Pie Run ends in tragedy for my xs1100

[webbcraft2150]

I feel your pain!!!! Whilst this is off topic, my trip to Fort Collins netted a failed fuel pump in Castle Rock, Colo., and a Upper Intake Manifold failure just outside Roswell, NM. Any of you guys with 3800 V6's should be familar with this one. All repairs done at the GM dealers (ouch, my acheing plastic ). Top that off with sending the wife and daughter back to Austin on a plane with "buy 'em right now" tickets and my trip was a "little" over budget.

Back on topic, final drive swaps are pretty easy and there are 'lotsa final drive assemblies out there to pick from. NEVER any fun to crap out on the road.

[manshack_one]

I guess if the splines are ground down then now would be a good time for the 750 swap, eh?


On a side note, this breakdown happened with 666 miles on my trip meter while 3 miles from County Road 666. Creepy. That's some bad juju.

[blue giant]

Bad juju is right.

Did you pull the final drive off? Are the splines toast?

[manshack_one]

Maybe tonight I'll pull it apart. If it wasn't for the pics that TC linked to in the other post I'd not know what to look for. Spent all day yesterday on the road and back to my nephew's birthday party. They did have an inflatable waterslide that us big kids took over after letting the little ones have at it most of the afternoon. Of course someone thought we needed less traction and figured shampoo'ing the slide would help. All it helped with was burning our eyes really well when we splashed into the pool at the bottom. Good times.

[manshack_one]

Looks like I need a new tool because I don't have anything that fits that rear axle nut. Last night I got 3/4 of the nuts removed from the final drive/swingarm connection, got the shock removed and that's about as far as I got. What size is that axle nut?

Whenever I roll the tire all the noise is coming from the footpeg area and not the rear. Does that shaft go all the way up there from the rear tire? Never had one apart so I haven't a clue.

[malber]

Not at home to check my tools, but I believe it's a 21mm bolt. Yeah, bigger than most commercial socket sets carry

If you haven't checked the final gear oil, have you checked the middle gear?

[thewiz]

If it were me ...

especially since it sounds like you have now placed the source of the noise forward of the final drive, I would first be peeling back that black rubber boot that covers the u-joint and the middle drive connection to get a look in there ....

[thewiz]

The rear axle nut ...

is a medium large crescent wrench

[prometheus578]

"For our Canadian and Brit friends."

"an adjustable spanner"

[malber]

What do you call it after it gets rounded?

[thewiz]

"...What do you call it after it gets rounded?..."

A nut splitter OR a cold chisel ??? Better not to round 'em off though ...

[egleaves]

In ten years of being a plumber I've learned one thing, if you can't take off a nut with your channel locks, get a bigger pair of channel locks.

[TopCatGr58]

Originally posted by egleaves
In ten years of being a plumber I've learned one thing, if you can't take off a nut with your channel locks, get a bigger pair of channel locks.

Ahhhh, but are they METRIC CHANNEL LOCKS?

Also helps to remove the cotter pin before trying to loosen it!

BTW, IF you have the OEM tool kit in that little plastic wrapped holder next to the battery under the left side cover....then you HAVE The right size box end wrench that will fit the rear axle nut, just put the wrench holder/screwdriver holder flattened round handle on the end of it for more leverage, or even then a set of vice locks onto the end of that!!
T.C.

[GrandPrix46]

Any of you guys with 3800 V6's should be familar with this one. All repairs done at the GM dealers (ouch, my acheing plastic ).

Too bad you went to the dealer, that's a 1 hour job for me. I'm guessing you have an L36? If so, it's the EGR that causes it to warp and leak coolant into the engine. What year/model w body do you have?

Might not be long before your lower intake gaskets will need replacing as well, they make aluminum ones to replace the stock plastic crap. Let me know if you ever need help/advice on a Wbody, i've pulled them apart and rebuilt plenty of them.

[trbig]

I agree with thewiz... I'm thinking you're doing all that for nothing. It's either loose/lost bolts between the u-joint or the middle drive gear. Either one of them is easy to replace.

Quit messing with the final drive and all that stuff if you haven't checked where the noise is coming from. As stated, pull the rubber boot back at the end of the middle drive and check for the 4 bolts there.... sounds like they may be laying in the rubber boot.

Tod