Grinding Noise

Rust Merchant

Rust Merchant

Member
Hey All,
I was sitting at a full stop, put the car in gear, and it wouldn't move. just a grinding noise coming from the tube between the rear diff and the overdrive. I have attached a couple of pictures with arrows showing where the noise is coming from. I believe I have a Borg Warner overdrive unit.
My question is, where can I find a diagram of what is inside of the tube where the noise is coming from? And where can I find the parts to fix it?

Thanks!
 

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Mitch//pa said:
if the speedometer still moves when letting the clutch out then the problem is further down the line
Click to expand...

The problem is definitely in the tube that connects the OD to the rear diff. Whatever connects in there, is grinding hard. I put it up on jack stands and put it in gear. Absolutely no doubt the noise is in that spot.
 
Your problem may be the O/D unit. If the car was operated in reverse with the O/D engaged, then the overdrive will break.
 
The overdrive is a Borg Warner. I suspect what has happened is that the splines on the stub shaft where it engages in a spline coupler that is attached to the output shaft of the overdrive have been cleaned off. The other possibility is that the stub shaft has sheared right at the key inside the pinion gear. I have seen a number of both failures. It is generally caused by a miss-alignment of the driving elements or miss-alignment of the housing segments, or both. Borg Warner overdrives are a product of cottage industries. Some have made the effort to construct an alignment jig to ensure everything is in perfect alignment and the overall length is exactly that of a the Ford torque tube. Others have not.

You will have to pull the rear axle assembly from the car. Once removed you can unbolt the back section from the banjo (six bolts). The overdrive can then be slid off. This will reveal the stub shaft and you will be able to see where it failed.

There are three articles on the Orange County Model A Ford Club web site www.ocmafc.com that may help you. One of the three is the repair of the BW with a number of photos showing all the components. The file is 24 MB, so it will take several minutes to down load it. You are welcome to use any of the articles. Pull up the web site and at the menu at left scroll to "tech articles" and click. It will bring up a new menu. At the top is my name, click on it and it will bring up all the articles scroll to the BW repair article and click.

The repair of a stripped out spline is not a daunting task. You do not have to disassemble the overdrive unit itself, just the back tube assembly. You will also need a puller to pull the pinion assembly and stub shaft out of the banjo.

Tom Endy
 
I have found the problem!!! There is a chain that connects the OD to the rear end. It has destroyed itself! I don't yet know where the rest is. Thoughts? Splines look OK. Where can I find this chain??
 

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here is a link to start--
http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain-shaft-couplings/=mw983g ---it looks like a regular sprocket was welded to one end of the shaft, you may have to find a matching sprocket, by measuring pin to pin to match chain pitch.

seeing this reminds me of a coworker that was making ford9' rear conversions for MGB v8 conversions ----and the conversation I had years later with the guy he was selling them to, the axles were getting spliced in the middle and he was having a problem with them coming apart ---jokingly i said that if you thread them you have to use a left hand thread on one ---i later found that is what he did,and that sometimes if you downshifted too hard they would unscrew and push the axle out

here is some about chain-- http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain/=mw9e8d

here are sprockets http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain-sprockets/=mw9f0u
 
Last edited:
Any industrial supply house should have thoseroller chain couplings.If all parts were in line & concentric,no chain coupling would be needed.
 
Before you go hunting for the correct chain you must replace the sprockets on both ends as the ones in the picture caused the chain to fail. I am an old bike guy and I would never put new chains on those worn out sprockets as it willl eat the new chain at lightning speed.
 
I agree with Art, those sprockets look pretty rough. It may just be the pics, but, they look pulled/rolled over.
 
Art Bjornestad said:
Before you go hunting for the correct chain you must replace the sprockets on both ends as the ones in the picture caused the chain to fail. I am an old bike guy and I would never put new chains on those worn out sprockets as it willl eat the new chain at lightning speed.
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Thanks Art!!
I appreciate the heads up! Sprockets will be replaced.
 
Kurt in NJ said:
here is a link to start--
http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain-shaft-couplings/=mw983g ---it looks like a regular sprocket was welded to one end of the shaft, you may have to find a matching sprocket, by measuring pin to pin to match chain pitch.

seeing this reminds me of a coworker that was making ford9' rear conversions for MGB v8 conversions ----and the conversation I had years later with the guy he was selling them to, the axles were getting spliced in the middle and he was having a problem with them coming apart ---jokingly i said that if you thread them you have to use a left hand thread on one ---i later found that is what he did,and that sometimes if you downshifted too hard they would unscrew and push the axle out

here is some about chain-- http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain/=mw9e8d

here are sprockets http://www.mcmaster.com/#roller-chain-sprockets/=mw9f0u
Click to expand...


Thanks Kurt!
V8 MGB sounds very interesting. High HP, light weight, short wheelbase; my kind of car!!
 
Update: I have cut the sprocket off of the spline side. Spline is in excellent shape. Plan is to MiG the new sprocket on. I lost 1/4 inch after cutting and grinding flat.
I am thinking that I will cut the teeth off of the pinion side and MiG the new sprocket on.
I had a local old school guy tell me to use a Love-Joy unit. I'm not familiar with these.

Your thoughts??

I also noticed that the McMaster Carr sprockets all come on a hub. Does anyone know where I can get the sprocket only??
 

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The Lovejoy won't take the torque. You need splines with a coupler or the sprokets and chain like you have now. I think splines would be the longest lasting.
 
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