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Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:40 am
by Brett027
Wilma's driveshaft has a dent about 8mm diameter and 2mm deep near the axle uni mount. Is this likely to be a vibration issue ? Shaft is straight.
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:28 am
by EK283
Brett027 wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:40 am
Wilma's driveshaft has a dent about 8mm diameter and 2mm deep near the axle uni mount. Is this likely to be a vibration issue ? Shaft is straight.
Drive shaft may or may not vibrate, if it does then you'll know what's causing it.
Hardy Spicer in Moorebank Sydney can balance it although they will probably convince you of a new one.
I have an auto one here somewhere not sure if its the same length as a manual but if you get desperate its yours.
Greg
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:48 am
by Errol62
Auto is shorter. I have spares but prolly closer sources. I would chance it, but that is me. I was told of a method for balancing tailshaft on the car which involves the use of a spiral screw type hose clamp as a balance weight. The clamp is set around the end of the shaft according to trial and error. Just need a screw driver and empty stretch of highway.
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:57 am
by Brett027
Any difference between ute and sedan manual length Clay? I'm assuming that there isn't. Ingenious balance method but where would you start?

Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:45 am
by Blacky
I wouldnt think a dent that small would be an issue, nor would the power level of the old grey motor be a concern either

Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:58 am
by Errol62
Only one tailshaft length across the FB model range Brett. Ek auto is shorter.
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Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:23 pm
by Brett027
What do you mean Blacky- there's ponies in there- many ponies!
Thanks Clay, thought they were all the same but just checking.
Anyway not thinking car now
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Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:24 pm
by ardiesse
Brett,
The ding may not cause imbalance - in fact, it may be a negative-mass balance weight.
(Reminds me of a technique one factory had for tuning waveguide equipment: the final production test stations were "manned" by women techs with about 20 years' experience. Their tools were a network analyser and a small ball-pein hammer. These ladies had unerring touch: no matter what was wrong with the equipment under test, they would deliver a single blow with the hammer, and suddenly it met spec.)
Holden driveshafts of this vintage have thick cardboard tubes in them at each end. The tubes are notorious for shifting inside the driveshaft, which unbalances the shaft. The cure is to get a driveshaft specialist to remove them.
Rob
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:11 am
by Harv
ardiesse wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:24 pmReminds me of a technique one factory had for tuning waveguide equipment: the final production test stations were "manned" by women techs with about 20 years' experience. Their tools were a network analyser and a small ball-pein hammer. These ladies had unerring touch: no matter what was wrong with the equipment under test, they would deliver a single blow with the hammer, and suddenly it met spec.
Iβve seen this technique many times in heavy industry. Itβs often referred to as percussive maintenance.
β
the valve stem was stuck. Tried percussive maintenance but cannot get it to unfree. Requires overhaul.β.
Not sure that the ball-pein hammer used is small though
Cheers,
Harv
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:56 pm
by Brett027
I like the sound of 'percussive maintenance'. I think its a technique already mastered and encouraged by Blacky and Clay :ie "use a BBH?
Interesting about the cardboard in the shafts. Must have been a reason for it.
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:01 pm
by Errol62
Some sort of resonance dampening effect no doubt
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:15 pm
by ardiesse
Brett,
Resonance damping, yes. But not drivetrain-related. The cardboard was put into the driveshaft to damp out the ringing sound when stones hit the driveshaft.
I don't think Wilma's going to be driven on gravel roads much though . . .
Rob
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:29 pm
by Brett027
Amazing! Thanks Rob, Clay, I don't know how you guys got to know all this stuff. Yeah, not likely to be many gravel roads in Wilma's future, or mine hopefully.

. Just to exhaust all usefulness from this post, my donor FB ute driveshaft has a cowl/shroud around the external bit of the splined part of the gearbox yoke that presumably protects the gearbox seal. Is this factory? Its not on sedan or EK ute.
Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:00 pm
by Brett027
A picture tells a thousand words, or in this case 15 or so. Looking through the donor FB ute's floor.

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Re: Drive shaft dent?
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:03 pm
by Errol62
Sounds like an earlier box to me have you deciphered the date code. It may be FJ??
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