Prop shaft spline play,how much is too much?
 

Hello guys,

car is a C43

I have a vibration for the chassis on the motorway, the intensity increases if loaded ie under acceleration , gut feeling is the prop shaft. engine mounts etc look fine.

Donuts are good. should there be this much play in the prop shaft spline? car has only done 95000km's.

C43 Prop Shaft Spline - YouTube

It looks like that design doesn't have a great big nut that secures the two parts of the propshaft in one place - interesting (!)...

At the start of your film it looks like the centre bearing support moves more than I would expect - but it is difficult to judge 'cos I don't know how hard you were pulling on it.

I can say that most of the W202 / W201 propshaft problems reported seem to be related to the UJ rather than the splines.

{On my 100,000 mile W201 the UJ has a distinct clang}

slather some very good CV joint on the splines and work them in the spline grooves.

My W124 had this problem and I got some proper CVJ grease with extra moly compound in it when I redid the centre bearing. It was smooth rolling again.

When MB updated the prop shaft the newer one no longer has the nut,it is just a slip spline!

I think the UJ is good, the rubber seems firm with no play. the bearing is smooth and has no play.

I asked a local MB dealership and they say they have only replaced one prop shaft ever on a Vito van. I find it hard to imagine the C43 would have this issue with such low K's, the 208's and 210's of this era would surely have similar problems if it were common?

Ok thanks, I may try this!

722.2 Transmission problems
 

Hello, I'm curious looking for answers that may help. I have a 97 SL500 that of course has the 722.6 Trans. It developed a slight knocking sound or better said a continuous tink or clinking sound in park then in gear it would go away then slightly come back until I take off and drive. Only when I slow down or put in park would it arrive again constantly, at least from what I could hear. I was sure it was a cracked flywheel so went out bought one and alas NOPE flywheel was good, took the converter in and rebuilt it but I have a bit of side play on the pump shaft off the input shaft. Should that be there? When I move it side to side quickly it will hit the inside wall of the stator housing and make an almost familiar noise. Has anyone heard of this? Is this a rebuild or am I possibly resolving it with a new converter. They said no obvious problems with the converter though... Thanks in advance.

That sound you hear is the stator hitting the insides of the converter, this happens in the early 722.6 transmissions as there is a bushing on the K2 drum that goes bad - Once the bushing goes bad your front planetary gearset will start to chew itself to pieces.

Sonnax make replacements for this problem. The later transmissions had a bearing there in place of a bushing, the problem is that parts are not interchangeable between the new and old on a piecemeal bases.

It would be of best interest to not drive the car as this will accelerate transmission wear by atleast 10 times. Get a transmission shop to rebuild it, Most shops that can rebuild Dodge Charger/Challenger/Jeep etc can rebuild them as its the same unit.

If you want to replace with a later model, then best find a later year one and get the TCU and shifter assembly along with it too.