Gearbox Clunking Sound

[PhilH]

I'm having some problems with a Galaxy 1.9 TDI 130. There's a nasty clunking that definitely is not suspension as far as I can tell:



So:
There's no clunking when moving around the engine
Stationary with hand break on, rocking back and forth on the clutch bite makes no sound.
The noise happens with clutch in and out in gear and out of gear.
It seems to happen an any gear.
If I jerk the car by pressing the accelerator and backing off, I can consistently replicate the noise.
We've just been under and with car in neutral moved the front wheel around and back and forth. There is a slight squeak and a knocking coming from the transmission - hopefully you can see in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D-DiagtzUM&feature=youtu.be

Is this normal?

[PhilH]

I've read this https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/reference-library/galaxy-mk2-gearbox-drive-stub-axel-and-half-shaft-(inner-drive-shaft)/ and there is some red dust around, but before I go and spend 200 quid I want to be sure.

Would a video of anything else help to confirm it?

[Chrispb]

There is always a certain amount of backlash/play in a transmission even when there's nothing wrong, hard to tell from the video if the play/noise is excessive

[Mirez]

Is that video passenger side? The joint from the post is the drivers side!

[PhilH]

That video is passenger side. I'm confused now 

The clunk is happening only when I'm moving. I've shook everything around from top and underneath and I can't replicate the sound. I can also feel vibration through the clutch when I slightly depress it. It feels like something driveshaft/gearbox related is causing this but I have no issues getting gears.

There was also red dust but can't remember from which side of the box now! Will have to speak to my partner is crime to see if he can remember. The noise feels more like driver side but we noticed that clunking when moving the wheel so thought I'd ask if it is normal.  Thinking about ordering http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-GALAXY-1-9-TDi-INNER-DRIVESHAFT-INTERMEDIATE-DRIVESHAFT-OFF-SIDE-/140962287754?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20d201d08a but don' wanna waste any money on it if it's a gearbox problem. I'd probably just want to get rid and cut my losses.

[Chrispb]

Wondering if this may be a clutch/DMF problem as you said you had vibration when pressing down clutch pedal

[PhilH]

I have considered the clutch/dmf but there are no other tell tail signs. I've listened for the marble in a can rattle type sound but can't hear it. There also doesn't seem to be any change in engine noise when I depress the clutch. The clutch isn't low, or doesn't seem it to me anyway. No trouble with the starter motor. I had a dmf fail on a Mondeo once and the first thing I knew about it was the starter motor missing because of the dmf shavings.

Maybe I'm just hoping it's not clutch/dmf!

[PhilH]

There is definitely vibration through the clutch though. Would this https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/reference-library/galaxy-mk2-gearbox-drive-stub-axel-and-half-shaft-(inner-drive-shaft)/ not cause some vibration through the clutch?

[Mirez]

It will cause a clonking and not vibration, although that is what you describe.

Did you view the video in the post? What's that joint looking like on your car?

[PhilH]

I'm not going to be able to have a look now today. When we inspected yesterday there was play and we could definitely see red dust. Te underside of my car sn't as clean as yours in the video though. The clunking is the main thing I'm worrie about.

Perhaps I'm making something of nothing with the clutch vibration. In your galaxy if you depress your clutch slightly, do you feel the vibration of the engine coming through it? I feel much more than I can in TDCi Mondeo.

[PhilH]

Well after lying under the car for a few hours with a prize bar, we found nothing. If anything it has now got worse and we're convinced it's down to drive-line, When I pull forward and back on the drive, when the clunk happens, my partner in crime said the front wheel juddered/wobbled in line with the noise I've been getting. It's no longer a clunk but more of a grind. I wish we'd checked both wheels no thinking about it, that wobble was on the driver side.

Unfortunately the shop I was going to buy the intermediate drive-shaft from closed early on Saturday. They also put the price up from 79.99 to 399.99! Apparently they are short on stock but are getting 70 or so shipped in from China in about 10 days. I've emailed these for a quote http://motomax.eu/.

I just hope if it is the problem, that it holds out. It's only being used for the nursery run at the moment.

[PhilH]

Hi Guys,
I'm attempting to change the intermediate driveshaft tomorrow. This will be the first time I've got the car up on stands at home, before now it's been round a mates house. I have a few questions.

1. The trolley jack and axle stand set I have is Sealey and rated to 2 tonnes. They've always been fine on a Mondeo but I'm aware of this being a much bigger heavier vehicle. I'm thinking axle stand either side and they jack in place for backup. What do yo think? The axle stands are the 3 legged folding type. (it has a full tank of fuel too)

2. Once I've got the tray out of the way, could this actually be done with the car on it's wheels? I'm doing it on my own so won't have anyone to stand on the brakes to undo the splines.

3. Am I going to be able to get the stub in on my own? It seems everyone struggles with compressing the spring enough to get the allan key bolt started.

Any advice greatly appreciates. Cheers.

[Chrispb]

A two ton jack is fine, your not lifting the whole car at the same time, slacken the large driveshaft bolt while cars on the ground.
Don't jack on sills or chassis outriggers without using block of wood.
The CV joint can be removed from the hub when on full right hand lock.
You can remove the complete shaft together with the support bearing.

