Anyone want to guess...

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
DogRocker
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:16 am
Your car is a: 1981 FI 2000
Location: Mountlake Terrace, WA

Anyone want to guess...

Postby DogRocker » Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:32 am

...what this noise(s) could be in transmission?

https://youtu.be/VV13Bo94964

To me it sounds like a bearing noise at around the 0:13 mark in the video. There's also a lot of general whining noise, but that may be normal(?). Dunno.

The rattle noise heard loudest at 0:13 point happens whenever I accelerate moderately in any gear. That is, climbing grade, flat or downhill at any RPM it'll happen when I accelerate, that is increase the load.

The fluid was recently changed to GL1 type.

Any guesses?
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wubie317
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:54 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider
Location: Sonoma, CA

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby wubie317 » Mon Dec 04, 2017 12:09 pm

I have a somewhat uneducated guess...Because the sound occurs under load, I'm guessing it's the differential. Mine is also making noises, and my mechanic has told me it will eventually go completely. I have heard the pinion can be replaced (don't know how difficult a job that is), but if the diff's guts are on their way out, it'll need a full replacement.

DogRocker
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:16 am
Your car is a: 1981 FI 2000
Location: Mountlake Terrace, WA

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby DogRocker » Mon Dec 04, 2017 2:37 pm

Thanks for the response.

I don't think it's the diff. This past October I had the Diff checked with new oil and gasket installed by a Fiat Master (Ray at http://performanceapex.com/index.html). I had taken the car to him for some front end work and a general "once over". He initially discovered the transmission noise while test driving it but couldn't quite pinpoint it. While he had the car I had him remove the transmission case cover, do a visual inspection and change the trans oil. He mentioned that the oil that came out didn't seem like the factory recommended GL1. At this point, I'm guessing the previous owner may have been using a different oil to quiet things down. Don't know, and it don't matter now.

He also replaced the drive shaft support bearing.

The noise is definitely coming from the transmission area forward of the shifter.

Since this initial post I pulled the transmission cleaned it a bit, and just started taking it apart. There was a some fine brass(?) dust in the gear oil and bottom main housing cover. Syncro material perhaps. Strange, because it seems to shift fine. The picture below is about 20 miles of driving on fresh GL1.

Also, the Input Shaft seems slightly loose to me. If I move the Input Shaft I can see the Input Shaft gear wobble a little bit inside the gear box which moves the Syncro a bit too. I'll be replacing the Input Shaft Bearing for sure. To my ears the rattling sounds like it may be a needle bearing type assembly like the one on the end of the Input Shaft. This is pure guesswork right now, as I have little recent wrenching and zero transmission experience. Regardless, I'm really excited about working on this gearbox for some reason. Strange.

Image
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SeattleSpider
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:19 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Spider
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby SeattleSpider » Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:55 pm

Ray's the best. Surprised he could not pinpoint it.

BEEK
Posts: 1830
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:45 pm
Your car is a: 1975 Spider
Location: clermont fl

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby BEEK » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:22 pm

I have built 100's of these gearboxes. That is an excessive amount of brass. thats like 30k miles worth of wear. You may have a bearing problem and a gear mesh problem. I would disassemble the gear box, it is already out. the hard part is done. Take it apart and the culprit will be very evident.
Automotive Service Technology Instructor (34 year Fiat mechanic)
75 spider
, 6 Lancia Scorpions, 2018 Abarth Spider, 500X wifes, 500L 3 82 Zagatos. 82 spider 34k original miles, 83 pininfarina, 8 fiat spider parts cars
son has 78 spider

DogRocker
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 12:16 am
Your car is a: 1981 FI 2000
Location: Mountlake Terrace, WA

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby DogRocker » Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:21 am

"Ray's the best. Surprised he could not pinpoint it."

I can't really fault him. He understood the transmission needed to be taken apart. Btw, his wife Laurie seems very knowledgable too as well as extremely nice. They're a great team. If I didn't have such a strong interest in taking this apart I'd be taking the transmission to him.

"...Take it apart and the culprit will be very evident."

I hope so. I'll post pictures here. They may be helpful to others as well.
bass_and_vocals AT hotmail

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Nanonevol
Patron 2018
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Posts: 828
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:17 am
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Medway, Massachusetts

Re: Anyone want to guess...

Postby Nanonevol » Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:34 am

I think the input shaft carries fourth gear. Mine was worn on the end so I replaced it along with many other parts.
1977 Fiat Spider
1985 Jaguar XJ6
1967 Triumph Bonneville (hard-tail chopper)
1966 BSA Lightning


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