The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts '36 ton & half drivetrain

Please someone help! '36 ton & half closed driveshaft. Have replaced both u-joints, 2 bushings and middle bearing, pinion bearing at end of rear drive shaft, coupling & pins in rear driveshaft, rear driveshaft, bearing in tranny. I am getting a horrible noise in middle of drivetrain, vibrations you name it. I can put rear wheels on jack stands, start motor, put tranny in third gear and the whole drivetrain sounds like its coming apart! I have been working on this for 4 months and nothing seems to work!

You have a driveshaft that is bent slightly? Is one of the axle shafts bent?

when you push in the clutch does the noise go away? (when its on the jack stands)..is there fluid in the mid shaft assembly? did you take apart the ring and pinion? in the middle of the tube where there is a zerk fitting there is a bushing there,(hard to get to) when you had the tube off was there ware on the drive shaft where it meets the bushings? did you take apart the mid shaft assembly and replace the bearing in there? when those go back together, the bells are going to be tight when you tighten up the bolts. was it? i went through my 1.5 36 and did everything, i changed out the ring and pinion too. so maybe i can help you. i am just asking questions so i know what you have done or not done. Dan

the noise goes away when I clutch it because it is not in gear anymore-the mid shaft assembly at the bearing has a grease cert and will not hold fluid.I installed a new pinion bearing. I replaced all bushings (2). I installed new rear drive shaft and coupling.I replaced mid shaft bearing. I replaced both u joints. When I test drive it the noise is worse when I let off the gas.Have you also had all this same trouble? Thanks for your reply.

If the noise gets worse when you let off the gas pedal I wonder if you have some issues in the rear end? Did you reset the backlash when you installed a new pinion bearing?

if the mid shaft assembly does not hold oil then the cork seals are gone, there is some leather seals that will work and that's a good thing when that mid shaft is to be in oil.( 1 pound of it) all the oil you put in the mid shaft is draining into the rear end, there's another cork seal in the tube itself too. Like Mr.Don Stocker asked did you remove the ring and pinion from the housing? what it does sound like is your backlash is wrong and it will make a lot of noise. when you push in the clutch and the noise stops . if the vibration stops then its got to be in the rear end, if it was still vibrating when you push in the clutch it would be a bent shaft like Mr. Don Stocker said, but if it goes away it sounds to me the lash on the rear, they do need to be set with preload and backlash (.008-012)

What about the phasing of the u joints?