Major Vibration

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-11-2011, 08:50 AM

Someone shoot me in the head. I just picked up my car from the transmission/circle d 3000 install. I couldn't wait to see how it ran until I fired it up and could immediately feel an ungodly vibration. I drove it home and hated it the whole way. Not only am I trying to get used to the higher than stock stall, but it feels like my fillings are going to rattle out of my mouth from 1k and up. All seems to be ok after lockup. Any ideas? I did have a rear main put on so I wouldn't think that the flexplate could go on but one way .... but something is badly out of balance. I should have done the work myself ....anytime I pay someone else to do my work, I wind up with a POS car.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 02-11-2011, 09:42 AM

Easy solution.........take it back to who installed it and tell them to fix the problem.

**Smittro** · 02-11-2011, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

Easy solution.........take it back to who installed it and tell them to fix the problem.

This....

Sounds like someone did'nt correctly tighten the TC bolts properly to me but who knows..

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-11-2011, 10:39 AM

Well I spoke to the owner and he said that the converter is NOT balanced and to get with Circle D.

**0rion** · 02-11-2011, 12:28 PM

get ready for circle D to tell you that it's not installed properly. You're getting ready to learn why I do ALL my own work. I'd say there's a 99% chance it's an install issue.

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-11-2011, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

get ready for circle D to tell you that it's not installed properly. You're getting ready to learn why I do ALL my own work. I'd say there's a 99% chance it's an install issue.

Bingo! I was told by Circle D to tear it down and make sure that there are .125" of clearance to the flex plate as well as rotate the converter 120°. I paid 600.00 to have it installed because I don't have time... shame on me.....never again. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done right and I'm just a television engineer and not a full time mechanic....sigh.

**0rion** · 02-11-2011, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by 79Firebird_99TA

Bingo! I was told by Circle D to tear it down and make sure that there are .125" of clearance to the flex plate as well as rotate the converter 120°. I paid 600.00 to have it installed because I don't have time... shame on me.....never again. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done right and I'm just a television engineer and not a full time mechanic....sigh.

it's just tough to trust anyone with your car because when things don't go right (which is often in car repair) it's never anyone's fault. I'd take it back and raise 10 kinds of hell. I'd also put circle D in touch with the shop and let them fight it out on the phone who's to blame. In the end though it's going to be tough to get the shop do anything about it unless they want to. Since they've already thrown the unbalanced converter card it doesn't sound like they're going to be overly helpful.

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-13-2011, 05:20 AM

Looks like the R motor mount is bad. Could have been close to letting loose before the install and it broke then. I don't think that's the entire problem, but certainly adds to it. I also installed a poly tran mount...although I wouldn't think it would be related to the vibration in neutral. Any way to diagnose this before tear down .... and after tear down / install - confirming the repair? I'm guessing I have to tear it all the way down and fire it up without the converter, then re-install everything but the drive shaft and confirm the repair. I would be nice if I could see the flex plate while it's running.

**Cutlass** · 02-13-2011, 07:48 AM

Did they install the poly trans mount at the same time?
The poly trans mounts out there for these cars are well known for being too tall. And that changes the driveshaft angles enough to cause u-joint vibrations. There are ways to modify the mount to bring that D/shaft angles back into spec, but I can't remember the exact process.
Its also possible for the poly trans mount to transmit "normal" engine vibrations more then the stock rubber, but I'm not sure if thats your vibe problem when the car is in neutral.

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-14-2011, 05:53 AM

Yes ... the poly transmission mount was installed at the same time.

Just curious, since the flex plate was removed to put the rear main seal in, are our cranks internally balanced or externally? It may not have been installed right if externally balanced.

I've lost all confidence in the shop that did the work, so taking it back is not even an option. I could get worse.

I'm so busy at work that I would almost have to take off to do any work on it right now. So it's a trade off and I'd rather be at work and pay someone else to deal with it. Gonna see if I can at least get some money back.

**JaycenK** · 02-14-2011, 10:23 AM

I've read that they are supossed to be internally balanced but some get wieghts because they were not exactly right. You would have to look on the fly/flex to see if there are weights on it and if there are that may be the problem from when they removed it.

**Spaz** · 02-14-2011, 11:45 AM

bad motor mounts mwould be my guess...

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-14-2011, 04:16 PM

Is there a cover so that I can access the torque converter bolts? I would like to see if it's wobbling ... also Chris from Circle D wants me to rotate it 120 degrees.

**0rion** · 02-14-2011, 08:14 PM

your best bet is to drop the starter and do it there. There is an inspection port but it's so small it won't really do you a lot of good.

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-15-2011, 09:39 AM

Well the owner of the shop (my friend for 30 years) really wants to make it right with no further expense to me. Also Chris at Circle D is very concerned and wants me to keep him posted. I think that the two of them are going to connect as my friend wanted his contact info. I'll be towing the car to his shop tomorrow. I think it's the best case scenario at this point.

**JaycenK** · 02-15-2011, 12:26 PM

Keep us posted so when know what the out come is.

**Cutlass** · 02-15-2011, 03:52 PM

Check out this thread:
mods for poly trans mount to eliminate driveshaft vibration

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-18-2011, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by Cutlass

Check out this thread:
mods for poly trans mount to eliminate driveshaft vibration

Interesting.

Just had the TS towed back to the shop. Should know something by the end of the day. I'll be glad to get it back. I will say that when I drove it home from the shop last week, I romped down on it and when it shifted - my traction control light came on.

**79Firebird_99TA** · 02-19-2011, 05:21 AM

Shop couldn't get the vibration out. Torque converter is coming out next week. I'm working on getting another one shipped in.

It will be interesting to see what happens as well as who pays for what.