Axel slack

RJH

True Classic
Can anyone tell me what happened when I owned my X many years ago? Apparently, one day I was driving and the car would not move. the engine was running fine. However, I would have it in gear and the car would not move. I was stranded on the side of the road.

Then, I played around with things and noticed the axle attaching to the transmission was pulled out maybe about 1". I then took my hand push it into the transmission and the car drove. Anytime I went around a left turn it would slide out and the car would not go. I then slid it back in again and it went.

I brought it to a really good Fiat mechanic who soke broken English. He fixed it but he could never tell me due to language barrier what was wrong. So, I now ask the board? What the heck happened???
 
Difficult to say for sure

It depends on what year car it was to some extent. Plus, this happend a long time ago and none of us saw it except you..but since no one else guessed, I'll have a go. :angel:

I would say that it was a 1500 and a motor mount or two was broken. When you went around a corner the motor and trans moved transversly in the car, biasing all of the endplay/plunge of the half-shafts to one side. When the amount of movement exceeded the plunge capacity of the CVJ's, the tulip un-plugged from the diff side gear. Cross-groove CVJ's are great and cheap but have limited plunge.
 
I was going to say something similar but I suspected the X in question was a 1300.

It sounds to me like the cv axle tripode inside the trans would pull itself out of it's housing located behind the inner CV boot. For that to happen the barshaft would have to plunge in and out independent of the fixed outer CV joint, and the only way that would happen is if a the retaining circlip locking the splines on the barshaft to the splines on the outer CV race had failed or become unclipped.
 
I have seen this happen on Honda's when the axle clip would be weak. (the shaft would slip out of the diff in the transaxle). It was an easy fix. pull the axle out and stretch the clip (or replace it) and re-install.
 
Sorry everyone. It was a 1980 Fiat X1/9 1.5L Carb.

I think it might have been the clip issue. I remember it was an easy inexpensive fix for the mechanic. I seem to recall pushing in the CV boot area of the axle back into the transmission. Very easy to push the 1" back in but it would then slide out again while driving.
 
oh.. looking at the pic. I think we are thinking of different parts of the same system.

I am guessing you are referring to snap ring #8 (which would do the same thing)

I was thinking a snap ring at the right end of part #9 which looks like it is held in the trans with a nut.

But snap ring #8 could do the same thing as what I was thinking.

Great reference pic.!!!
 
Different clip yet, I believe

On the transmission, the CV joint bolts to a flange with six long allen head bolts. This flange is not shown in the excerpt from the workshop manual in the link above.

This flange has a stub on it that sticks into the transmission and is held in by a spring clip.
To remove the flange you pull it very hard out of the transmission.
This could have happened in the load case described by Paul above.
 
Back
Top