Picked up 92 Turbo Sedan 142K on it. The PO thought the CV were bad, but it sounds like a transmission to me. When you put it in gear, you can hear a light grinding, kind of like swinging your ratchet around by the socket. It does shift into R and D, the sound changes slightly. No movement on the car. I was not able to get under the car to see what the status of the driveline was, but the front CV were not turning. Any ideas?

May even be a bad torque converter. Drain the fluid and look at it and smell it. That should tell you something.

i would guess the front diff or a cracked torque converter flex plate (assuming you've ruled out the CV's). unfortunately when front diffs fail i would essentially describe it much as you just did, so you might be right larry.

 

have you tried to drive it?

 

might try draining the front diff to see if any fun stuff comes out with the gear oil.

It will not drive. I'm out of town for the next 2 weeks, so I paid the guy and will pick it up when I get back. Then the investigation will start!

peak through the bellhousing access hole and check to see if the engine and trans are both spinning together. this will rule out a cracked flexplate if the car isn't moving.

 

i'm also wondering if the trans/engine was ever removed? i wonder if there's a chance they didn't properly seat the torque converter and fubared the trans oil pump? this is what they do, although i don't think you'd hear much grinding.

 

seems like a bad diff or improperly seated TQ. all of the bad diffs i've heard are REALLY loud, is that about like this one?

 

if you pull both axles you might be able to notice some play in the diff axle stubs (if the front diff is to blame).

Someone put trans fluid in the front Diff. When I jack all 4 wheels, I could put it in gear and all 4 turned. The front wheels had a jerky movement as the Diff went in and out of gear.

 

I drained the trans it looked good, then drained the front diff, which also had trans fluid and lots of gear chunks.

 

Anyone have a front Diff for a 92 Turbo Auto Trans?