Basically when I'm on any incline or rolling backwards a bit and I slowly let out the clutch to get a nice smooth start, just as I start foward motion, "pop", just one pop, and it usually is the side opposit to the direction I'm turning, still does it going straight but only sounds like the right rear side, I don't feel a vibration or anything just the noise, I've turn my car off and rolled slowly down a hill to listen to my diff and all sounds well, check the fliud and it is still translucent and full, I recently had to repair a bracket on my subframe, so I had to remove the whole thing, I've double and triple checked all the bolts and there tight as can be, though when I was reinstalling my subframe I didn't use an impact gun for the main nuts, in fear of stripping them out, but I did get a long breaker bar and made them as tight as I could get them, anyone know the torque specs? Well thats about it if I think of anything else I'll add it......

 

Have you checked...

* bolts on the driveshaft to the rear diff pinion
* rear hub bearings/nuts

You can do a quick&dirty test on the rear hubs by jacking the rear tires up and wiggling them back and forth.

Also you might want to check the transmission mount - does the shifter move a lot while you're moving?

Good luck!


-Ted

 

Thanks Ted, the rear hubs are in good condition, it really sounds like a metal on metal pop, tranny mount is in good condtion also, I'm thinking it may just be the rear sway bar the end link bushings are pretty shot, not to mention all the rust on the sway bar it self, then again maybe the rear strut mounts...thanks agian for all your help in my quest to tame the RX7

 

Whoa, sway bar, that's a good one!

If it was a Kouki (89-91), that'll be a good guess as those stock plastic endlinks do break more often than the Zenki (86-88) cast iron ones.&nbsp Your .sig says you own an '88, but it wouldn't hurt to check them anyways!

I don't know what kinda abuse your car goes through, but under heavy racing (sanctioned) conditions, the rear strut mounts have been known to delfect, so you might want to check them too.


-Ted

 

have you checked your rear end mounts, there's a big rubber square that has been known to rip in half and every time the driveline torques it moves and hits the under side of the car. it happened to me. just get under your car and push up on the rear end wear the drive line connects

 

nope not the front diff mount check time and time again, pluse theres no wheel hop or thumping involved

 

I had a problem almost identical to what you describe - it turned out to be worn rear lower control arm bushings. Replaced the bushings with Energy Suspension urethane bushings and the problem was completely gone.

 

hrmm, they didn't look to bad, maybe I should just take an impact to it...

 

how do you check your diff mount? what about trans mount? i dont know what these contraptions look like

 

10 bucks says my rear diff mount is fubar'd. my car wheelhops like an annorexic bitch.

 

to check the diff mount jack up the car and get under it with a flash light, look in between the sub frame and the differential, you should se a soild peice of rubber mounting the subframe to the differential, it also could be the braket on the subframe itself which is what happend to me the braket itself broke , also get a prybar and try to pry the diff and subframe apart with some force if you can a good amount of movement the mount is toast, another symtop is while cruzing at about any speed let off the gas and then slap it back kinda hard, if you hear a "clunk" coming from the rear end then Its prolly it.

 

I had a noise similar to that in my 87. I finally broke the CV joint in the right rear axl. Check all of your boots.

 

the boots look alright, if they were bad they would be leaking right?

 

I just meant to look for any dry rotting or cracks in the rubber. You may not have the problem with the axl, but that is what happened to me. You just want to make sure that the joints are greased up real good. sometimes when the boots get old they will crack and all of the grease will dry out.

The problem that I had would sound like a single Pop at the initial take off. I would not hear any other pops when I would shift while rolling. I had this car a long time ago (92-95), and this was one of the many problems that had to be fixed while it was under my rule. It left me stranded over a Christmas break several years ago while I was gone to get my mother a Bingo lottery ticket. Damn axl broke and the car wouldn't move because all the power was being sent to the broken spinning axl. But I am not sure if the popping you hear is the same popping that I had.

I now own an 88 gxl. NO popping yet, but the driveshaft is in need of repair. I just hope it holds out.
This could be an interesting Christmas.

I was just trying to give you another possibility.

good luck,

 

sounds very similar to my problem....