Lydia has a problem...
>This weekend after a nice drive to the beach, our '66 MGB developed
>a rear axle clunk. :( The clunking happens when changing gears on fast
>acceleration and when breaking (and sometimes when turning corners.)
>More info on the clunking -- I jacked up each rear wheel separately
>and turned it back and forth. There is some play in the right wheel
>(about 5 degrees?) before it engages the propeller shaft and it goes
>thunk, thunk as it is moved backward and forward. The left wheel does not
>have very much play and it does not go thunk, thunk.
Andy gave a decent overview of the possibilities. I would say that the most
likely source of trouble would be:
1) The splines (wire wheel). Make sure that the knock-off is
*TIGHT*. Dont be afraid to hit that thing good with the lead mallet. This
may be take care of it, but you do say there is a *lot* of slop. Which may
indicate that the splines on the hub, or the wheel are worn. Try swapping
with another wheel and see what happens. Worst case is replacement of hub &
wheel. (you can get yours rebuilt with a new wheel hub and spokes) If the
hub moves with the wheel, then you're OK here, look towards the center of the
car.
2) The half axle shaft. This may be worn, or loose where it engages
gears inside the differential. This may or may not be a major problem. MGB
diff's tend to develop some clunk due to worn spacers. They can be driven
with a bit of slop for many miles, ( :-) ) , and rebuild kits are cheap.
But this, or a U-Joint problem should result in equal slop in both rear
wheels. You should also make sure that the Hub is firmly attached to the
shaft. Removing a "B" axel shaft is a medium difficulty job. It does require
a decent work area where the car can be jacked up, and left. (A thought-
a whole replacement rear end for a B from a salvage yard could be cheaper
than repair parts, if it's in good shape.)
Andy writes (a list of distinct possibilities, and):
>I know I need new splines, and I
>I just can't bring myself to spend that kind of money on a part that no one
>can even see for a 20 year old car. A new top, OK, people can see that and
>a few might even notice, but a rear wheel spline?
Andy, Andy, Andy- The top may look good, but who needs it? B's work
better without them anyhow. No rattles, more rear storage space, (nothing to
block my speakers). And you live in Florida? My soft top spend most of it's
time stored upstairs in the barn. (I do have a tonneau, so I can keep the
birds at bay). You may not *see* the hubs, but you don't see the tranny, or
the engine, etc. either. But the stuff that makes the car GO, and *STOP*,
that's what makes them driveable! Badly worn splines can be a functional
hazzard. Remember, Saftey Fast!
(I agree, it is pretty hard to dish out large bucks for something so small
and insignificant looking. especially for 4 wheels? Ouch!)
Lotus fans- whats the story on the Eclat' ? (looks like an Europa,
with rear windows) I almost got roped in by a 2+2 last year before the PA
beckoned. I haven't heard much about their desireability. Reliability
seems about par- this one had a partialy trashed tranny (how expensive?),
so the guy didn't want anyone to drive it, unless they were very serious.
Even so, he wanted ~$7K.
________
/ _ \ Roger Garnett (garnett@tcgould.TN.CORNELL.EDU)
/ /|| \ \ Agricultural Economics
| |\/ || _ | 3 Warren Hall | South Lansing Centre For
| | || | | Cornell University | Wayward Sports Cars
\ ||__/ / Ithaca, N.Y. 14853 | (607) 533-7735
\________/ (607) 255-2522 | SAFETY FAST!
|