So you think you make big power.....how's this?
 

Lately the car has been making a clunking noise when changing direction (like backing out of a drive way, the going forward), or under light acceleration on the 1-2 shift and today it happend under moderate braking on the highway as I approached an exit ramp. So while I was changing the oil I figured I had better take a look before something bad happens.....I was hoping to find a rod end on the lower control arms gone bad or something like that. Maybe even the torque arm mount needing to be snugged up, Moser 12-bolts are known for this....

Well I was too late, this is what I found:shock:

From what I can tell happened, one of the four mounting bolts for the torque arm bracket came loose, enough so that it completely backed out. So with only one bolt providing clamping force on the top, the mount was able to pivot ever so slightly at the bottom of the bracket at the first mounting bolt (closest to the front of the car). Over time the steel probably work hardenend and finally snapped. So now I have to drop the rear and see what kind of damage was done to the threads in the mounting holes for the torque arm. Hopefully, the casting is not hurt....that would suck big time. the crack is reasonably fresh, no real rust, so this could not have been like this long and I don't drive the car alot as it is. Last time I drove it hard was at Atco on the last day of the season, maybe it broke then, but I doubt it.

Lesson here is don't put off the little things.....:-x

Upside or at least what I am telling myself....it takes mad power to brake torque arm mounts:rofl:......Now I can put my Strano springs in, and address the pinion seal that looks to be leaking.....

Does it ever end?

Chris

hm...that sucks man...

so im confused as to where you are talking about...where the torque arm mounts to the rear end?

yeah.....I had to crop the pics to get them to upload.

Cant tell from the picture but is only the tourqe arm cracked or is there damage to the housing as well?

That's what I don't know yet. If the housing is damaged, then the problem gets big and ugly. I will put the rear tomorrow weather permitting.

Chris

the bolts are still there, and they seem to be straight so i would think the housing is fine, just the extra slop caused the torque arm bracket to flex and break.
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No2 Vaporizer

Well after Favre and the Pack sealed the deal I went out and yanked the rear. The bottom two bolts holes are fine. The top bolt hole closest to the front the of the car is good, just slightly oblonged in the top two threads, but cleaned up nice with a thread chase and all threads are intact. The top rear bolt hole is screwed. The hole is still straight but the threads are either missing, pulled or otherwise damaged. I ran a thread cleaner down first and then tried to run a bolt down the hole by hand...no go....So I bust out the tap set and ran a bottoming tap (1/2x13) and worked it to the bottom. The hole cleaned up and now you can thread a bolt in by hand. Downside, half the treads are gone, so I doubt you could apply any any kind of torque or if you could I am sure it would either loosen up or pull completely out. I think I am gonna have to heli-coil it. I'll take pictures in the morning.

Chris

That would be a pretty good assesment. I took some pics of the mount (both pieces). Also are the three bolts that remained. The one on the left is really bent and was the only bolt left in the top mount at the front. The other two were in the bottom and were not exactly tight anymore. The center bolt was in the rear most lower hole and is still pretty straight, the bolt on the right was in the front lower hole and is tweaked.

Next trip was to get a heli-coil kit for 1/2x13 UNC and a 17/32 drill bit. Drilled out the upper rearmost hole, tapped the hole. Stacked two heli-coils in the new hole using red loc-tite. Pic is attached.

Picked up four new grade 8, 1/2x13 1-1/2 long bolts to reattached my new TA mount. Ordered that from Spohn $50 (seemed pretty fair to me).

To prevent this from ever happening again I am going to red loctite the bolts and saftey wire them. Went to pegasus racing and bought the jig, pliers, wire to accomplish that task. We'll see how it all comes together.

Chris

More pics of the repaired hole nad the fracture in the lower part of the mount

Wow man, this whole thing makes me kinda glad i stayed away from moser.

seems like a pretty decent job on the repair, nice going.

Thats awesome

yup, this thread killed my plans for a moser 12 bolt, back to the 9":mrgreen:
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PAXIL CLASS ACTION

the strange 12 bolts have the torque arm bracket cast in just like factory.

just the same i have other plans.

its not the rear...the bolts probably weren't torqued properly.

Why reply when you dont know?

moser rears dont have the big bolt through design, they take 4 little bolts, as 1qwikbird showed...due to the stress on that area of the rear, the bolts dont hold up. he said it himself its a common problem with mosers. and from how he sounds, i bet they were torqued properly. So yes, the root cause was the rear.

Man, you really did a job on that torque arm! You do nice work.:-P

The bolts were torqued as tight as i could get them a year and a half ago. Moser spec is 97ftlb. But this is not easily done in the car. Before it goes in I'll be insalling the TA mount. This rear is known for this issue. It mostly my fault for not checking them periodically, espcially once I started hearing the clunking noise. Do a search on LS1tech and believe me, I am not alone with this problem. But with some loctite, saftey wire and regular maintence (like every oil change and before every track day) this will no longer be an issue.

It just something you have to deal with or at least be aware of with this rear. Outside of this issue it's been flawless.

Chris

That's the most positive spin I could put on it.....because when I saw it at first I thought I might have hurt the cast center housing, then I'd be really pissed. But got lucky, just a boogered a hole and that's what helicoils are for.

Chris

Hey Chris, just to let ya know, those two guys who were at Velocity tonight while you were getting your stuff was Tim and I. When I saw your truck pull away, it dawned on me that was you.

you have got to be kiddin me......which two guys? What were you driving? Wait the Maroon Dodge and the black 4th Gen?...I really should go to some the meets.....

Yeah really, we end up at Hamilton Marketfair most of the time for our central meets. This Saturday is the Firkin meet in Ewing, you should show up for that one. Your loose bolts remind me of my 3 loose shifter bolts and the tranny crossmember bolt I lost in my SS396 this year. Oh yeah, I found a loose rear driveshaft u-bolt as well! Cars + vibrations = loose bolts! :nod:

lets go get that thing back on the road did you get your seat yet 2 1/2 months till race day :nod: As vegaken says gona have to put a foot in somebodys ass

That's right leave it up to small guy to put a foot in some one's ass. What about the Nova. That has to get done this winter also. I knew I should have stayed in the country to make sure this stuff would get done. That is it, no more fun time, back to work.

That would be me, and Tim. I saw your seat, then heard the diesel start, and I was like...that was Chris, then when I heard it was a 5speed. I am there all the time talking to Greg, so I am sure I will see you there. Ill either be in that truck, or the orange car, which ya cant really miss. You should try to come out on Saturday to the Firkin meet.

Yes you should. :nod: The last one I remember you at was at cheeseburger-cheeseburger. :lol: