[Rich-Tripower]

Well dammit! I broke the wagon recently. Glad it turned out to be pretty minor, but I still haven't driven the car since it was repaired just started it up to find no unusual noises and to break in the new pushrod and rocker. Really hoping I dodged a bullet there.

For what has been a little over a year, I have been chasing an intermittent problem with the HEI on the truck. At least a half dozen times I was convinced I had it licked only to find when I got feeling confident about driving it again it cropped back up and proved me wrong. I *think* I have finally have it fixed for good but only time will tell as I keep driving it more and more. I've put more miles on it this year trying to prove it is fixed than have put on it in years. Putting me in the poorhouse at its whopping 9-10 MPG.

So, last night the local Pontiac club is finally having a meeting in a town not far from me (meetings are usually about 50 miles away) so I convince the wife to ride with me in a non-AC car to the meeting and dinner, it was about 95 out and humid. The meeting was okay, but we don't know too many people in the club yet but after the meeting a few hung around to chat about the GTO. A guy I've used as a source for useful information, he bought his 64 GTO new and still has it with about 80% original paint, told me I did a really fine job on our GTO. That made me feel pretty good. Another guy pointed out that it looked like the car was leaking something pretty seriously. A closer look showed that it appeared that the pinion seal had blown out. Don't know if it is just the seal or if something else went and took the seal with it nor do I know how much fluid it lost but I thought it best to call for help. When we got home I was slightly happy to find that there wasn't a single drop on the garage floor so the seal must have gone out during the drive, it was only 10-12 miles.

My good old friend Bob, dropped everything and grabbed his trailer and came to get us. Bob is the same guy who trashed his first Sunday home in 2-3 weeks (working out of town) to help me drag the wagon home when it broke. Good to have good friends. Tomorrow I'm signing up for AAA though. This crap is getting old. Great date night for the wife! Bob gets paid back tomorrow though since I'll be helping him demolish an old hot tub in his back yard and hauling it to the dump.

I sure hope the fix on the GTO is just a seal, but it was making just a bit of noise out of the rear end on the way to event. Totally quiet at 50 and below though. Nothing super loud, just a constant hum at highway speeds, didn't really sound like trouble to me. No squealing or gear drone. Maybe a pinion bearing? After all these years, I honestly can't remember how thoroughly we went through the axle 20 some years ago. Let's again hope for a simple fix. I'll check the fluid level soon and consult my transmission/rear axle guru and see where we go from there. I don't suppose Pontiac axle parts are going to be easy to find nowadays, another mystery to delve into. Just had the transmission out recently (see one my other threads) so maybe I buggered up the rear u-joint somehow along the way. Never felt any drivetrain vibrations the whole way there.

But my brother had his pickup stolen the other day, so I guess my whining is pretty pathetic in comparison.

[GT182]

Rich, is it a Safety Track or open rear end? I'm asking as I had this noise problem with my Jeep GC posi rear back a few years ago. Come to find out it didn't have any of the special posi rear additive in it. Once the rear gear oil was drained and the oil change with the additive added it quit making the rear end noise. Is it's possible that could be the reason.

I don't think the pinion seal shouldn't cause the rear end noise. Tho the seal on the Jeep had to be changed too, and then we used Valvoline rear gear oil with the additive in it. I plan on using the Valvoline rear oil with the Limited Slip additive in it in the GTO's rear when I get the Auburn Limited Slip installed.

[Rich-Tripower]

It is Safe-T-Track and has the right fluid with additive but I'll probably be changing the fluid anyway.

[Rich-Tripower]

Taking it in Friday to my transmission/rear end guy and going to let him diagnose it. Hopefully it won't be a whole lot of bad news.

[Rich-Tripower]

Trans/axle guy says it is a vibration, not a gear or bearing issue. Driveshaft was balanced and all the bushings, bearings and seals are new. He inspected the front pinion bearing and it looked new. Seal was toast. It needs a sleeve on the yoke so the new seal will have a good smooth surface to work with. Won't have that in until Monday. Also, the rear u-joint cups that bolt to the yoke did not have the lock rings that help center it in the pinion yoke, he seems to think that could be the entire source of the vibration issue. We will see Monday.

[tempest1964]

It's about time for your luck to change!

[Rich-Tripower]

Turns out the driveshaft front yoke was loose. Those are hard to find! Got a new yoke, had to replace the tailshaft bushing, tailshaft seal, front u-joint and pinion seal. Got a little more expensive than I thought it would but at least it wasn't gears and/or bearings.

[tempest1964]

Hey Rich, when is cousin Bob gonna get that car back here to Indy?
Tony

[elefantrider]

Pinion yokes can also wear out and cause vibration and wear out driveshafts.