What should I expect as a result of a loose intermediate shaft?

[And_44]

So, I've been searching and found the bolt and washer part numbers. But that's the least of my concerns.

I'm unsure for how long its been like this but probally longer then I've had car. I picked it up a month ago. Been going through it fixing one thing after another. Ad well last week checked cv axles after having a vibration in reverse.

Tonight after work I jacked car up and crawled under it to inspect the driver side axle. I found that the boot on the inner axle was torn (least of my worries, just a new axle), but my main concern was that bracket for the intermediate shaft was completly free from block and that the shaft had in and out movement as well as a far amount of circular.

Question is when I take this apart besides checking splines on intermediate shaft is there anything I should check for damage?

Could the front differential have suffered any damage?

Car is a 1992 Talon AWD Manual with ABS. Its a Auto to Manual swap. I'm unsure of where or what the tranny came from haven' checked the part number yet.

Transmission shifted smoothly and nicely. Only noticable effect of this was the vibation while in reverse and turning. I do beleive there was one bolt of the 2 remaining in the bracket as when I briefly looked at it last week and grabbed the shaft and rotated it the one remaining bolt fell to the ground.

Things I noticed while under car where most of the boots on the suspension where torn or worn, center support or cross member under the car running forward to aft was only attached at front and no bolts holding it at rear. Some leaking transmission fluid probally from the intermediate shaft having in and out movement.

I'll be purchasing new seals for the axles left and right, new fluid for transmission, new bolts for bracket and cross member. Probally basically whole new front end...... At least it will ride and handle better when done.

Again my question was what to exect and look for from the intermediate shaft being loose.

Thank you in advance for your time and hopefully any insight and feedback.

 

[Sp1kE]

If the car is a auto to manual swap, maybe the half shaft was not changed out. The manual and Auto's are slightly different and the bolt holes don't line up perfectly. (maybe a result of the bracket coming free?)

 

[And_44]

Well, got under again today and put bracket up and it lines up perfect. Rear lower engine mount though is shot. Maybe from the excess vibration it rattled the possible untorqued bracket bolts out.

So guessin and hoping that there could be very little or no damage done to the transmission from the loose bracket and shaft.

Will be replacing engine mounts, cv axle, new bolts for shaft bracket, new seals for tranny where shaft merges, tranny fluid. Then putting it all together and hoping for the best.

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

The part number for the bolts which attach the intermediate shaft to the block are MB297860 and the lock washers are MF450406. Obviously you need two of each. If you have removed your A/C compressor bracket you will also need a spacer which is part number MB297732. These can be purchased from JNZ tuning's OEM parts catalog, https://www.jnztuning.com/oempartscat.html

As far as damage, check for play in the spines on both ends, in the differential and in the spindle. Hopefully you don't find any!

 

[And_44]

Ahh, so when I get it all bolted back together should all engage tightly and only movement should be as a whole and no clunking?

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

Ahh, so when I get it all bolted back together should all engage tightly and only movement should be as a whole and no clunking?

That is correct.

 

[And_44]

Well kewl. Even with it loose and having the circular movement when I rotated the driver tire the whole assembly moved smoothly. I'll bolt it back together with new axle, fluid and bolts and try it then.