VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

Here are the specs:

CRX Si
GSR motor
B16 Y1 LSD cable transmission
Hasport mounts
Civic EX knuckles with dust rings removed
94+ integra intermediate shaft and axles

Problem:

The axles seem to bind when the steering wheel is slightly turned while driving forward. When going straight, everything seems fine. When turning right, the steering is kinda responsive but the wheels skip or bind. When turning left, the steering wheel seems loose and unresponsive while the car shakes and seems like the wheels are binding or skipping.

So far, I replaced the axles and intermediate shaft with known working ones but the problem is still there. The axles I took off were fine but the intermediate shaft inner and outer seal were chewed up and bent from me testing the car up and down the street. Maybe the axle was loose and banging around.

Background:

I just swapped the Y1 tranny. The previous tranny was a JDM ITR tranny and I had absolutely no problems at all. There are ONLY two factors that I can see coming into play. That is, there are only two things that are different between it working and then not working.

1. transmission was changed

2. while the axles were out, I forgot to bolt the knuckles to the upper control arm and then turned the steering wheel back and forth a few times to check something. I then remembered and bolted them up.

My ideas (some are dumb but just need reassurance):

1. I somehow damaged something in the steering unit or tie rods when the knuckles were unbolted

2. the cable tranny Hasport mount shifted the motor slightly

3. the brand new clutch disc has something to do with it (it smells a lot and pretty bad)

4. the axles/intermediate shaft combo are too long or short (didn't have a problem before)

5. the transmission is bad, maybe bad differential (don't know the previous condition)

Sorry for the looooong post. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

CRX Toad

How low is the car?

BLU CIVIC

i have the exact same set-up as you, minus EX knuckles and don't have any issues. having a car too low can cause binding issues. since there aren't a lot of components to the steering, i'd go back through and check everything

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

it's not too low. im running 205/50/16 and there is still about 1 or 2 finger gap between the tire and fender. as far as the steering goes, everything seems fine. the tie rod ends seem fine, im not sure how to check the inner tie rods, and the ball joints arent loose. thanks for the help so far

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

any other ideas?

90_EX_Civic

holy ****! you're back! or where you actually grumble?

op, got any pics?

only thing i could think of would be the diff/tranny. you said everything was fine till you dropped in the Y1. might have to take it out and take it apart to check.

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

no, i dont have any pics. i can try to take some tomorrow or thursday.

i was thinking the same thing about pulling the tranny. i wanted to get some ideas first but if i cant come up with a definitive answer, im gonna pull the tranny this weekend. what do you think could be going on with the differential/tranny that could be causing this? please keep the ideas coming, i really dont want to pull the tranny if i dont have to. thanks a lot

skill178

should you have 1 long- 1short axle or run the half shaft? im not sure which is needed but I swear my buds B20 crx had 1long-1short, not sure if that can be a problem or not either.

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

im not really sure about the set-up youre talking about, but there was nothing wrong with the axles before the tranny swap, thats why its so confusing. i guess it points to the tranny then, but can anyone rule out some of the ideas i had in the originall post, just so i can try to pinpoint the problem?

rd91sib18c5r

Is the tranny lsd?

BLU CIVIC

yup.

if the only thing that changed is the transmission, then that's your problem

90_EX_Civic

that reminds me of my cousin who put in a b16 with stock lsd in his car. the lsd was messed up, and ever time he would take a turn the diff would try to force the steering wheel straight. and as he was trying to hold the steering wheel in the turn, you could hear the axles popping, as if the diff was trying to spit out the axles in the turn.

is your issue close to this?

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

yeah, im 99% sure im going to pull the tranny this weekend. im gonna take any ideas and suggestions up until friday night, then im gonna start working on it if we cant come up with another conclusion.

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

yes! my problem is almost exactly the same as that. the only thing im not sure of is if the steering wheel forces me to straighten out, the steering is not very stiff or responsive, its pretty loose when turning. but the axles do sound like they are popping out. i will have to put everything back together and test it out again tomorrow. so how did he determine for sure that his lsd was messed up?

rd91sib18c5r

I have one of those trannys and havn't used it yet, they have a clutch type lsd,
the plates could be stuck.

