21 Turbo 21 Turbo Quadra joins Renault 5 stable!

[r5gordini]

I mean it was 60 hrs labour not including the engine removal and refit due to the incorrect gearbox build!
Anyway, I have the car back now! Woohoo! Just got back from a drive. Mostly the car is totally transformed! The gearbox whine is gone. Clonking from propshaft gone. Front suspension clonking and graunching gone!

However, a new issue has surfaced. Maybe it was always there, maybe masked by the gearbox whine, but... There is a significant vibration through the car between 50-70mph.

I reckon it's the propshaft. Might be out of balance or out of phase. I will get under the car and check it. If it is in phase I will try unbolting it and turning it through 180 degrees. Dave, you had propshaft vibration before?

The vibration is heard as much as felt. I can feel it through my back. It's not too bad but is just the sort of frequency that would be headache inducing.

One other issue is that the new clutch pedal is too close to the footrest. Can't use the footrest. Also the clutch biting point is quite close to the floor. I think Dave said I might need to shorten the pushrod anyway. Will check.

Meantime, helpful propshaft hints gratefully received! Agree with my diagnosis?

I am not sure if the company that fitted the new bearing rebalanced the shaft or not...

 

[DaveL485]

The bearing wouldn't affect the balance unless they fitted it wrong or something like that. The rotating bit is very small and close to centre of rotation. I've never needed one balancing for a bearing anyway. I'd get under it and make sure the universal joint looks OK and the pins are in place, check my wheel nuts are all tight and the box and engine mounts are tight.
And the joints to the box and diff too. If all that is tight, then you might need to drop the prop off and go for a drive fwd only. That will tell you if it is in fact the prop or not.

 

[r5gordini]

An update! It might just be the rear wheels. There's no steering wheel wobble and it does sound like it's coming from the rear of the car. My kids say it sounded like it was from the rear.

I'll get the rear wheels rebalanced tomorrow.

FYI I liberated at least 20 more horses today! For free... By adjusting the accelerator cable properly.

I wonder if the garage wanted me to not use full throttle for a bit so that they could be assured I'd do some gentle driving in the car for a bit!

Car feels amazing apart from the rumble. Totally fantastic!

 

[r5gordini]

Update... Don't think it's the rear wheels. Just had them balanced. Pretty sure it wasn't there before all the work was done on the car. Could I suspend all four wheels in the air with the car on axle stands and "drive" it at an indicated 50mph and look underneath for wobbles/vibrations?

I will try various things...

Andrew

 

[andybond]

Does the noise occur just when going straight ? Or on bends ?
Is it a constant tap / knock or only occasionally ?

 

[r5gordini]

I haven't tried bends but I think it happens all the time. It's a low-frequency vibration. It doesn't seem to change note much with road speed, more amplitude (it's louder at certain speeds).
It's a constant vibration that is headache inducing!

 

[andybond]

Has the exhaust been disturbed ?

 

[r5gordini]

Probably! It was certainly unbolted at the front of the car. Not sure at the back. Note that the vibration is only apparent from about 50-70mph. Outside of these speeds, car is pretty much ok although you can sort of hear it a little below and a bit above those speeds. It's almost like it tunes out outside of those speeds.

 

[andybond]

Sounds like a resonance then. I am voting exhaust based on what happened to my megane once I mount had failed.

 

[Brigsy]

Sounds daft but do the quadra require new bolts that hold the prop on when removed?? I had a similar vibration problem on a sierra xr4x4 after a gearbox swap and the bolts that held the prop to the coupling were bent - common issue apparantly.

I would run it up on a 4 poster lift and look at the prop see if it runs true, you could try it on axle stands (bit dodgy lol)

The first port of call for me would be remove the prop and see if the problem is fixed

 

[r5gordini]

OK! All great suggestions! Will get under the car when I have a spare moment (unlikely).

Andrew

 

[DaveL485]

Sounds daft but do the quadra require new bolts that hold the prop on when removed??

No.

But yes, I would try removing the prop too. Check your rear tyres for bulges too.

If it's road speed dependent, it has to be gearbox, prop, diff, shafts or wheels. I'd be looking at the stuff in "how much its been messed with" order. As for running the car in the air at 50mph, well yes it's possible on 4 axle stands but be VERY careful and have someone in the car at all times in case it goes wrong, otherwise you might end up with a runaway!

 

[r5gordini]

I have booked the car back in to the garage next Thursday.
Meantime I have had a look. There seems to be a lot of grease around the centre bearing. And it smells of rubber. So I really think the propshaft is vibrating and will soon destroy the bearing (rubber). I suspect it is disintegrating!
If it does, it will just bang and clonk like it used to, and probably won't vibrate so much as it won't be constrained by the centre bearing! Dunno...
Anyway, I am going to order another bearing just in case.
I am also going to try removing the propshaft. Presume it's just a case of unbolting the 6 bolts on each end and unbolting the centre bearing as well?
How long can I run the car in 2wd mode?

 

[DaveL485]

I am also going to try removing the propshaft. Presume it's just a case of unbolting the 6 bolts on each end and unbolting the centre bearing as well?
How long can I run the car in 2wd mode?

Yes, 6 6mm allens either end and 2 13mm's in the centre.

I ran mine 2wd on the rollers mapping, on the nurburgring and all the way home from it and it was fine. Just don't take the mickey thats all.

 

[r5gordini]

Prop drop done! No test drive yet... Will update later. I'm not sure if it was fitted the right way round. Thicker end towards the rear of the car?
Looking at the centre bearing, if I rotate it, it seems to be slightly out of alignment from side to side - I think I can see it wobbling a bit. Might not have been fitted straight?

 

[Andyquadra]

Prop drop done! No test drive yet... Will update later. I'm not sure if it was fitted the right way round. Thicker end towards the rear of the car?
Looking at the centre bearing, if I rotate it, it seems to be slightly out of alignment from side to side - I think I can see it wobbling a bit. Might not have been fitted straight?

It'll only go on one way as the front half is longer than the rear

 

[r5gordini]

Right! It's the propshaft! I enjoyed a lovely, smooth, quiet drive along a 50mph road this evening. I will be dropping the shaft back at my garage. Again it was part of the work they farmed out!

 

[DaveL485]

Right! It's the propshaft! I enjoyed a lovely, smooth, quiet drive along a 50mph road this evening. I will be dropping the shaft back at my garage. Again it was part of the work they farmed out!

There we go then. Your car seems to attract muppetry of the highest order lol.
The off centre bearing would make sense especially with the resonance thing. If it were me I'd fit a new one...again...as its been under undue stress. At the cost of the 3rd party vendor of course.
Make sure they haven't bent the prop pressing the fittings in and out! If need be I can have it done for you, mine cost £35 to have my supplied bearing fitted at Dave Mack transmissions in Coventry.

 

[r5gordini]

Whilst the propshaft is away I thought I would add a few more BHP for free!

Before:

Cracked out the electric drill:

Talking of cracking, the filler was cracked where the original holes were so it was easy enough to see where to drill!
...

Tadaa!!


Whaddya reckon? Looks so much better doesn't it? And the badges surely add a couple of BHP each, so I make that 6BHP total!

 

[andybond]

Looks 1000 times better !