Bummer weekend :(

[Welly]

Having been looking forward to going up to Chipped UK for a run on the rollers - this weekend was a bit of a bummer.

Faffed about doing what I needed to do on Saturday morning, got prepped and ready to head up to Bromsgrove.

Got on the motorway, no problems. Pottered about normal motorway speed (70 obviously...) up to the next services and pulled in for a slash and to have a ganders at the females that were likely to be wandering about.

Left the services, pulled out into the inside lane and hit the loud pedal. Got to 65 mph and just changing into 3rd, the whole car begins to shake. And I mean SHAKE. Violently. Not good.

Pulled onto the hard shoulder and took a look around the car to make sure a wheel wasn't about to fall off and it was genuinely that bad. Nothing untoward. Got back in the car, up to 65 - same thing.

At which point I turned tail at the next junction and headed home. ****.

Anyway, had a good look around the wheel arches when I got home - nothing. Underneath revealed the problem.

Rear end of the prop to the haldex coupling has 3 bolts. Mine had 2 and a bit bolts, and the 2 bolts in tact were extremely loose. So that at leas explains that.

Was in a foul mood all day saturday and couldn't be bothered with the car. Went out yesterday and dropped the prop off - and getting this bit of snapped bolt out isn't going to be fun.

It is completely flush with the face.

Will take pics tonight just for reference.

For anyone who is having unexplained shaking symptoms - check the bolts!

 

[JS1500]

Argh, nightmare.
I hope that bolt comes out easier than you expect.

 

[Westy]

That's a shame mate, at least you found the issue and it's not engine related! Good luck with the bolt. Sheared bolts are never fun to get out.

 

[Welly]

Argh, nightmare.
I hope that bolt comes out easier than you expect.

That's a shame mate, at least you found the issue and it's not engine related! Good luck with the bolt. Sheared bolts are never fun to get out.

Having spent 3 hours last night trying to get the ******* thing out - it doesn't want to.

Two options left really.

Weld something to it and try and wind it out, or drill it. Can also do both of those which is most likely, spot weld a bolt to it, try and unwind.

 

[Dane]

Mate, bad times.

If you need an extra pair of hands I'm there.

 

[Westy]

Weld mate weld. I've tried drilling bolts out and it's demoralising!

 

[Welly]

Mate, bad times.

If you need an extra pair of hands I'm there.

Cheers dude. The annoying thing that it's completely my own fault. They obviously weren't done up tight enough when I replace the prop 6 months ago.

I don't think I used LocTite either. I did at the other end - which is fine.

 

[Westy]

Lesson learnt Torque wrench and loctite FTW

 

[Welly]

Lesson learnt Torque wrench and loctite FTW

Yeah, absolutely. Everyone f**ks up now and then! lol.

 

[superkarl]

bumholes.

 

[Dane]

They sure do,

*Cough* brakes on the wrong side *Cough* lol

 

[Welly]

lol. I haven't really had time for this this weekend either. I have turned all my efforts to fixing busted PS3s and Xboxs. lol.

 

[steve bain]

if it makes you feel better i've had a wheel and caliper fall off over the many years. all my own fault. do not ever do wheel bolts finger tight with the intention of sorting later!!

heat is your friend to get bolt out. welding will heat and give something to remove with. do not use easy outs. they snap and you will be drilling for a year!!!

 

[Welly]

if it makes you feel better i've had a wheel and caliper fall off over the many years. all my own fault. do not ever do wheel bolts finger tight with the intention of sorting later!!

heat is your friend to get bolt out. welding will heat and give something to remove with. do not use easy outs. they snap and you will be drilling for a year!!!

Used EZOuts in the past. And they are *****. I wouldn't even entertain the idea.... lol.

OK if the hole is dead centre and 100% straight - which is never 99% of the time.

 

[DaveA3]

unlucky mate, feel for ya. always other dynos dude

 

[Welly]

unlucky mate, feel for ya. always other dynos dude

Yeah, not so much that, just annoying on the whole.

 

[Essflee]

Sorry to hear this mate, when I started reading and read 'violent shake' I thought "oh dear" but... I'm glad it's not as serious as first thought.

A sheared off bolt though is no likey...

 

[ScottD3]

That sucks.
I hate it when that happens.
At least you made it home with out all bolts coming out.

Do you think this has any thing to do with your nocking?

