Hello fellow members. If anyone was reading my other thread, I was chasing a noise/vibration issue. I realized my transmission mount was destroyed and after putting a used one in, a lot of the problem went away. I have a new one ordered. I was told to check the tail shaft and slip yoke play. It was sloppy so I took the housing in for a new seal and bushing. After getting it together, there is still play in it. The yoke appears OK, and I polished it up. It measures 1.5 inch diameter exactly. It also sticks out 2.25 inches from the seal. The C4 is from a 77 Mustang with 302. I guess I'm asking what could cause this play in the yoke? Is the drive shaft too short? Yoke worn out?
I would say yoke is approx. 1" too far out from tail shaft.........one thing you can do is try disconnecting driveshaft at rear end and insert yoke farther into the tail shaft to see if there is less play. If play is gone, then look for a longer driveshaft. What is the length of your drive shaft, measured from center of "eyes"? One other thing to check, see how far yoke slides into tail shaft, it should pretty well go all the way in, would suggest cleaning up/removing the paint first, so not to damage or contaminate the seal. What is the length of the yokes shaft? Ford had various lengths. David
Thanks, I'll do that. The drive shaft is 46.5 I think, the longer of the 2 door car drive shafts. The play goes away when you push it in farther. From what I've read here and elsewhere, you insert the yoke until it bottoms out, pull it out 1 inch, then check for the length needed. Maybe the mustang II transmission was a bit shorter? I'll have to find one 47.5 or 47.75 inch.
Since you already checked that yoke pushed farther in, play is gone, so longer drive shaft required, let me know the length you require, I have a few kicking around and can check their lengths. Do you know if your drive shaft is original to the car? David
No. The car had a 200 6 cyl. and a 3 speed top loader. The original drive shaft was too short after I did the 5.0 C4 swap, so I found one an inch longer from a 75 Comet. But I'll measure what I think it needs tomorrow morning and post it. I just read that some Rangers have a 47.5 inch drive shaft. I have the car on jack stands (under the diff tubes) , so its like its sitting on the ground. I assume this is right.
Yes, having jack stands under rear end tubes, same as if it where on ground. Drive shafts I have all came off Mav/Comet 2 doors with 302 C4 (73 and 74), I think I still have one from 71 Comet GT 302 with toploader 3 speed. Unfortunately they are all 46 1/2" , so this does not help you out. Hopefully you can locate one from a Ranger? David maybe one from a 4 door Mav/Comet maybe longer?
Hi. Drive shaft is 46.5 center of each u joint. There is about 1 and 9/16 inch of spline contact. It definitely needs to be an inch longer. I've never heard of 47.5 being needed on these cars, just 46.5 or 45.5!? Yoke is 6.5 inch long , with spline starting 2.75 inch down the bore.
David, the 4 door cars drive shafts are longer, I actually cut one down a few years ago for this car right after I did the swap, but I was afraid my weld could break under hard launches, and it was 47 inch long, which I also thought was incorrect after reading here that they should be 46.5 inch long. But, not all cars are necessarily the same, especially mine, a mismatched batch of parts. (96 engine, 77 transmission, 73 rear end). Thanks for the ideas guys.
Bummer, would have been close to correct length if you did not cut! Since you cut and welded, did you have the driveshaft rebalanced to eliminate any possible vibrations etc.? Guess you can always locate someone who is parting out a 4 door and use its driveshaft? David
