Sometimes when i take off fast or if i start going forwards while im still rolling backwards a bit, I hear one pop noise. Sounds like it comes from the front. Its only when theres that strees though.

Any Ideas?

-Ryan

 

im having a similar problem on my gsl-se..

-greg

 

Sticky brake caliper?

Lift the front of the car and take a look.

 

naaa. it sounds like its in the driveline or something. SOunds almost like a mount popping

 

if it clunks when putting it in gear or taking off it is usually the u-joints. on the 84 -se (like mine) the u-joints are not replacable and the whole driveshaft has to be replaced. check out mazdatrix for a troubleshooting guide and parts if you need them.

 

the clunk is usually the first sign that they are bad. if it goes on longer then eventually the driveshaft will start vibrating and shake your whole car.

 

If it's more of a clunk than a pop and it's not from the front, than it's the U-joint.

 

Its when i actually take off. I just had my driveshaft rebuilt/fixed(yes its possible) so i dont think its ujoints. Sound like it comes from the engine bay area.

 

Is the battery tied down properly?

 

yup

 

Why not check the motor and transmission mounts? I recently picked up a seemingly clean '85 and have found all kinds of loose fasteners, this thing was about to fall apart. Both motor mount nuts were about fully backed off and could have easily fell off plus the engine bracket was a little loose. I was able to snug the tranny mount also. I went through the entire car yesterday. Front and rear suspension, steering components, crossmembers, doors, body panels, bumper brackets, hose clamps, etc. You name it I found loose fasteners. Now the car is quiter, stiffer, more dependable, and much safer to drive at high speeds. It only took a couple of hours. Last week the drivers side heater hose popped off the block and the coolant spun me big time in a high speed turn. I went flailing right into the path of a large Dodge pick-up towing a horse trailer. Luckily for me he was able to take the ditch around me and I didn't get creamed. I was sitting there thinking "WTF happened?" then I smelled coolant and looked down to see steam and a hot gauge reading. That's when I got pissed off enough to go through the whole car.

Here's what you should try, it's easier with two people. Your parking brake needs to work really well, set it hard and or do whatever you have to do to keep the car from moving forward. Chock the wheels, chain it to a tree, whatever. One guy keeps the engine running and while feeding just enough throttle to keep the engine from stalling slowly lets the clutch in and out in first gear. As the clucth starts grabbing the engine torque loads everything so the other guy can observe driveline movement against the chassis and find out where it's popping. This can be done alone but it's not as accurrate, in any case you can see if the engine mounts allow excessive movement.

Vernon