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MGB Oh what a wicked mistress!

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Boggsy64

Boggsy64

Jedi Hopeful
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Yet another stumbling block! I had rebuilt almost everything drive train and suspension but the driveshaft. I was afraid to look at and hoped everything was ok (I thought removing it would be a "fun" job!). So I ventured to have a peak and lo and behold the universals were 90 degrees out, as I was afraid of! So while there decided to go ahead and tackle this job. Found all the nuts on both ends were rounded and beat up from previous work. Only had to cut 2 off with a grinder. Finally after 2 hours of vertical pushups got the thing off. Rear u-joint is bad, driveshaft appears slightly bent, nothing a little $ won't solve! I hope getting it back in is easier than getting it out! I don't think I can handle that much fun twice in one week!
 
There does seem to be a never ending series of "fun" projects, doesn't there. :smile:
 
I had a green MGB back in the seventies. When I went to this used car lot there were two green MGBs on the lot. One had wire wheels and the other one didn't. I said I would buy the one without wire wheels if they would switch the wheels and put the wire wheels on the one I was buying. Turned out to be a big mistake. The wire wheels were larger and they rubbed against the inside fenders when I hit a bump and caused several blowouts. The car constantly over heated and a gear broke in the transmission. I got the gear fixed and immediately sold the car. On the way to meet the guy at his bank who was buying it overheated. I had to stop and wait for half an hour before going to the bank. I made sure he understood he was buying it as is. I left the Bank with a "WHEW" and never heard from him again. That was my last relationship with a British Car Until I bought my 59 Bugeye last May.
 
labour of love brother. now you'll have the satisfaction of reliability. Who needs money anyway? I have a feeling my driveshaft is a bit bent. Though i will keep with the statues quo of not looking to closely for now....
 
Putting it back in is a breeze. Just replace all the bolts and it will be done in 20 minutes. If you see any oil weeping from the rear trans seal now is a good time to fix it.
 
Didn't want mess around and bought the whole replacement driveshaft assembly $200 with shipping. Even if not completely needed will feel better and less to worry about:joyous:. Onto the next ????....
 
who did you go with and how did it work out?
 
I bought from Moss Auto. I hope to get it delivered today. Only issue is will my muscles recover enough to let me crawl under there and put it in! I am sore from head to toe from the removal wrestling match on Tuesday. The more I read I am sure the horrible clunking I had driving this thing across country was from the shaft yokes being 90 degrees out of alignment. Will know this weekend Knock on wood!
 
The clunking was more likely the bad U-J.
 
If you suspected a bent drive shaft, complete replacement is the way to go. Getting it straightened and balanced probably would have cost more than the new shaft, and you'd have to add new U-joints to that. $200 sounds like a good price to me, but I've been buying TD parts, so my frame of reference has shifted a lot.
 
Here are some pics of the old shaft. As you can see there is a worn spot on one side of the shaft (in the area of the tunnel the shaft passes thru). I am no genius but figured how did a rotating shaft wear on one side only?? I is either bent or was flexing severely due to the bad u-jount on the axle end. The u-joint would flex one way easily and hardly at all in the other. Cant wait to try out the new one, hope to get it put in tomorrow....too many setbacks and not enough Oh yea!! One other thing the new shaft feels to be a lot heavier, I did not weigh them but it is obvious from picking them up.
 

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umm.. I'd replace the U-J's on the original.

But that's just me.
 
Well curiosity go to me. As much as i didnt want to play with the drive shaft, i wanted to do other things then electrical nightmares so i poked around getting little things in order. putting some graphite in my doors making them smooth like butter. lubing the hand brake, and while i was under there something caught my eye on the driveshaft... two nuts holding it to the transmission where warn from a long time of rubbing. i long was i driving like this? I have never replaced u joints what do the wise ones here say, will that get ride of the play i have?



SDC10078.jpg
 
Put a good straight-edge on the shaft, check it all the way down, in two places 90° around the diameter. If that shows it is not bent, the U-J's can be replaced. If you haven't done this before it can be a challenge. John Twist had a video of him doing this a while ago, he's a bit "ham-fisted" for my taste but he does get the job done.

The job takes a good vise and a BFH with (preferably) a brass drift.
 
ham fisted... the man got it done in 5 min. haha:hammer: i have no vise. im a bit worried as the small piece that connects to the transmission where the u joint fits in is what looks warn. thursday i should be able to have a 2nd pair of eyes on it. ill check the straightness of it. if you look close in the picture the top most part of the u joint ( there looks to be a red drop on it) thats where the joint starts to be able to slide out of its position it gets worse as you follow that curve to the right. ill see if i can get a better picture and start a new thread as to not get off original topic
 
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