prop shaft for a 360

[erixtar1992]

hey, looking at buying a 360, but it has a broken propshaft.
anyone got a spare? are they hard to fit?
also whats the going rate on here for one?

im in london (ruislip) so the closer the better!

[macplaxton]

search, search and search.

360s have a torque tube arrangement. It's a prop Jim, but not as we know it.

[erixtar1992]

yeah i thought that too, he just told me that the prop shaft is snapped though :s
i think ill have to get him to investigate more
cheers

[Speedy88]

It's possible that you have the same problem as me and (as people keep on telling me) the problem is actually with the gearbox connecting bit, not the torque tube.

[erixtar1992]

It's possible that you have the same problem as me and (as people keep on telling me) the problem is actually with the gearbox connecting bit, not the torque tube.

ah really? could you explain a bit more?
he said he was at a track day (iirc), and then something broke and he all of a sudden had no drive :s
i probably sound like a douche, but know nothing at al about these cars, i drive a vw haha

[Speedy88]

GET OUT... I mean er, yeah I don't know too much about it yet. Maybe someone could come along and explain to both of us?

[erixtar1992]

haha, i hope so! i want to buy it! its 100 miles away though so god knows how ill get it home!!

[erixtar1992]

okay so, i asked him to explain a bit more and he said this:

my mate reckons is the diff but it ain't the diff cause obviously the diff is welded and it still locks the wheels when turning while pushing, the only thing I can think of is the propshaft or that torque tube, cause all it happens is you put it in Gear and let go of the clutch and it makes some grinding noises, like you know if the teeths grinded off and they just touching and not making it move "if you know what I mean" lol

any suggestions?

[macplaxton]

Okay kids, here's a picture:



The torque tube is different from a normal prop as there is a big tube that is bolted to the bellhousing at one end and the gearbox at the other. So it save the engine and transmission from flopping around in relation to each other.

Inside it runs a "prop" shaft with male splines at one end, and male splines at the other end. There's usually some support bearing(s) in the tube to stop this relatively thin rod flapping around. Now there's no saying it can't break, but it's unlikely to as it has been designed to break elsewhere first. If it is broken, you can't see it as it's hiding inside the big tube. That weakest link above is the bit at the top (25). It's a clamping sleeve with two clamps and two bolts at the gearbox end. There is a hole in the big tube which has a rubber cover (23) and a peek inside there might tell you what you need to know.

I've never been that near one, but it looks like it is straightforward to do, but involves a bit of messing around getting to it in order to replace it.

[Chris_C]

This reply will probably be aimed half at Speedy, half erixtar, if only as Speedy has had a 340 before so I can point to bits that he'll recognise.

Speedy, the 360 arrangement is like a 340 clutch shaft, only 5ft long, all the way to the gearbox. The "prop" is only about 7/8" wide the entire way. The "magic link that's likely broken" is just like the spliney bit of a 340 prop, a few inches long with the similar silly square g clamps (ish). The difference is it doesn't have the metal tube the 340 one is pressed into before the rubber, so isn't actually as strong (ha, watch the 360 boys get upset now...) and goes ping.

Erixtar, they are not an easy to get thing off the shelf. Lots of them break, as for things like drifting where huge dynamic loading is put on the prop it stresses the weakest link. Torque tubes like propshafts arn't a common thing any more, generally it's a thing to chase after on cars being broken or scrappies. It's not an easy pull, bargain yourself a *good* half day, more likely full day if you havn't done it before to get the tube and transax out.

[erixtar1992]

This reply will probably be aimed half at Speedy, half erixtar, if only as Speedy has had a 340 before so I can point to bits that he'll recognise.

Erixtar, they are not an easy to get thing off the shelf. Lots of them break, as for things like drifting where huge dynamic loading is put on the prop it stresses the weakest link. Torque tubes like propshafts arn't a common thing any more, generally it's a thing to chase after on cars being broken or scrappies. It's not an easy pull, bargain yourself a *good* half day, more likely full day if you havn't done it before to get the tube and transax out.

thanks for the reply, yeah i guessed they werent too easy to get, plus getting the car home and then fixing/mot-ing it in a week would be hard work, and after seeing more pics of the 340 saloon for sale ive decided to buy that instead, so i would no longer need one. not a waste of a thread though as it is good stuff to know for a newbie like me!
thanks!

[Paula]

I had one go on Trundle 1 back in 2000.

Nasty burning smell and no drive.

Easy fix ..