Turbo 350 sloppiness

[fleming442]

What about slop in the ring and pinion?

 

[83StreetMachine]

I'm leaning more towards what flemming442 is saying.

It's the rear. Has it ever been opened up or rebuilt?

Pull the driveshaft off the rear pinion. Then see how much movement you get at the tailshaft of the trans while its in park.

 

[lilbowtie]

Stated in the 1st post rear end play was min, not to say that's not clunk - BUT!

 

[83StreetMachine]

I saw that but I'm assuming it was with the drive shaft still in place. Like you said But.....

In order to isolate the culprit, I'd drop the shaft and see what happens.

If there is still a lot of movement at the trans tailshaft then we know it's inside the trans and it's time to drop the pan and have a look-see.

 

[lilbowtie]

I said BUT because a trans shouldn't do that in park period! Put your car in park and see how far it moves. The car up on jacks is the same as disconnecting the drive shaft.

 

[MrSony]

The parking pawl is an aluminum finger that engages indentations on the drum. That is why when you try to put it in park while you are still moving it sounds like a stick being snapped along a picket fence. This looseness is more deeply internal like where the output shaft is inside somewhere. I am thinking someone did a lot of high rpm neutral-to-drive-dumps and ruined something. But I don't know enough about the T-350 innards.

 

[83StreetMachine]

I said BUT because a trans shouldn't do that in park period! Put your car in park and see how far it moves. The car up on jacks is the same as disconnecting the drive shaft.

I respectfully disagree. Push on your car while in park and see how much movement you can get while the driveshaft is attached to the pinion. Then try to see how much you can get at the tailshaft when it's disconnected. Any slop in the rear easily translates through the drivetrain.

It could be a combination of wear in everything we've mentioned. Especially if everything is still original untouched equipment.

Just trying to help the OP with some ideas. Not looking to get into a pissing match

 

[Bonnewagon]

I had the car up on jacks so I could turn the driveshaft and rear wheels. I grabbed the driveshaft and tested the U-joints because that is what the noise souded like at first. There is no play at all in the U-joints. The rear end and axles have some play but totally normal and acceptable. Not enough to make a CLUNK. But at the trans- wowsers- what a lot of play. I'm a manual trans guy but I am pretty sure the output shaft is supposed to be tight- no rotational play. By turning the rear wheels I watched the trans yoke move about 45° either way. I had the owner move from drive to reverse back and forth and the CLUNK was definitely from the trans. So my question was what inside could allow all that movement yet drive normally?

 

[pontiacgp]

did you check the splines on the slip yoke and output shaft? They may be worn

 

[Bonnewagon]

No, I didn't. If that is so they must be half shaved off!