Blown front differential in gsx???

[eck4g63]

Ok before a bunch of you start asking me where my introduction is, I have been a member on here for years. I have just had my car stored away for the past 5 years and finally got it up to where I live at now. My problem is that the car doesn't accelerate hard. When i gun it the tach goes up with the RPMs and then falls back to the actual speed when I let off of the accelerator. I know the speedo sensor is located in the front differential and I remember something blowing up in the front of the car right after I put my driveshaftshop axles in and that is why I put it away in the first place. The car drives perfectly fine under light acceleration. Any suggestions as to what my problem is? Just want to make sure it is the front diff before dropping a grand on a new one.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Clutch slipping?

 

[eck4g63]

Clutch slipping?

I dont think my speedo would be jumping up with my RPMs though, and it doesnt smell at all when it does it. I use to beat the hell out of the car in my younger years and did dump the clutch quit a few times racing, but if my memory serves me right it was during a 1st to 2nd shift that it something went out.

 

[tron2119]

Do you hear any noikses out of the norm when you accel hard?

 

[eck4g63]

Do you hear any noikses out of the norm when you accel hard?

No, no funny noises but I finally just drove my car to a gravel parking lot started driving in a large circle and punched it and sure enough I did a nice 360 and the front tires didnt leave any ruts. So the car is back on jack stands in the garage getting all the other lil stuff that needs to be done to it done after sitting for over 5 yrs.

 

[jtmcinder]

It seems likely that your front diff is blown and this is easy to check. Jack up one front corner of the car, handbrake on, car in gear, and try to turn the raised wheel. Repeat on other front corner. If either wheel can be turned, then the front diff and/or a front axle is gone.

 

[91goldgsx]

thanks for posting that iowa999.i thought my front differential was gone but now i know it is.After doing the test my passenger side doesnt move but the drivers side does move.

 

[jtmcinder]

Oops. If one side passes the test and the other side doesn't, then it could be the axle on the side that failed, instead. I should have been clearer about this.

Both sides fail: diff or both axles (which is doubtful, so I'd say: diff).

One side fails: axle on that side (i.e., the side that turns freely) or the diff (or both).

- Jtoby

 

[91goldgsx]

ok thanks for clearing that up.The side that does move doesnt move alot maybe just shy of a 1/4 turn but ill definately check out the axles

can you check the rear differential doing the same test but with the back wheels?

 

[eck4g63]

It seems likely that your front diff is blown and this is easy to check. Jack up one front corner of the car, handbrake on, car in gear, and try to turn the raised wheel. Repeat on other front corner. If either wheel can be turned, then the front diff and/or a front axle is gone.

yeah I can spin both sides freely with just the one up in the air and I have driveshaftshop axles in the front so I know those are good. Thanks, will it hurt anything driving the car still with the front diff blown? I know it puts lot of extra stress on the rear end having to do all the work but it doesn't make any weird sounds when I drive it I just cant accelerate hard.

 

[BrokenTsi]

It seems likely that your front diff is blown and this is easy to check. Jack up one front corner of the car, handbrake on, car in gear, and try to turn the raised wheel. Repeat on other front corner. If either wheel can be turned, then the front diff and/or a front axle is gone.

I did this test on a friends car based on one of your posts a while ago for checking to see if a front diff was blown on my friends car. The test showed that the front diff was blown, but we found it was the center diff spyder gears. We welded it up, and he was back on the road the next day. I found it a bit odd because the test makes sense and it all pointed to the front diff. Is it possible that a blown center diff can show the same symptoms as the front diff?

I get confused as to how the drivetrain works sometimes.

This is how we tested it. I jacked up the front left tire...it spun freely. Then I jacked up the rear left tire, and it didn't move much. I did the same for the right side, same results. The only thing that left me to believe it was the center diff, was because the car felt like it was RWD after a test drive.

 

[eck4g63]

GOOD NEWS FRONT DIFF IS GOOD!!! I started ripping the front end apart this morning after work and it turns out that the splines on my driver side axle had stripped out from improper fitment. So I emailed driveshaft shop about my issue and just went down to the local carquest and ordered a new front driver side axle for my car. But if my memory serves me right I had an issue many years ago with finding the right axles that fit my car cause for some reason when I order them for my make and year from the parts store they dont fit Thats why I ended up going with the Driveshaft shop axles in the first place, and it turns out one of those didn't fit properly either so we will see what I get on Tues. If it doesn't fit i'm going to have to try and figure out what is different on my transmission.

p.s. I am extremely happy to find out that it wasn't the diff cause this is a $100 fix compared to $1000. That gives me $900 for more go fast parts

 

[jtmcinder]

I did this test on a friends car based on one of your posts a while ago for checking to see if a front diff was blown on my friends car. The test showed that the front diff was blown, but we found it was the center diff spyder gears. We welded it up, and he was back on the road the next day. I found it a bit odd because the test makes sense and it all pointed to the front diff. Is it possible that a blown center diff can show the same symptoms as the front diff?

I'm glad I didn't steer the OP wrong (as it were), but you're absolutely correct. If both fronts turn freely it could be the center diff. The way you can often tell is by jacking the entire front to see what the opposite wheel does when you turn one of them.

 

[eck4g63]

Wow so I guess I have earned my noob status, after emailing driveshaftshop the axle should fit right on. I just never removed the intermediate shaft when installing the axle and therefore never properly locked the axle into the tranny.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Wow so I guess I have earned my noob status, after emailing driveshaftshop the axle should fit right on. I just never removed the intermediate shaft when installing the axle and therefore never properly locked the axle into the tranny.

Why would you need to remove the intermediate shaft to install an axle?

 

[mrfister11]

+1 ^

 

[eck4g63]

Why would you need to remove the intermediate shaft to install an axle?

I wasnt able to get it to properly lock together had to beat the damn thing onto it but got it to go on.