Center Bearing Drivline Fix on 90-90Q20v..with story

[Paul_Royal@idx.com]

Hi Folks,
     Some of you know all to well about my recent misfortunes with the
90-90Q20v.  In short, in the last two months I have replaced the entire
transmission, put in a new Sachs clutch kit and rear engine seal (as long
as we had the chest cavity open), and most recently had the drive shaft
apart for a new center bearing.  Just for good measure I had a dead battery
and a blown seal on the P/S pump only weeks before.  This has resulted in
repair bills cleanly in excess of $3000.
     When I got the car back with the "new" used transmission I was happy
that the car felt and sounded just like it did with the old transmission
(pre-failure).  What I didn't realize was that that was not quite right.
My regular mechanics in NH who I used to consider a top notch shop until
fairly recently had the driveshaft down for the transmission but failed to
bother to lubricate it as long as they had it down and further did not
bother to alert me to its condition.  I don't think that it's out of line
to expect a shop that bills itself as "first rate" to inspect some other
components in the vicinity when such major work is being done.  I took the
car back to the NH shop and was told that it was "probably" the center
bearing but that I should continue to drive the car until it got noticeably
worse with little attempt at further diagnosis (no thanks).  If it was the
center bearing they would replace the entire driveshaft and I would take a
hit in excess of $1000.  Most folks who would care know the shop's name but
I do not wish to malign them here.  The majority of their work has been
good, but I feel that their service has really slipped in the past year.
I'll provide the name of the shop to anyone that asks me directly.
......Meanwhile....
     I decided to go to Exeter Foreign Car in Exeter, NH because I had been
hearing some good things about them.  I arrived at a clean shop with all
kinds of cars including Audis, an F-body, and various M-Bs and Porsches in
attendance.  I was treated very courteously and handed the keys to a VERY
low cost rental car for the day.  Within a few hours I received a call from
them confirming the faulty center bearing.  "Mr. Royal, your center bearing
is bad, and our suppliers only deal with the whole driveshaft.  Since you
seem to have connections, would you like to try and find a center bearing
for us to install?"  I called "Blau" in Minnesota, and within 15 minutes I
had a $110 center bearing on its way to Exeter by overnight air.  The part
arrived in Exeter as scheduled and EFCar installed it, dismantled and
completely repacked the (completely solidified grease) CV joints on both
ends and also rebuilt part of the exhaust that had to come down to get at
the driveshaft.  All told, the $48 an hour labor + parts + el cheapo rental
(not including the center bearing) came to $275.
     The end result is that the drive line feels great now...like a new car
almost.   This mechanic treated me with respect and was willing to work
with me.  They also took a look around and fixed other stuff that needed to
be done and didn't take any short cuts.  This was not cheap, but the
customer is very happy.  Back in the saddle (for now)....check the lube on
that driveshaft!

Paul Royal
Exeter, NH - Boston, MA
90 90Q20v 163,000 miles