> Now for my question. When accelerating from a dead stop, and
> sometimes when shifting gears, there is a hollow sounding clunk from the
> rear end. I've read about the dreaded differential mounting cracks, but
> have inspected this area several times and can't locate any cracks.
> What else could it be? And is it detrimental?
> Thanks is advance,
> Alan Harris
> 1969 TR6
I would check the bolts and nuts which connect the two flanges at the
differential. If these are loose, or if some are missing... it can cause
the knock you have mentioned.
Worst case scenario... you are at gas station (the same one you've caught
fire at), and after filling up you engage first gear and are letting off the
clutch pedal to hear a snap and your car not moving anywhere. You have
probably just sheared the remaining bolt(s) holding those flanges together,
or have actually ripped the bolt holes in the flange apart. And of course,
the reason your car is not moving now is that the wheel with the least
friction is always the one to spin... and now that your axle isn't connect
to the differential any longer, that one flange will just sit there and
rotate.
Note: the flange on the differential side is extremely thin, the castings
do vary and some have a bit more metal around the bolt holes than others...
IMHO, if you have a selection of used parts, try to find the one with the
most metal around those bolt holes.
If the bolts are just loose and thus allowing the two flanges to rotate a
bit separately of each other that will cause the clunk (and it can be pretty
loud, especially if one bolt is missing and the others are loose). Check to
make sure that the holes are still circular... if they are ovalled, you're
just going to continue to get loose bolts and the flanges can still move a
bit separately of each other. Replace the hardware also, new bolts and new
nylocs.
Also an ideal time to grease the interlocking sliding splines...
--
Kai M. Radicke -- kradick1@ic3.ithaca.edu
'74 Triumph TR6 -- '66 MGB, both @home
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