Ricks project AE85 (Back together with dyno results)

[Rick]

Time for a bit of an update.

Late last year I took my car around a new race track called Hapton Downs, I had a good time there, apart from on my last lap of the day on the cool down lap on the second to last corner my clutch died and had to get the car towed home, but it was worth it.

























The cause of the non working clutch.





New clutch




A noise has seemed to have developed since I replaced the clutch but it could have appeared before then but I wouldn’t have heard it because I was racing at the time.
The noise is in the drive train it has nothing to do with the engine, unbalanced tires, sticking brakes, pads, suspension etc…. As the noise only happens when in gear.

It sounds like a type of grinding noise its a hard one to describe.

The noise seems to only happen between 3500rpm – 2500rpm while decelerating only.

Noticeable the most in 4th gear, then 3rd, and then 2nd, you can hear it in 5th but it is the quietest of the gears.

I thought the sound was coming from the rear, so I checked the drive shaft universal joints and they are fine, next I pulled the diff head out and that also appears to be fine. The diff was rebuilt not long ago with new bearings, but with it out I did notice the axles were touching the LSD center so 4mm from each axle was machined off and when reinstalled the noise is still there, I would have thought 4mm from each side was enough to clear, I have also swapped the diff head over with a spare one and it still made the same sound so it isn't the diff.

I ended up pulling the gearbox out and replacing a few bearings











Some outside pictures