Driveshaft - smoke from shifter

[dragon240sx]

Well a while back I posted about some smoke coming from my shift-boot. I narrowed the problem down to a leaky seal around the drive shaft that was throwing out grease onto my exhaust pipe. This morning leaving the house I kept hearing a constant "click click" noise after I put the car in 1st and let the clutch out. As long as the car is rolling I hear this "click" noise. It does not do it sitting still with the clutch in or out so I'm 99% sure it's the effects of this leaky drive-shaft seal that probably has no more grease in the bearings or whatever is in there. Does anyone else thing this is the problem? Also, how easy is it to remove the drive shaft and fix whatever needs to be done? Thanks! Sorry for such a long post. :cool:

[crazycuban]

removing the driveshaft isn't bad - there are four bolts by a rubber coupling on the connection in the middle, between the rear end and the tranny.  just put the e-brake up to stop the driveshaft from spinning, take a bolt off, put up the e-brake, turn it to get to another bolt, put it back down, etc....  not even that heavy, so don't worry too much about that.  as far as fixing whatever needs to be fixed, it doesn't look very take-apartable.  take it to a driveshaft shop.

[crazycuban]

btw, if you're looking at taking off the whole driveshaft, not only the front section near the shifter, its harder than shit...the bolts that connect it to the rear end are tough.

[chickenmanq]

Have you checked the center support bearing for you driveshaft?  I don't know if the 240s did this, but I'd be willing to bet it's the same driveshaft.  If so, the bearing is probably shot.  Mine already went out a month or two ago.

Okay, I'm starting to think I have 2 problems on my hand and not just one. Obviously I gotta replace that driveshaft seal cuz I know for sure it's leaking tranny oil. &nbsp;Now after having more time to drive the car around a little and listen for sounds, I'm starting to think the sound I was hearing this morning is happening when I let the clutch out when I have the car in gear. I'm still not hearing it if I have the car in neutral and let the clutch out, but if I have it in 1st and ease out on the clutch without applying a lot of gas I really hear the noise...sounds like it's some metal on metal scraping instead of a &quot;click&quot; like I originally thought. Now I got stuck in the snow a couple weeks ago and has to get out of it in 2nd gear because 1st just kept making me tail slide too much so maybe I burnt the #### out of my clutch trying to start off in 2nd to get out of the snow and in turn I tore something up...hmm :confused: Any suggestions? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

[chickenmanq]

I'm thinking throwout bearing now. &nbsp;You may have annoyed it with too much clutch action. &nbsp;Only way to really tell it take out the tranny.

That click click noise might be a U-Joint, I drive a datsun 510 right now, it has 6 u-joints, so after replacing about all of them at various times, they do make noises when they start to go bad. The rear half-axles on 240's use CV's as opposed to U-joints, but I've had bad ujoints that clicked the entire time I was driving, constant noise that varied with speed. Since the noise happens when you are in gear and moving, even slowly it's most likely drivetrain related. All the u-joints I've replaced have had cracked bearing housings, which caused them to heat up, burn all the grease out and make noise. You can see if it makes the noise if you are driving &nbsp;and let off the clutch, different gears. Just keep in mind what your parts are doing under the car, and it shouldn't take long to narrow it down. As for replacing that rear bushing on the transmission, I've never done it, but I'd ask some transmission shops about it, probably wouldn't cost too much for them to do it. Hope that helps. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>