1G Rear end caught on fire

[JBDdsmer610]

Ok so my buddy has always had problems with the rear in his GVR4. I would be goin in reverse and its like it would bind up and the car would have trouble moving in reverse. well i was driving down the highway yesterday and i noticed smoke coming out of the back of my car so i got off the highway and pulled in to a gas station parking lot i look under the rear of the car and i see a crap load of smoke comming from the rear. so i keep driving and then i hear click click click BANG...... and the rear wheels locked up completley and i pull into someones front yard and my whole rear end was on fire the people had to come out of there house with a fire extiguisher and put the fire out.... so im guessing my rear heated up and blew the spider gears....you guys think im about right?

 

[BIRDCLAWTSi]

It souds like the pre load was a bit on the tight side. Was there any oil in the diff? That was some serious friction. Lucky the tank did'nt go BOOM.

 

[JBDdsmer610]

Yea i kno see he bought the car used and he said he didnt kno if there was any fluid in it or not he said it never leaked but i told him that dosent mean theres fluid in it. He is very lucks it didnt go BOOM and like i said when moving in reverse the rear would bind up and make kind of a grinding noise when backing up.

 

[ineedagsx]

cars dont go boom anymore btw, the gas will set on fire but wont blow up like in the movies

 

[JBDdsmer610]

Well whatever anyone else have any input?

 

[fp-green-95tsi]

Could have the wrong transfer case or wrong final drive in the transmission.

Here is a chart listing the differences between years
Tranny gear ratios for DSMs

 

[JBDdsmer610]

yea i was looking at those befor but he has a 23 spline 1g awd tranny and the matching transfer case we were thinking it was lack of fluid and everything just heated up and started to melt

 

[norcal_drifter]

does he have a power cable going into his trunk? like pump rewire or amp?

 

[talondave]

23 spline 1g awd tranny

Thats the problem!!! The 1g T/E/L transmissions are geared different then the gvr4 trans.

 

[JBDdsmer610]

well he should be in good shape i found him a rear with axles and cups for 45 bucks 100 delivered so i guess he getting it tomorrow and its from a 1g awd.

 

[99gst_racer]

I would have never continued driving after seeing smoke... But that's just me.

Also make sure you aren't mixing up M/T and A/T components. And tell him to maintain his fluids. If he's unsure about any of them, then check them.

 

[knochgoon24]

... i look under the rear of the car and i see a crap load of smoke comming from the rear. so i keep driving and then i hear click click click BANG...... and the rear wheels locked up completley and i pull into someones front yard and my whole rear end was on fire...

Most people would have stopped driving the car if there was a "crap load of smoke" coming from under the car.

EDIT: I take too long to type...

 

[donniekak]

Thats the problem!!! The 1g T/E/L transmissions are geared different then the gvr4 trans.

Only difference is the 1st gear ratio. The final drive is the same, and they are interchangeable.

 

[talondave]

Only difference is the 1st gear ratio. The final drive is the same, and they are interchangeable.

No!! There's more then that.. I had a gvr4 trans about 4 years ago, and my car did all kinds of weird things the hole time I had it in the car.. I broke a rear diff, and burnt up a center diff in that trans. Got a center diff out of one of my other trans, and the center diff housing was way different, it wouldn't even slid into place.. It had one or two more teeth on it then the gvr4 center diff had!

 

[1995gsx20g]

Only difference is the 1st gear ratio. The final drive is the same, and they are interchangeable.

Correct

But the Galant GSX non turbo has a different final drive ratio so maby that's where it went wrong..

Tranny gear ratios for DSMs

 

[fp-green-95tsi]

yea i was looking at those befor but he has a 23 spline 1g awd tranny and the matching transfer case we were thinking it was lack of fluid and everything just heated up and started to melt

Binding in reverse is a good sign of a having mismatch somewhere in the drivetrain. Are you sure the car doesn't have a JDM GVR4 transmission or a 97-99 23 spline T case? Some of the JDM GVR4 transmissions had a different final drive from the US versions. I would start double checking everything before putting it back together and having the same end result.