Brown Trousers Time

[Guest 2b_pablo]

brown trousers moment!

 

driving up an offramp on local motorway when hell erupted in my transmission tunnel. seems my prop had a rubber donut which at that moment disintegrated.

 

tunnel got pounded until i got stopped and was very lucky it didnt come through and mangle my leg!

 

ripped a hole in the floor pan tho.

 

so obviously I wont be refitting a prop donut so can anyone tell me what I need to be fitting as a propshaft? Mk2 hood with all sierra gear with T9 box.

 

Also what are the transmission tunnel panels made of? Need to cut the damaged parts out and reweld in some new pieces.

 

just as I was selling up to buy a BEC too

 

thanks all

[Mitch]

4 or 5 speed,

you need to take box out to check for damage around the splined shaft

 

 

Mitch

[Guest 2b_pablo]

5sp type 9 mate.

[Mitch]

robbos 4 speed prop wont fit then!!!

 

Mitch

[Guest timswait]

Bad luck mate. Robin Hood will probably sell replacement props, the good news is that they now have two UJ's and no rubber doughnut, the bad news is that the UJ's have been known to fail on occasions, and sometimes even the prop itself has buckled and twisted up. IMHO you're best off getting one made up at a local engineering firm, there are specialist prop makers about, I've no idea where the nearest one to you would be though. Provide them with the details of the type of fittings at the ends and the length (or give them to old one) and they'll be able to make a replacement. Do a search for previous threads on broken props, there were several companies mentioned.

[Guest chris brown]

Also what are the transmission tunnel panels made of? Need to cut the damaged parts out and reweld in some new pieces.

thanks all

If the car is stainless then obviously you need to replace with stainless if mild steel then replace with mild steel, as for the prop then do as Tim says and get it made up locally.

[Guest yellow peril]

same happened to me at 70 odd miles an hour - luckily the heavyweight exmo tunnel held up, but it is now more round than square in places - mine was a rubber bunged sierra job as well - I went with robin hoods prop - which weighed about half the original as well so a bit of a weight saving - are they known to break easily though - I dont fancy that happeneing again.

Edited October 31, 2007 by yellow peril

[Guest Ad_W2001]

i'd hate to think what would happen in this situation driving a lightweight......

[Guest FIRSTBUILD]

years ago it happened to me in a Bond Equipe - fibreglass tunnel cover ! the prop ended up in the car thrashing about everywhere !

[Guest 2b_pablo]

somene suggested making a cradle for the prop so during normal driving it wouldnt touch the cradle but if it went again it would fall onto the cradle and splin happily on it. kinda like a U under the prop.

 

Im going to repair the tunnel and floor, get the car sorted out and sell it on. I want a BEC anyway and Ill get more for it this way over breaking it.

[Guest vacinc]

2b_pablo theres a place on the ballygowan rd, maryland industrail est. first unit on the left, give them a try. made me one for alot of years ago.

[Grim]

i'd hate to think what would happen in this situation driving a lightweight......

 

 

Something similar happened to a lad on here who has been to the local meets, but fortunately the prop wrapped itself around itself on launch, so didn't do too much damage.

[Guest timswait]

kinda like a U under the prop.

No, it would need to go right the way around it. It won't just drop down into a U it will flail around. The best way would be to reinforce the tunnel sides, maybe put in a couple of diagonal tubes to contain it.

[miikae]

After inspecting a Donut on my lads BMW that is on its way out , i can now understand why they can cause such a lot of damage as upon failure the propshaft will tend to climb over the gearbox drive rather than just spinning free and thus flailing around until the car is stopped , the only way i can see to possibly prevent this would to fit a split tube around the donut and bolted together for easy removal , with sufficient gap as not to foul when the gearbox mounts flex and fixed to the tunnel sides and bottom by brackets . This may contain the propshaft but the gearbox drive flange would possibly get wrecked together with the seal plus the gearbox etc , although the driver and passenger should be free from any injury which is more to the point .

 

Just my early morning pondering thoughts on the subject .

 

Mike

[Guest 2b_pablo]

pics added - was nasty one alright!