[PhilH]

Cool thanks, I was going to abandon but I'll go with the 2 tonnes now

Following this I don't need to remove the outer shaft do I?

[Mirez]

Nope tie it up out the way and its quite easy You really dont want the car on its wheels though as you need plenty of space!

Doing the stub on your own will be tough. I've done two, one with and one without assistance. I used a pieceof wood as a lever to apply inward force - Its tricky as there is nowhere to put the wood on the stub - I had to drill a hole in the wood to allow me to screw the bolt through the wood whilst having the wood against the face of the stub.

Please take a few photos if possible so we can expand that post a little more!!

[PhilH]

Were both of these the polish modified parts though? Does having just standard standard parts make any difference? (hoping make it easier )? Just one last person to say, go with the 2 tonne axle stands would would be great. Don't wanna actually die doing it Will try to take some pics. I'm a bit nervous about it!

[SilverBeast]

I lift mine with a 2 ton (1800Kg) trolley jack I got when I had a mini.  Not sure about the axle stands but I got those for the mini too - thinking about it, it was a clubman estate so would have been a bit heavier!

[Mirez]

Lol - surely a mini would fit IN a Galaxy

The polish stub isnt different in physical dimensions so no - sorry!!

Its good to be concerned about safety but a two tonne jack with a block of wood (to spread load and prevent damage) will lift the side of the car just fine. You should always aim to lower the car down onto stands with the jack as an extra support - not the main - if you are going underneath. Finally, if you remove a wheel, slide it under the car. That way if the unthinkable ever did happen and the car come down, there will still be a safe-ish gap between it and the ground.

[PhilH]

The job has been put back to tomorrow now. That's good advice about the wheel, I hadn't thought about that. Cool. The father in law will be round tomorrow to, so he can help with the stub

[blue metal]

Mark
I got that advice on jacking from
my father about 60 years ago
when I first started on cars.
great to to see it in print again.

You should maybe make that a sticky
or something like
for our younger enthusiasts

Tony

[PhilH]

Emergency help please.

I've dot eh job but noticed the wheels don't spin independently of each other now!!! Does it matter if the car is in gear or not when you put the stub in??? Please help. t was going great I can't imagine what I've done wrong.

[PhilH]

If I force a wheel to turn I get what sounds like an inner cv joint clicking now. Why aren't they spinning independently?

[PhilH]

Driving the car now, just gently on the drive at home, there is grinding coming from what sounds like the  driveshaft cv area. This wasn't present before. Could rotating the wheel to get at the splines have caused some kind of misalignment between the two outer and intermediate shafts, is this even possible?

[Chrispb]

You should be able to turn the wheels fairly easy on a manual box not so easy on an auto when in neutral, when in gear when turning wheel forward the opposite wheel would turn backwards.
Shouldn't make any difference putting the stub in whether it's in gear or not.

[PhilH]

So then what on earth could have gone wrong? Anyone any ideas?

[PhilH]

If one wheel is off the ground and the other on the ground I should be able to spin it right? It's really stiff an if I force it I get a scary clicking sound.

[Chrispb]

The inner joint is a tripod joint and may have fallen apart inside the boot.
You will need to unclip the boot and take a look, be warned these joints usually fail with lack of grease but may just need putting back together.

[Chrispb]

If one wheel is off the ground and the other on the ground I should be able to spin it right? It's really stiff an if I force it I get a scary clicking sound.

No not that easily as you are turning through the differential and gearbox, but there should be no noise.

[PhilH]

Ok, well I moved that joint about a bit trying to get the inner and intermediate shafts aligned to get the bolts back in. That could make sense. Are we talking something like this ? Would I need to undo the bolts again then remove the boot and put back together?

[Chrispb]

That's the one, hope all the needle rollers haven't fell out

[PhilH]

Fingers crossed Chris. I'll take the boot off tomorrow.

[PhilH]

Am I going to be able to remove the boot or do they have to be cut off and replaced?

[Chrispb]

You may have to cut the old clips off to release the boot, depending on what you find you may need to replace the shaft

[PhilH]

If this was working before, could me just rotating the end have broken it?

[Chrispb]

You should keep the joints in line as far as is possible to prevent the tripod rollers from slipping out, but bare in mind the inner joints suffer with the grease drying out so lack of lubrication can wear the joint considerably, add this and the wear on your stub and intermediate shaft that will be quite a lot of slack at the wheel.

[PhilH]

I braved driving it round the block and clicking disappeared. It does now pull to the right a bit though. I wouldn't have thought this job would have affected the wheel alignment. The good news is, the clunking sound I started this thread about has been cured by changing the intermediate shaft.

So now I have the following problems:

• Juddering on acceleration, mainly in second gear.
• Pulling to the right
• Wheen whine above about 30mph which seems to go in the rain.

I've booked into into the a garage on Friday.

I've bot it book

[PhilH]

Did anybody else notice the right wheel being out of alignment after changing the intermediate driveshaft?

[Chrispb]

How do you know alignment is out,
Things like tyre pressures and worn tyres can cause pulling to one side.

[PhilH]

I don't. It didn't pull before I changed the intermediate shaft and now it does. Just wondering if anyone can offer a reason for why that might be.