Horrible Start To the Day

[Tony]

After staying up until the wee hours of the morning working out what I'm going to do with this site, I finally went to bed. The wife woke me up just before she went to class and was gone before I got out of bed. So I got up, made coffee and cranked on the computer. I didn't have so much as the time to empty my spam mail before she calls me.

Her words... "I turned onto HWY 9, heard a loud metal piece break, then just grinding. The car won't stay still with it in park and I have to use the E-Brake to keep it in place". OH GOODIE!!! So I ask where she is, fill up my cup, and head out the door. Yes, my regular coffee cup on back country roads in a camaro with "more than stock" suspension lol.

I get there and I don't see anything hanging under the car, good sign. I don't see any fluid, good sign. And I don't see any hazard lights hahaha.

So I pull in front of hers and pull over to the grass and stop. I walk back and look under the car. I can see nothing wrong. I get in the car, start it, put it in gear and holy crap the noise is horrendous lol. I put it in neutral but there is always drag going through the trans from the engine so something is still spinning. It's either the driveshaft or the rearend that went out. So, I leave it in neutral and look under the car, still can't see anything, it's a camaro, it's only about 4" off the ground lol. So I go behind the car and look up under it. There I can see the front half of the driveshaft turning, but the rear part is not. I had forgot that on the v6 cars, they have a two piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing in the center. She busted the yoke out of it. in a v6, holy crap lmao.

So I ask her if she wants to take my baby to the city so she can atleast make it to lab and she says yes. When the tow truck pulls up, I give her the keys and she is on her way. And I ride back to the house in his truck. It sucked cause I miss being in a big truck. The ride, the sound of the turbo, OMG it's like sex lol.

The car is now in my driveway and I have yet to get under it. I dont' want to get under it for at least a day. But I know what is wrong, and I'm trying to find out if a driveshaft out of a v8 will fit in a v6. If so, then the v6 camaro is getting a driveshaft out of an LSx car lol. Yeah, she ain't breaking this one.

And no, I never spilt my coffee. That would be a sin against the coffee gods!

 

[coolgabsi]

That sucks man!! How much will that part be? Do you think that's the only thing broke?

I hope so.. I am sorry that happened dude!!! Hope the stuff sells here, so you can get on the road..

 

[Tony]

Yeah, there was always the possibility that something like this would happen and put us behind. That's life I guess. The part is about $125 if it's just that part. But we have other issues that have come up in the last few days that have crippled us financially. I don't want to drive again, but it's looking like our only way out. Working for the military is not cutting it.

 

[coolgabsi]

I thought when I read your post that you might be considering that, well I guess if thats the way money's gonna come in... does it pay well (better ) ?

 

[Tony]

It pays about $40,000 more than what I'm doing now, I just hate it. But money talks.

 

[breeze400]

Sorry to hear about all your troubles. If you need anything that I can do for you just ask! At least a drive shaft is easy to fix. He'll it cost me 500 for a new driveshaft for my f 350 last year. We have a driveshaft specialty shop here. No mor ford junk carrier barings! Anyway if you go back to trucking, maybe we can meet sometime!

 

[Tony]

I doubt we will ever meet. I will not drive in the north east at all. But I have thought about having some kind of big get together somewhere in the country. But it looks like getting in a truck is going to happen one way or another. It's the only thing that pays the bills.

The good thing about this if it happens as fast as I think it will, is I will be able to keep all of my aircraft and memberships. Granted I will only be able to do something on the weekends, but thats better than what I'm doing now lol.

 

[Tony]

I doubt we will ever meet. I will not drive in the north east at all. But I have thought about having some kind of big get together somewhere in the country. But it looks like getting in a truck is going to happen one way or another. It's the only thing that pays the bills.

The good thing about this if it happens as fast as I think it will, is I will be able to keep all of my aircraft and memberships. Granted I will only be able to do something on the weekends, but thats better than what I'm doing now lol.

 

[breeze400]

Ya but you have to remember, I'm in Chicagoland every other day during the week! So meeting if you run up to Chicago would not be hard. Our In. Terminal is in the back of the Porter, In. TA. Exit 22B on I94. If you get that local job we were talking about last night, then we won't meet! Lol.

 

[Jolly-Swagman]

Tony sorry to hear of your Car trouble bro, at least you know what is wrong with it, and can be fixed.
Hope all works out for in the Financial areas too, I know how much of a downer that can be believe me!

 

[Whirlybird]

Ya but you have to remember, I'm in Chicagoland every other day during the week! So meeting if you run up to Chicago would not be hard. Our In. Terminal is in the back of the Porter, In. TA. Exit 22B on I94. If you get that local job we were talking about last night, then we won't meet! Lol.

If you guys come to Chicago, give me a call

 

[Tony]

Tony sorry to hear of your Car trouble bro, at least you know what is wrong with it, and can be fixed.
Hope all works out for in the Financial areas too, I know how much of a downer that can be believe me!

I removed the driveshaft last night and replaced it with a driveshaft out of a Z28. it's a one piece shaft and this failure won't happen again. This could have turned out much worse. When this shaft broke, she said that she was at about 50mph and still accelerating. Where the shaft broke is behind the carrier bearing and there is nothing to keep it from hitting the road. if that would have happened, it would have acted like a fulcrum and tossed the back of the car straight into the air causing it to flip on it's roof. This was the dumbest design that i could think of. And I don't know why they did it. The shaft costs more money to manufacture, and has more points of failure. Ugh, I don't have to worry about that anymore though lol.

However, when I was under there replacing the shaft, I noticed a LOT of brake fluid coming out of the drivers rear wheel. the wheel cyl is bad on that one. I have opted to just replace the cyl and not the shoes just to save some money. Afterall, the rear brakes only provide 30% of the stopping power and only kick in when you are on them pretty hard. So I'm not worried about any ill effects. Also, there is a waterleak on the car that i think is the water pump. I don't know yet since I have not gotten under the front of the car.

Last night, I had a caprice in my garage that we were pulling the engine out of for the wifes truck. i was trying to wait until this weekend to pull it, but had to do it last night. About 0400 we finally got it out and pushed the car out of the garage. Today i did all of the shopping for the wifes car, separated the engine from the trans and put the engine on the stand. About an hour ago I was finally able to put the Camaro in the garage to do the brakes. And i will more than likely be doing that here in about an hour. some birthday my wife has had lol. School, no car, and I'm so sore that I don't want to do crap lol.

If I get this position, then her car will more than likely either get sold, crushed, or I will keep it for our oldest daughter. A Camaro for a first car... I know lol. But it's what we have. And they are safe. But we will be getting something bigger for her if I get it. Time will tell though.

 

[breeze400]

I'm on my way to porter now be there tonight! Lol I'm usually in porter in two three times a week!