BLU CIVIC

I tried doing a search and not too sure that those LSD's are rebuildable, if that's what it needs

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

do you think i could do anything to un-stick them?


good to know, thanks. if it turns out to be the problem, then im just gonna replace the lsd or sell the tranny or find a non-lsd diff for it.

Mista Bone

A great one was summoned......

What fluid did you use in the what is thought to be an OEM LSD tranny?

IMHO Sounds like the clutch style LSD is working normally. You could try the correct amount of Pennzoil Synchromesh plus 1/3 tube of Posi-trac additive, which happens to be stocked right next to the Synchromesh at all the Autozone's I've been too.

I put 60k street miles on my Kaaz LSD, the above mix fixed the cold chatter when pulling out of the driveway and the chatter on tight turns.

LSx Envy

Double check the code on the intermediate shaft. I once bought a car that had already been swapped with an auto int. shaft and took me a few days to figure out the issue

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

Mista Bone: i used 1qt of redline something additive, i forget what its called because my uncle gave it to me (this is his car im working on btw) and the rest to fill the tranny was redline mt-90. i will try the fluid mix you suggested. what is the correct amount of pennzoil syncromesh? btw, can you explain why honda mtf wont work since this is a honda tranny?

the thing im worried about is that this is no ordinary chatter. the axle (pretty sure driver side) seriously grinds and binds, it ate up the int. shaft seal and bent the inner seal. the car cant even make a regular left turn w/o the steering wheel being very loose and the car bumping and jerking. and thanks for the help.

LSx Envy: its stamped SR3 J0 so its the correct one. thanks though

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

i just found some info that might be useful. This guy seemed to have a similar problem:

When I am driving it is fine, but when I turn a corner, it is grinding my axles and making a clunking noise that gets faster if I corner faster. If I corner aggressively, it doesn't seem to do it. Also, if I corner with the clutch pressed in, no grinding.

and here is a suggestion:

I believe that the problem you are having is with the limited slip differential and not with axle bind.

The JDM EF Y1 gearbox has a clutch type limited slip differential. It requires special fluid because it is a clutch type differential. If you do not use the special fluid, then the differential will hop when you are turning.

I used GM LSD additive with GM syncromesh back in the day and it worked great.

and here is his conclusion:

Just wanted to bump this thread to let anyone with the same issues know how I resolved the problem. Using the stock intermediate shaft that comes with the Y1 transission, I needed to use '89 Integra axles on both sides, and it works fine now. Alternatively you can replace the intermediate shaft with a DA then use DA axles.

Anyone have any final thoughts/ideas on what i should do next?

rd91sib18c5r

I would try different oil, when I put my y1 in my car I was planning on
using rotella t6, I use it on my motorcycle with a wet clutch works great.

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

i will have to wait to test out the new fluids as i have to order them, but in the meantime im going to get some DA axles and int. shaft and try them out.

i want to emphasize that the car is NOT drivable, it wants to go straight while making a left turn.

so, for all the people that say to use redline or gm synchromesh and additives for a clutch-type lsd:

when you talk about chatter and not running right, do you mean that it will be uncomfortable and noisy? or do you mean it wont work at all unless you use the correct fluids? for instance, if everyone just used honda mtf on their y1 trannies, would you say that they would encounter something like this every time?

0_civic_4

the bolts that hold the intermediate shaft to the block are special fitted bolts. did you use those or did you just use a regular 14mm bolt?
also...you show as having an itr trans b4, arent those hydro trans?
and lastly you show as using cable trans with 94 integ shaft and axles and that wouldnt fit without changing axle seals if i remember right

VTEC_Du_Ma_Mai

0civic4: i am using the special fitted bolts. what happens if i use regular bolts?
yes, the itr trans was hydro. why do you ask?
yes, i had to change the axle seal to the 94+ one.

btw, no updates yet, but sometime soon. thanks for all the input so far.