I'm going to lead off with pictures ... lousy cell phone picks, but they tell the story ...


This is the 78 240D. I checked the flex discs before and after buying it, and I had thought they looked fine. The last time I drove it, it started to go do a rapidfire thudding/stuttering right after I shifted into 1st or 2nd and accelerated ... but it only lasted a flash each time and wasn't present at all in higher gears. I thought maybe something was wrong with the clutch, but I figured I'd check the flex discs anyway, and this is what I found today. I don't even know where to start. The head of the bolts that hold it to the transmission are sheared on one edge, but other than that, I don't see any major damage to the transmission or end of the driveshaft (or other collateral damage). But given what happened to the disc, and the fact that I continued to drive this (only back home, but still), I have to think there's more damage than what I can see. So where do I start? Did I ruin my car?

And don't ask how I could be dumb enough not to realize the flex disc was bad despite inspecting it twice. Or how I could be dumb enough to keep driving it after I felt something amiss. The only thing I can say in my defense is that the car drove unbelievably normal, other than those quick stuttering bouts, given what condition the disc was in. But basically, I'm really discouraged at my complete failure to identify what had to be an obvious impending problem. I'm glad it didn't happen going 70 down the freeway. Ironically, I bought this car as a project that could help me build confidence during a hard time. I probably should have taken up knitting.

Attached Thumbnails

   

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)