Trying to solve my shaking car!

[neonglh]

I'll try to organize this post as best I can. The quick and dirty, my car tends to shake when I shift into second gear and keep accellerating. Sometimes, it does it just by hitting the gas in 2nd gear. I'm trying to find out what could be causing this.

Mods:
stock motor, rebuilt
stock turbo w/ aftermarket downpipe and exhaust (3')
factory diverter valve and factory turbo (had a BOV, but went back to stock)
WRX tranny and rearend
Lightened aluminum flywheel
Excedy clutch
factory ecu control of the wastegate actuator


Problems:
1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th gear are all fine, and never do this shakey thing (unless I just dont notice them). In 2nd gear, especially if I shift fast and dump the clutch, the car will shake pretty bad. I have a boost gauge and when I look down, I can see that the boost is often bouncing between 4 and 6 psi, maybe even jumping around more.

Sometimes, this will happen just if i'm in secnd gear, and hammer the gas, the car will shake.

I dotn believe it ever happens at part throttle, it seems to always be WOT.

What I tried:

I had the WG actuator controlled just by spring pressure, so I hooked up the stock ecu control of that, and it didnt go away.

I had the BOV in there (which had to make the maf angry), and I replaced it with the stock diverter valve and that didnt make it go away.





I am not sure what else to try, does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

--mark

[livestrong14]

My car is having the exact same symptoms. Only, I have a EJ20G swap, with a VF8 Turbo and Forester XT Intercooler. My car does it in all 5 gears. It starts shaking and won't go over 4,000 RPM.

[neonglh]

Well, its not the same symptims now, is it My car still accelerates fine, just the boost is visibly fluctuating, and the car shakes.

[scuzzy]

Well, its not the same symptims now, is it My car still accelerates fine, just the boost is visibly fluctuating, and the car shakes.

back to foward, side to side, just all around like the engine is struggling?

bent wheels can cause shaking




livestrong, check your driveshaft.

[Legacy777]

Going to move this to the drivetrain forum unless you think this is an engine vibration issue.

[spongejosh]

sound like an issue with the tranny if its only 2nd gear. and dumping the clutch on 2nd gear on a wrx tranny is just stupid.

Josh

[neonglh]

sound like an issue with the tranny if its only 2nd gear. and dumping the clutch on 2nd gear on a wrx tranny is just stupid.

Josh

Maybe that 2nd gear is messed up huh? I wasnt sure where to begin with this. As for the comment about it being a wheel or something, thats impossible. Wheels dont know what gear you are in.

As for dumping the clutch, what do you recommend. I'm used to driving my neon with a full race clutch that puts down 400 WHP, where slipping the clutch is not an option. Do you really have to slip every gear with these cars?

And if it is tranny related (I still have the stock tranny if need be), how would I go about checking this? I suppose ride it out until she goes, unless its something else stupid.

--mark

[scuzzy]

sound like an issue with the tranny if its only 2nd gear. and dumping the clutch on 2nd gear on a wrx tranny is just stupid.

Josh

Maybe that 2nd gear is messed up huh? I wasnt sure where to begin with this. As for the comment about it being a wheel or something, thats impossible. Wheels dont know what gear you are in.

As for dumping the clutch, what do you recommend. I'm used to driving my neon with a full race clutch that puts down 400 WHP, where slipping the clutch is not an option. Do you really have to slip every gear with these cars?

And if it is tranny related (I still have the stock tranny if need be), how would I go about checking this? I suppose ride it out until she goes, unless its something else stupid.

--mark

right, wheels don't know what gear you're in, but wheels do know your speed, and in 2nd gear you're usually at a specific speed.

I didn't read all of you post - if you've been dumping the clutch in 2nd then there's no telling what's wrong, trashed 2nd gear and you're slowly stripping teeth, broken an engine mount or tranny mount, etc.


edit: and well. Dodge Neons are nothing like Subaru vehicles, first of all you're comparing the drivetrain of a 2WD vehicle that gives under power much easier than a 4WD vehicle. 4WD cars don't lose traction, they don't easily spin the wheels without abusing the transmission - they're designed to where they -shouldn't- do it. so if you're doing it, you're abusing the transmission.

don't dump the clutch in an AWD car, no matter what it is. people have already proven over at NASIOC that the 'bulletproof' 6 speed can be broken with asshattery, our fragile, old design 5 speeds are. well just that. fragile, you have to take care of them. you can go fast without dumping the clutch, it just requires a clutch that's designed to survive more heat from slipping.

[neonglh]

If the teeth were being trashed though, why would it only happen when you do dump the clutch. If I slip the clutch into 2nd, it usually wont happen. I still think its slop somewhere, I just dont know where.

I suppose I could try putting in the Leg. tranny again, but thats too much work for me, based on a hunch I'll ride it out I guess.

--mark

edit: And never was I comparing the drivetrain's from my neon to a subaru, I'm simply stating that i'm used to one, so looking for advice from the other. I was under the impression that you have to have both the power and the abuse to break one of these tranny's, and with times and trap speeds at the track of 16's and high 15's in the high 80's, this does not have the power in my opinion

[livestrong14]

It is 100% not a problem with the drivetrain. Could it be?: Turbo? BOV? Wastegate? anything like that?

[neonglh]

Well, i'm not too sure, but like I said before, I went from a aftermarket BOV to the stock diverter, and it didnt change. i will look at the WG and Turbo and check for any play or anything out of the ordinary, but all look good so far.

---mark

[livestrong14]

We just unplugged the 02 sensor on my car and all problems are SOLVED!!! try it for yourself. All shaking problems are over. Next up: $50 O2 simulator. Trust me!

[Splinter]

Thats a $50 waste of money
lol

Our cars run just fine with the O2 sensor disconnected.

[neonglh]

I have a 3" exhaust with no sensor after the downpipe. Which 02 are you talking about?

I dont have a CEL right now either, but could my other 02 be bad up front?

--mark

[Legacy777]

I have a 3" exhaust with no sensor after the downpipe. Which 02 are you talking about?

I dont have a CEL right now either, but could my other 02 be bad up front?

--mark

Your car only has one 02 sensor.

[neonglh]

I have a 3" exhaust with no sensor after the downpipe. Which 02 are you talking about?

I dont have a CEL right now either, but could my other 02 be bad up front?

--mark

Your car only has one 02 sensor.

Yeah, I asked phil about that. He had a bung welded in for a wideband in the 3" exhaust, but he only did it so he could have a more accurate wideband signal, and not bake the sensor so close to the turbo. He went overkill though, it was about 3 feet from the manifold, instead of the 18" they recommend, or the 10" like most people do.

--mark

[Legacy777]

gotcha..

[brodie.gordon]

I have a 93 legacy L wagon and am having the shaking problem. It occurs when I am in traffic working the clutch a lot and letting out the clutch in first. My clutch also clicks when pushed in but doesn't when its pushed all the way to the floor. Do I just need to replace my clutch, or is there a bigger problem? How can I tell if its just the clutch or something more?

Also I am taking recommendations for a replacement. Should I get something more then just a stock replacement? I like to drive a little more aggressive then a typical daily driver but nothing crazy.

Thanks