tranny slips.... VC?

[orzech]

okay here is the deal i have a 5 speed awd 96 gsx. The guy just bput a new clutch in it. And it still slips really bad when you start off. but once i get into liek 4/5 it doesnt slip as bad. Also my AWD isnt workign i think. Just my rear wheels.

So would that be my Viscous coupler then?

I turned in the parking lot and it clunked maybe once? I drove the car home 1200 miles and it made it home (mostly freeway) but when making sharp turns it only clunked once the entire drive?

suggestions... i will be pulling the tranny sometime soon this month

 

[jesepes]

What led you to believe that front wheels weren't being driven by the transmission? If the center VC was damaged in some way it would not cause that malfuncion, so no.

 

[tim_korn_99]

okay here is the deal i have a 5 speed awd 96 gsx. The guy just bput a new clutch in it. And it still slips really bad when you start off. but once i get into liek 4/5 it doesnt slip as bad. Also my AWD isnt workign i think. Just my rear wheels.

So would that be my Viscous coupler then?

I turned in the parking lot and it clunked maybe once? I drove the car home 1200 miles and it made it home (mostly freeway) but when making sharp turns it only clunked once the entire drive?

suggestions... i will be pulling the tranny sometime soon this month

Here's your problem. Jack up your car, and look at the front driver side cv shaft. Its a 2 piece deal. I guarantee you that your outer cv axle has come off of your intermediate shaft. I had TONS of problems with this. You can only get a new circlip from the dealer, but its only like 5 bucks. If it was your passenger side axle, you would be leaking tranny fluid. The reason that your AWD isnt working is because all the front wheel power is being sent to the driver side, because it has hardly any resistance at all because it has come loose. Your VC is only sending like 50% power to the rear, so that's why it feels like it is slipping. Look at your tach and your speedometer when it is slipping, i bet they are both moving at the same rate.
Let me know if that's your problem.
-Tim

 

[jesepes]

Excellent diagnosis Tim. I had a similar problem with my AWD. My problem was that the two bolts that hold on the driver's side inboard shaft to the block via a bearing were broken off. Consequently my driver's side shaft migrated out of the transmission enough to disengage the splines and cause a similar problem. It did leak a small bit of trans fluid from the seal as a hint, but did not come pouring out. Anyhow, excellent diagnosis, I wish I'd have had my act together to recommend this type of failure as the most likely culprit the first time around.

Depending on how much/far you've driven your car this way, you may now have a problem with your center VC. Um.... If it's been 1200 miles, you should probably inspect the center VC and definitely change the trans fluid. Maybe remove center differential to inspect for excessive wear/damage. If your trans fluid looks unusual, maybe get back in touch with me. At least you have a new clutch in it!

Good luck, orzech,
-Jesse

 

[tim_korn_99]

Thank you Jesse. Its all in the experience....
Here's a few other things that i learned while going through this. This should help anyone in the future who does a search for this problem.
1. The circlip that is on the Intermediate shaft was still on mine, but froze together. It looked like there wasnt even a groove on the shaft for a circlip. Rather than removing the carrier bearing and the intermediate shaft to get the clip out, just use a Dremel with a fiberglass reinforced cut-off wheel. Its the only thing that will fit in there, and you still won't have much room, but all you have to do is hold it steady where the groove would be, and have a buddy spin the other front wheel. That will turn the shaft for you. It works much like lathe or something. After i cut about 1/16 of an inch into it, the old clip finally sprung out. Then i just pried it out with a screwdriver.
2. Make sure you get the clip from the DEALER. They will have to order it, but it's the only one that will work. I got one from a parts store that goes on the passenger side axle, and it seemed like it would work great. It fit pretty tight. Well, after putting it all back together, it worked for about 3 days. Then while making a right turn, it popped out again. SO, lesson learnt.

I had a wiseman on here tell me that he was surprised that my car went more than 5 miles without the VC giving out. It all depends on how good of condition it was in, in the first place. My car would get second gear scratch with the rear wheels.
Jesse is right about the fluid. Definately change it. I recommend syncromesh for it.
Also, please post your results on this, it will make a great resource for people that are searching in the future.
-Tim