 

[Welly]

That sucks.
I hate it when that happens.
At least you made it home with out all bolts coming out.

Do you think this has any thing to do with your nocking?

Sadly not. The phantom clunk still remains at large.... .

I may rename it to the ninja clunk.

 

[Speedy Steve]

Gutted for you mate. They always go wrong at the worst times

 

[Broken Byzan]

Gutted mate, i hung around until i got the phone call.

Hopefully catch up soon when your car is well, mine played up on the rollers if that helps you feel better

 

[Welly]

Gutted mate, i hung around until i got the phone call.

Hopefully catch up soon when your car is well, mine played up on the rollers if that helps you feel better

Yeah, you must PM me your number bud, I would have called myself if I had it...

I thought you might wait so at least you knew the S3 was incapacitated.... lol.

 

[Welly]

I have bought stupid snapped stud removal equipment today...

I couldn't find my set of HSS drill bits yesterday, and I still don't know where the are. I couldn't find my iccle chisel set either....

So I just popped out and grabbed some supplies...

 

[ScottD3]

Good luck.

Hopefully it will come out easy if its not been in there and you never used any locktight.

 

[s3dave]

If you can get heat into it spray some penetrating oil on it while hot and it should run around the threads like a rat up a drainpipe....
have some fire retardant handy as it is flammable

 

[S3 TAM]

Sorry to hear this bud, good luck later..

 

[Welly]

Well, got the stud out. ****** thing was a right pain in the chuff. Ended up drilling through the stud with a small bit, and hammering a torx bit in there. At that point it wound out easy as you like. Happy days.

Got it mostly back together as well, just need to put the one remaining bolt into the prop....

 

[Westy]

cough *torque wrench* cough *loctite* cough!

Think i've got a cold coming

 

[Welly]

Well - annoyingly, changing the doughnut for a different one, and removing the snapped stud had cured the problem to a degree. However I now have an annoying vibration from something else, at lower speeds. lol.

I can only now assume that it is in fact the prop as I have been back under to investigate twice - to no avail.

Thinking I might just get a new S3 prop - mine is currently a TT front end, coupled with an S3 back end. I might just buy a second hand one and be done with it! lol

 

[Westy]

Is the TT Prop any different to an S3 one then?

 

[s3dave]

You may have sprained it when it worked loose...

 

[Welly]

Is the TT Prop any different to an S3 one then?

Yes, as I found out.... the TT back end of the shaft is about 4-5" shorter than the S3 one. The TT is clearly a slightly shorter wheel base.

 

[Welly]

You may have sprained it when it worked loose...

How do you mean dude? damaged the shaft itself? It's not beyond the realms of possibility.

However, when I got the prop bolted up with the two bolts (as the doughnut was so shafted I couldn't get the third in), it was fine lower speed, and then has a bit of a wobble at high speed as you'd expect.

However, with the doughnut that fits and is the right shape, it's just generally unhappy...lol. Nothing else changed - so it's got to be related.

 

[mk1chopper]

Yes, as I found out.... the TT back end of the shaft is about 4-5" shorter than the S3 one. The TT is clearly a slightly shorter wheel base.

I would have thought they were the same but according to Parkers TT wheelbase = 2429 S3 wheelbase = 2519 so the S3 is 90mm longer, learn something new everyday

 

[Welly]

I would have thought they were the same but according to Parkers TT wheelbase = 2429 S3 wheelbase = 2519 so the S3 is 90mm longer, learn something new everyday

LOL tell me about it. That was exactly where I looked, and then decided they MUST be the same. Until I fitted it. You should have seen the look of confusion, and then disappointment when I was led underneath the car about to bolt the prop to the rear diff. The front was on and sorted, moved down on my creeper to the back, held the prop up and it was short.... ****. The penny dropped.

Hence why I have a half and half prop shaft!

I've just ordered a prop off of a 38000 miler, complete, £150 delivered. I'd say that was a result.

 

[s3dave]

How do you mean dude? damaged the shaft itself? It's not beyond the realms of possibility.

However, when I got the prop bolted up with the two bolts (as the doughnut was so shafted I couldn't get the third in), it was fine lower speed, and then has a bit of a wobble at high speed as you'd expect.

However, with the doughnut that fits and is the right shape, it's just generally unhappy...lol. Nothing else changed - so it's got to be related.

Yeah was thinking the flanges on the shaft, may have twisted slightly?