fourthandgoal

'96 3500 RWD 5-spd

Heard a sporadic clanging sound, got up under it and the harmonic damper bushing vanished and it's just free spinning and banging around on the driveshaft. Ate up the output shaft seal and chewing up the rear of the tail housing. Trans fluid slinging everywhere.

Picked up a new seal and trying to drop the drive shaft but I'm being beaten by the 8mm bolts on the rear u-joint yoke straps. Not enough clearance for a socket or impact, all I can get on it is a wrench. PB blaster'd it all day and overnight, torched it, hammered on it and shocked it, the works...all I'm doing is rounding it off. **** wrench arms are flexing and not one of those bolts has budged.

Need to take the truck on 600mi trip on the 27th, really don't want to drive it like this. Only have this morning and tomorrow morning to work on it. In desperate need of a magic bullet with these bolts or some other workaround for that free wheeling damper.

Thanks in advance and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

johnh

my suggestion is to take it to a experienced mechanic

1320Fastback

By harmonic dampener bushing do you mean the center support bearing on a two piece drive shaft? I'd be calling NAPA, Autozone and any other parts store or dealer you can think of to try and find one if so.

For the 8mm strap bolts on the ujoint at the axle when they are stuck and rounded over I use a Dremel and cut thru the straps at each bolt to get the ujoint and drive shaft out of the way and then use a small pipe wrench or vice grips to remove the bolts. You then need a new strap kit though.

Getting the work done isn't hard it's just finding the parts right now might be.

gorms

^^^This works.

Cheap strap kits are usually available at Napa or Autozone etc.

The damper came one 5 speed trucks only, btw. Just like a harmonic balancer.

Busboy

The rear strap bolts are 5/16 UNF just use a cutting wheel in an angle grinder if you have rounded them off. Cut off the heads and remove whats left with vise grips.

torquefan

1) Start with a fresh new six point 5/16" wrench, it'll grip the bolt head much better than a worn out 12 point.

2) Before you start trying to break the bolt loose, use a propane torch to warm the threads up on the yoke. It doesn't take much heat at all, all you are doing is warming up the thread locking compound just a bit so it will lose its grip, and you will be able to spin those bolts out easily.

3) When you get the bolts out, if the heads are rounded at all, replace them before reinstalling. You'll thank yourself later.

4) Again, the best solution is to always hit these with a tiny bit of heat before you touch them with the wrench. The thread compound will liquify and the job will become simple.

fourthandgoal

Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone. Managed to get it with that six point 5/16" a cheater and some heat. Dropped the shaft and removed the ring, but tailhousing is a goner. Won't even seat a new output seal. Need a new tailhousing but can't find one for the life of me, been looking for a month. Afraid the best I might be able to do is go with the '98+ tailhousing with no speedo, but not sure if truck would pass inspection. Any leads out there would be incredibly appreciated