Prop failure be warned

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340GLT
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Prop failure be warned

Post by 340GLT »

Hi guys i thought i would share this with you. Right my car is off the road having work done so i am driving my grandads 340 but the prop gave up the other day causing catastrophic damage.
the prop came off the rear spline doing around 5k, so you can imaging a swaling prop!!! Broke an exhaust rubber, finished off the blowing exhaust, dented the floor, bent gear linkage guide pin and obviously killed the prop itself!!
We cant really work out why it came off other than it wasnt on the rear spline far enough!!!
Anyway pic!!!
Adam
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pettaw
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Post by pettaw »

that's nasty. I've heard of clamps failing etc and props coming off, but not this type of thing.

thanks for the heads up.
5150
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Post by 5150 »

I had almost this exact problem. My dad's D-reg 340 (which I now drive) had an intermittent idling noise. When the clutch was in or the car was in neutral, there was a slight judder and metallic graunch coming from under it.

All the garages said it was fine - it had been doing it for years - but one afternoon the prop went. It turns out that the juddering was the splines wearing down on the gearbox and the prop-shaft itself, the only thing holding it together being the bolts at either end - which finally sheared off.

It now has a new gear-shaft and prop, and the noise and juddering have gone. Hopefully it's as good as new now....

It's slightly unsettling to think that it was doing this for about 12 years....
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Chris_C
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Post by Chris_C »

Ahhh, arse... Fake makes a nice metallic rattling when she's under load... Might go under and have a look. It's only when under load, i.e. hills and stuff, but it's been annoying me for a while. Anything blatently obvious that I'll see?
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast
5150
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Post by 5150 »

Not that I can tell - after 12 years of services and MOTs nothing came up. It was only when the prop actually came off that you could see the damage.... The splines were almost mirror smooth.
pettaw
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Post by pettaw »

Had a chat to Adam about this one, its different to yours. The gearbox and clutch splines were absolutely fine, all he needed was a new prop. It appears the prop just slid off the rear splines.
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Post by classicswede »

As Adam will know I have had the prop slide off on Vicky's car a few times. With the original prop it started comming of quite often and it stopped doing it for ages after I swapped the prop.

The prop was slid alll the way home and the clapms tightened correctly. The splines on the box and bell housing were all in good condition.

What seemed to be happening is the prop would just gradulay slide forward. Engine braking is what would normaly finish it off. This is probably because of the sudden change in direction of loading.
Dai

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5150
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Post by 5150 »

That makes a lot of sense - the noises did occur when engine-breaking and at idle. Methinks I'll be driving on eggshells for a while now, ears pricked!
redline
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Post by redline »

could worn engine mounts also help cause this ?,
might be worth checking them as well ,
if the engine is moving unnatrually due to soft engine mounts that might put more strain on the drivetrain and the resulting flexing could damage the splines etc

in other words

check your mounts are tight
or you might get a fright
when your prop drops off
in the middle of the night

its quite perplexing
that all that flexing
could damage your splines
when you aint expecting

so check your nuts
and tighten your shaft
or you might be left standing
in a cold winters draught

sorry !!!!!!!!!!!! couldent resist it
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Post by 5150 »

Bravo! :D
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Post by mickt »

The most unexpected noise I heard was a mud flap blowing off at speed because I didn't have a clue what it was even after stopping to have a look straightaway afterward . 360 = prop+torque tube = ????

mickt
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Chris_C
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Post by Chris_C »

Mick Redline... you really are getting to much practise in ;) Mickt, yup, 360 is the torque tube, I never properly looked at how thats all bolted together on my '60.

I ripped my mud flaps off the other day, makes a horrible grating when both rears are resting on the tyres :roll: .
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast
classicswede
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Post by classicswede »

Soggy engine mounts will make the problem worse but the mounts on Vickys car are solid as they are polly ones and the engine just does not move.

I suppose the mounts on the box could be soft :?

More to think about
Dai

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http://www.classicswede.com

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Web shop http://www.classicswede.co.uk/

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redline
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Post by redline »

mickt wrote:The most unexpected noise I heard was
a mud flap blowing off ,mickt
blame the mud flap eh , never thought of that one, worth a try after a curry

" no love that wasn't me , must have been a mud flap " lol
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