Slight Drivetrain Shake

Robotaz · Post by **Robotaz** » April 1st, 2005, 4:58 pm

My ATX seems to be in very good shape except I have a slight vibration when it shifts into a new gear under moderate acceleration and harder, also on the interstate when going up hills over 65 or 70 mph. "The Pros" don't seem to know what it is. I have a CV boot off on the inside joint on the passenger side, but hear no noise. Also, the car had been wrecked hard enough to bend a wheel and need repainting on one fender. It seems like a bent half shaft would always vibrate. Plz help, i love this car, but it has an annoying ride.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » April 1st, 2005, 5:06 pm

Try checking the motor & tranny mounts.. if the bushings are gone or if you have loose bolts, it could cause the vibration you are describing.. another telltale sign of mount problems would be "Hard Shifts" Almost like the trans has a performance shift kit in it.

Tunes67

Robotaz · Post by **Robotaz** » April 1st, 2005, 5:15 pm

I don't have hard shifts. I just read an old thread about wheel bearing possibilities, but i'm not an automotive noob and i really can't see it being possible with no corresponding noise.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » April 1st, 2005, 5:25 pm

I would still inspect your mounts.. maybe one got bent or shifted when the car was hit. I suppose its possible your Torque Converter may have lost one of its balancing weights as well.

Tunes67

Robotaz · Post by **Robotaz** » April 1st, 2005, 5:27 pm

How big of a deal is it to replace the torque converter and associated goodies in terms of hours?

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » April 1st, 2005, 5:35 pm

Assuming you have a well equipped shop.. if you have the parts (Torque coverter/seals/trans fluid.. etc..) at hand and ready to go.. your probably looking at 3-4 hours of continuous work. This is a semi-educated off the top of my head guess since I havent actually changed out a torque converter in a MX-3. Though I have done it on other cars but only on RWD cars. So I would also figure in + or - 1 hour to that guess. Best of luck and keep us posted.

Tunes67

Robotaz · Post by **Robotaz** » April 1st, 2005, 11:57 pm

You know what, my explanation of the problem as a shake is poor. After thinking more about this problem i think that i should say for the record that the problem is more of a sustained shudder. Before, i could see mounts being the first thing to come to ppl's minds. I think i'll replace the bad half axle and the wheel bearings and see what happens. At least i won't be getting stranded by a broken CV joint anytime soon. I was wondering if anyone has experience with aftermarket torque converters, if there is such a thing? I'm losing faith with Autozone, Napa, etc. more and more regarding high-wear internals. The parts seem cheaper in quality every time i buy them.