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Need some driveshaft help

DaveSeries1

Silver Level Sponsor
Hi guys, need some advice from the pros. With the engine and transmission back in my S1, I went to install the driveshaft and it wouldn't go. Went in about 1/2" and stopped solid. Has new, correct seal, and splines are clean and lubed. Checked the snap ring, in place correctly. I tried the driveshaft on a spare tranny I had in spare parts, and the same thing. went in a little and stopped. Measured the outside surface with a micrometer and all ok, not damaged or out of round. It's the same driveshaft I removed from the car and the same transmission. Shouldn't it just slip right in? Could certainly use your help on this. Regards, Dave
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Did you perchance replace a bearing/seal in your tail shaft?

I did that to a T5 and the replacement rearing/seal was smaller in ID than the prior one. Drove me mad for a few days.
 

DaveSeries1

Silver Level Sponsor
I did replace the rear seal. Thing is, the spare tranny I have won't take the driveshaft either. And that seal is original. I dread the idea of having to remove the engine/ tranny again.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Spline count and alignment would have been my next suggestion.... odd little things always come into play..... usually the most unlikely.
 

DaveSeries1

Silver Level Sponsor
Splines are nice and clean, same with output shaft. I can feel them align when inserting the yoke. They are the same shaft and transmission that I took apart, original to the car. Only thought I just had, I lubed everything with a good grease. Maybe I should have used a 30-weight oil on the yoke and splines, the grease could be too thick? The binding seems to be between the yoke machined surface and the bushing in the tailstock maybe. Dave
 

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
I know that too much grease in the pilot bearing can stop the trans from mating
with the engine, could be the same here. Clean it out and try it then.
 

junkman

Gold Level Sponsor
Was the tail shaft bushing changed on the rebuild? I had a customer that had the wrong bushing installed in the tail shaft housing that did just what you're describing.
 

DaveSeries1

Silver Level Sponsor
No, I only changed the seal. What confuses me, is that the yoke won't go into the spare transmission I have. Binds up the same way. Seems to be an issue with the yoke, or wrong lubrication. Dave
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
This may be a dumb question, but, is the "hollow" portion of the yoke free of any foreign matter?
 

Acollin

Platinum Level Sponsor
just a thought:
I was taught years ago to mark drive shafts upon removal so when putting it back up, it is being inserted as it came out.
is it possible that you simply need to find the spline orientation from when it was removed?
can those splines mate and go back only in one orientation?
hope this helps
Andrew
 

Knightowl61

Gold Level Sponsor
The spare tranny seal is probably hardened especially if no yoke was kept in it. A little lube and a heavy rubber mallet should pop the yoke in. If not there might be a tiny unseen bur in the yoke. The SS catalogue shows series 1thru early 4 all the same, all syncro series 5 is different. Is your installed tranny all syncro?
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Lock the gears of the transmission and try slipping the yoke on to the end of the shaft and turn one tooth at a time, rotationg the yoke on each tooth for a complete rotation to see if there is a "special" notch that allows it to mate.
 

BEpine

Platinum Level Sponsor
Had the same issue with my driveshaft going into my overdrive transmission I got from Jeff Howarth. There was a burr on the output shaft splines.
removed the tailshaft housing and filed the splines until it slid on freely.
 
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