Propshaft advice please

[arshad76]

Really appreciate some help guys

My car has been making a bad knocking/vibrating noise when accelerating hard from first gear. This has gone worse and it has been isolated down to a defective propshaft. The aluminium shroud is breaking up.

He’s not charging me a lot at all to sort it. The problem is that I have an E30 gearbox fitted and spoke to the guy who put it in. He says the propshaft is an E21 one, but he’s not sure! Could the two mate up or would it have to be an e30 one? And how would I tell? Apparently there are no markings/serial numbers on the propshaft to give me a specific part number.

Other question is, would I just need the coupling or the whole propshaft itself?

Thanks

[Jeroen]

What shroud? Can't really relate that to a propshaft. Sure the propshaft isn't hitting the exhaust under strain? Bearing and gearbox support bushing ok? Needle bearings running free?

But, most likely, did u get a guibo flex disc from W&N? I had the same prob and with my car itwas the guibo getting out of shape under strain and then hitting the gear lever axle. Cheap crap from W&N once more ruining my gearlever axle oil seal as well. Fitted OEM guibo which fixed it. For me it was another crappy item from WN once more giving me a lot of trouble and unnecessary work and I'll never order from them again. Even considering blacklisting them.

[arshad76]

Hi Jeroen,

I've asked the mechanic and I think it is the guibo that you've mentioned, I don't need to replace the whole prop. I've never heard you talk with such venom about W&N before! Personally, never had any problems with part quality, just not the friendliest or the cheapest. Anyhow, I won't use them to order this part on this occasion

[Jeroen]

Well seems they are running out of OEM NOS and now having their stuff produced at places where quality standards are significantly lower. A few examples:

guibo - rubber too soft causing a lot of extra work and leaks
coupling between gearbox and gear lever support plate - not drilled straight and that's an understatement
chrome wheel bolts - horrible chrome quality rusting within days
chrome door handles - chrome surface not flat, no thread in holes for bolts
other chrome parts like bumpers - horrible chrome quality

Especially with the guibo things were horror. They are denying that anything is wrong and telling they have never received a single complaint. Which leaves you searching and dismantle the stuff a few times costing exhaust seals and o-rings, gearbox oil seals etc and all the time spent removing exhaust, propshaft etc several times. If there is an issue, tell me and I replace the item at once. Noooooo they're still in the state of denial. Meaning I'm now denying their existence.

[arshad76]

Now you mention it, my rear centre chrome section was from W&N, and started to corrode within 6 months. I'll order local where I can from now on too then

[murran]

i had that on my old touring ages ago. was a gsf prop dohnut i fitted.
it fell to bits in months, started catching the gearlever linkage as it was deforming under load, and giving horrible viabrations. new bmw one was fitted.
i wouldnt have minded but the gsf one i fitted at work on the ramp..... new bmw one i fitted at home on my back!

got a refund for it from gsf tho (faulty part of insufficient quality)..... better than w+n it seems!

[nas80]

i got my guibo from euro car parts - im pretty sure it was a lemforder (sp?) - if its already knackered im gonna be a bit annoyed tbh - its not something you want to be changing every five minutes as its a pain in the backside.

[arshad76]

I bought mine today from Euro too for £51. I would have bought OEM, except I'm not sure if it will fit and BMW don't give refunds! Well time will tell and at least it should hopefully sort it for now.

[arshad76]

Quick update. The Euro car part (top on pic) was not even close in size and that's the smallest they do. Described the perished one to C3 BMW in London and they were able to sort one out for £31. I asked if about the quality and the guy said he's had the same make on his E30 M3 for four years and still works as sweet as a nut.



I've had this problem for a while, so nice to have another step towards a reliable daily driver

[Jeroen]

That's too big indeed and the other one's quite dead, glad it's sorted now.

[arshad76]

Thanks Jeroen,

Just thought I'd post this in case anyones interested even though mines all sorted for now. Found a lovely polyurethane one. It's more expensive than what I paid, but it does come with a lifetime warranty.

http://www.revshift.com/shop/index.php? ... oductId=76