Universal joint question
 

Hi! Quick question hopefully, I did a motor and transmission swap on my 30 coupe and after getting everything re-assembled I can’t get the car to roll when pushing haven’t tried driving, would an issue with the universal joint cause this?

Things I checked, lifted the car up and checked to see if the breaks were locked up, tires turned when in gear, checked to see if transmission was in neutral/gear by rocking the car and watching the fan move

Little stumped on this one but that’s part of the fun

Re: Universal joint question
 

I don’t understand something you have written. “Tires turned when in gear”.

Are you saying when you lifted car, and it was in gear, you could turn your rear wheels?

Also you mentioned rocking the car in gear and the fan. Did the fan move?

Re: Universal joint question
 

Yup when I had the car lifted and in gear I could turn one tire and the opposite tire would also rotate and when car was on the ground while in gear the fan blade would move

Thanks for the reply!

Re: Universal joint question
 

Did you have the transmission tower off?
If so, the shifter levers may have slid off their intended position.
Jeff

Re: Universal joint question
 

I did have the transmission tower off and back on a couple of times seemed like it was coming together fine but I have an extra tower I can switch too they could be slipping

Re: Universal joint question
 

[QUOTE=cliffy;1610814]Yup when I had the car lifted and in gear I could turn one tire and the opposite tire would also rotate and when car was on the ground while in gear the fan blade would move

Thanks for the reply![/QUOTE

If the rear of the car is off the ground, and the car is in gear, you should not be able to easily turn your rear wheels. Out of gear, they will easily turn, one going one way the other going the other way.

If your fan is moving when you move the car back and forth in gear. That would indicate that you have a connection from your rear wheels to your engine.

If you have not taken your transmission apart and your engine will run? I would start it up, put in first gear, and very slowly let the clutch out.

While speaking of clutch. Have you checked whether that is operational, adjusted properly, or rusted to the fly wheel? You should know if it is stuck when you try starting the car. Start car in neutral, than push clutch in, and try putting car in gear. If the gears clash, your clutch is the problem.

Re: Universal joint question
 

You shouldn't need to swap towers, just insure that the shift forks are seated correctly in their sliders/gears. I've had them slip out of place during re-assembly numerous times.
To test; can you get the car into all gears, including neutral?
Try rocking the car at each gear, including neutral. Hope this helps. Jeff

Re: Universal joint question
 

WHN, You said:

If the rear of the car is off the ground, and the car is in gear, you should not be able to easily turn your rear wheels. Out of gear, they will easily turn, one going one way the other going the other way.

That is incorrect. Due to the different action, with both rear wheels lifted, and the car is in gear, (drive shaft locked), when you turn one rear wheel, the other will turn in the opposite direction.

You got it just backwards.:)

Re: Universal joint question
 

WHN, I’ll have to check out the clutch didn’t think about that but the motor I took out had a v8 clutch and the one I put back in is stock

Re: Universal joint question
 

Your right, I got that backwards.

Don’t get “OLD”.

Re: Universal joint question
 

Yes trans gears sliding around with the top off can lock them up good.

Another test is put it in any gear with the rear wheels off the ground and hand crank the engine - both wheels should turn in the same direction

if your truly in neutral the car should roll granted your not tryign to push up hill, parking brake on, brakes too tight (very well possible once the cars on the ground due to worn wheel bearings)

When you slipped everything back in you did remember the "bowl" that covers the U joint that the rear end pivots on right? if not you may be jammed up in the U joint region.

Re: Universal joint question
 

Sea slugs, I’ll have to try the hand cranking and I had the bowl in place if the handcranking doesn’t pan out I’ll probably pull the rear end to check.

Re: Universal joint question
 

You don't need to pull the rear end to check to see if the forward thrust cup is installed over the U-joint. You can see the 1/8" steel edge between the 2 paper gaskets. I'll bet someone has a picture of this.

Re: Universal joint question
 

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