thought it turns out that the bolts that wre in the bracket broke off inside the holes which looks very bad and i don't know where to start but tomorrow i am gonna try and get an easy out up in there and see what i can do

 

[zook]

Pull of the alt. bracket. Use a small hammer and a small flat screw driver (the eye glass ones work well) and just lighty tap the bolt left (you wanna take it out

Next, you want to figure out WHY they broke. They don't brake for no reason. I had the smae problem. My problem was the tranny bolts backed out and the tranny was cocked. It cost me a new tranny and axle. I've seen those bolts back out on a couple other DSM's.

Wierd......... GO DSM!!

Good luck!

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Or, I would try renting an angle head drill which is reversible and get a couple of left handed drill bits. I did that on a 2g TSI and they came right out. Take a center punch and start a hole. Take the little bit and run it in. Take the larger one and apply pretty good pressure while drilling and if the bolt is not jammed, it should come right out.

Good Luck

 

[Project Draven]

i noticed i have little to no clearance up in there does anyone know what i have to remove to get access to them i hope i don't have to tear the car apart too much

 

[zook]

Heh, I got the most room by removing the intake mani and going from up top, but I had to remove it anyways It's pretty tight in there

 

[Project Draven]

i am about to go start on this car very soon does anyone think it will be possible that i can have them out and new ones in i have about 3 hours max

 

[Project Draven]

somebody please help me here i don't know what i am gonna do to get these out i have no small drills and i have a set of easy outs. i can't get the drill to fit up in there. and i have little or no space to get even the smallest hammer up in there let alone a screw driver. i don't wanna give up on my car over something so small and stupid but it looks like i am about to

keep those ideas coming people

 

[Project Draven]

anybody??

 

[zook]

There's really no "easy and quick way" to get those things out.. trust me, i've tried!!! The one closer to the pass. side is not too bad, but the other one, that also hold the A/C bracket on, it's almost impossible to get out with the bracket still there. You COULD try taking the rear motor mount out, mabey the 2 side one's as well?? and let the motor tilt back, but still support it with a jack as not to strain the remaining mount too much. But of course, then you have the jack down there to work around.

If you go the way I went (remove intake mani) your looking at all day, but it is MUCH easier to actually get the bolts out. I know, it seems stupid and un-neccasary, but the bolts come out no problem then. just a couple light taps, and you can take them out the rest of the way by hand.

 

[Project Draven]

well i took your advice zook and i also used the angle head drill thanx to mitsu for that idea. i dropped the motor down and i was able to get them no problem they came out easily i saw the problem was the bolts i put in were too short and thats why they broke. so i got some 8.8 grade bolts and put them in. no problems so far car runs great yet again now it would be nice if i could fix my stereo problem so i could have some music instead of singing or being silent.
thanks everybody for all the advice and help
i really appreciate it
so until next time
peace

 

[zook]

Cool! Glad you got 'er going again!