Thread: Drivetrain slop

My '96 has developed some slop in the drivetrain... and I'm wondering if it's coming from the gear stack?

This is kinda hard to explain... The slop shows up when I lightly/moderately roll on the throttle at slow speeds. I can feel the entire system winding up a bit... Almost like a rubber band being turned. When I release the throttle suddenly, the car will tend to buck a bit. It reminds me of those rubber band airplanes I played with as a kid, if you're old enough to remember those. Anyway, at first, I thought it was the axles, since they needed replacing and it felt like rotational energy that wasn't being transmitted properly.. but I've changed the axles, and the wheel bearings, tie rod ends, ball joints, and all bushings in the last few months since they were due as well. The car also has ES engine mounts and a Fidanza flywheel w/ ACT HDPP/perf clutch, Road Magnet springs/CSKs, SSR Type Cs, NX brakes, and an old school SMC shifter with ES bushings. As far as I can remember, everything else is stock with about 170k on her. It doesn't seem like the engine is slopping around causing deflection, so I keep coming back to the transmission internals (which I have no experience with other than looking at the FSM and pics).

I know the vacuum and grounding systems need an overhaul, but I wouldn't think it would cause the slop... Just idle and throttle tip-in issues. This really feels more like rotational energy.

Any ideas?

On further thought... The timing chain has never been replaced. Could it be slack in the chain causing the slop?

Could be the crossmember itself moving around, or loose bolts, I would get it in the air and pry things around looking for movement, do you feel/see any movement in the shifter?

kind of sounds like your knock sensor is ready for replacing.

Thanks, I'll check it... But I'd be very surprised if that's what it is. The problem appeared before I took everything off to do the recent round of upgrades. I suppose the stock rubber crossmember bushings could be toast. Time for an upgrade?

Knock sensor.... Hadn't considered that. Do you think it's failing false positive and pulling timing?

Yes, the symptoms you described happen during very noisy parts of the cycle.

did you ever find the slop problem ?

No, but strangely it seemed to get better on it's own. It's still not what I would call tight or slop free, but it isn't nearly as noticable now. I swear my B14 is turning into a "tsukumogami" and has a self repair function it's developed.

i fix my problem its the bushing that is located on the shift linkage on the trans side not the circle one the other 1 that the problem if anything you can call me 347 941 5783 and i send you a pic of what i am talking about