370z Driveshaft Melted

370Z Kiwi · 07-10-2015, 05:53 PM

Two nights ago...I was driving and went to drop my clutch...and I heard a very bad sound of mechanical things failing and was like

. So I towed it to the car dealership assuming that my transmission or clutch had just failed....

They called me today to tell me that my driveshaft had melted....turns out that my Y-pipe was left disconnected and the exhaust gases had been exposed to the underneath of the car...and the heat from the exhaust melted the driveshaft until its structural integrity was lost, and the driveshaft has literally torqued itself apart...

I will take pictures when I get to the dealership.

Zbrah · 07-10-2015, 06:19 PM

Lol how were you driving around with a leaked exhaust and did not know?

In for pictures though. This is interesting.

dP3NGU1N · 07-10-2015, 06:21 PM

Umm.... Our drive shaft is carbon fiber, isn't it? You know... the stuff they use on the nose cone of nasa space shuttles for re-entry into orbit? That melted?

jpritche · 07-10-2015, 07:44 PM

It isn't 100% carbon iirc.

POS VETT · 07-10-2015, 08:04 PM

Doh!

Memphis370Z · 07-10-2015, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zbrah

Lol how were you driving around with a leaked exhaust and did not know?

In for pictures though. This is interesting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dP3NGU1N

Umm.... Our drive shaft is carbon fiber, isn't it? You know... the stuff they use on the nose cone of nasa space shuttles for re-entry into orbit? That melted?

In for pics. Something isn't adding up.

Aviator44 · 07-10-2015, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dP3NGU1N

Umm.... Our drive shaft is carbon fiber, isn't it? You know... the stuff they use on the nose cone of nasa space shuttles for re-entry into orbit? That melted?

They use carbon-carbon on the space shuttle. Not exactly the same thing.

Trips · 07-10-2015, 10:24 PM

Im curious to see the damage.

But the driveshaft is carbon-fiber composite.

Spooler · 07-10-2015, 10:52 PM

ugg,,,, That bill is going to be ugly.

dP3NGU1N · 07-10-2015, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aviator44

They use carbon-carbon on the space shuttle. Not exactly the same thing.

True enough, but I don't think our exhaust gases are on the same magnitude as the heat generated from the atmosphere, either. Just hard to believe the shaft can melt from an exhaust leak.

gomer_110 · 07-10-2015, 11:46 PM

carbon-carbon is a ceramic like material while carbon fiber is not. The two materials are are very different with the only real similarity being that they are both carbon based.

As far as the driveshaft is concerned, my guess is that the prolonged heat exposure weakened the resin allowing the driveshaft to twist.

axmea? · 07-11-2015, 01:08 AM

This is a first. Curious how this could really happen. The car would have sounded different and gotten someone's attention. pix pix pix.

INeedaDoctor · 07-11-2015, 01:37 AM

I saw this on AZSH! I hope you somehow got the warranty to cover this.

SouthArk370Z · 07-11-2015, 06:32 AM

I've always been under the impression that the CF driveshaft construction was very similar to fiberglass - fibers in an epoxy-type matrix. If that is indeed true, I don't think you melted the driveshaft. My guess is that the mechanic was just imprecise in describing the damage. But I'm no expert of CF.

Subbed for more info. I would love to see some pics.

juld0zer · 07-11-2015, 07:44 AM

It's similar to the material used in the radiator frame support.
Like others have said, i'm surprised OP didn't hear something different about the exhaust tone...

07-10-2015, 05:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
370Z Kiwi Base Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Arizona Posts: 2 Drives: 2010 370z PW M6 Rep Power: 11	370z Driveshaft Melted Two nights ago...I was driving and went to drop my clutch...and I heard a very bad sound of mechanical things failing and was like . So I towed it to the car dealership assuming that my transmission or clutch had just failed.... They called me today to tell me that my driveshaft had melted....turns out that my Y-pipe was left disconnected and the exhaust gases had been exposed to the underneath of the car...and the heat from the exhaust melted the driveshaft until its structural integrity was lost, and the driveshaft has literally torqued itself apart... I will take pictures when I get to the dealership. DEpointfive0 and Zbrah like this.

07-10-2015, 06:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Zbrah A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2013 Location: The370Z.com Posts: 4,956 Drives: 370Z Rep Power: 5452	Lol how were you driving around with a leaked exhaust and did not know? In for pictures though. This is interesting. __________________

07-10-2015, 06:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
dP3NGU1N A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Irvine Posts: 1,682 Drives: 13 PW sport 6mt Rep Power: 18	Umm.... Our drive shaft is carbon fiber, isn't it? You know... the stuff they use on the nose cone of nasa space shuttles for re-entry into orbit? That melted? Japanjay likes this. __________________ 35% Hooper Optik \| Takeda Attack CAI \| F.I. HFC \| Hotchkis Sway Bar \| Stillen 24row \| OS Giken Super Lock LSD \| TK Shift Knob \| EVO-R Carbon Diffuser

07-10-2015, 10:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
Trips Administrator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Disneyland, Ca Posts: 8,730 Drives: 🔰 Rep Power: 10	Im curious to see the damage. But the driveshaft is carbon-fiber composite. GaleForce likes this. __________________

07-10-2015, 11:46 PM	#11 (permalink)
gomer_110 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Perrysburg, OH Posts: 17,992 Drives: '11 Nismo #528 GM Rep Power: 36941	carbon-carbon is a ceramic like material while carbon fiber is not. The two materials are are very different with the only real similarity being that they are both carbon based. As far as the driveshaft is concerned, my guess is that the prolonged heat exposure weakened the resin allowing the driveshaft to twist. SouthArk370Z likes this. __________________ '11 370Z Nismo #528 Fast Intentions \| Stillen \| Motordyne \| Uprev \| CSF \| Zspeed \| Z1 Motorsports \| AST \| Swift \| SPC \| SPL \| Whiteline \| Hotchkis \| Bride \| Schroth \| Robispec \| Cusco \| Nismo \| Volk \| Forgestar \| Hoosier \| RJM '17 Titan Bone Stock

07-10-2015, 07:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
jpritche A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cartersville, Ga Age: 32 Posts: 2,570 Drives: '15 RR, '14 IS250 Rep Power: 31	It isn't 100% carbon iirc.

07-10-2015, 08:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
POS VETT Track Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Columbus OH Posts: 612 Drives: Z34\|C4LT4\|C6Z06\|V25 Rep Power: 3366	Doh!

07-10-2015, 10:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
Spooler A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Ga Posts: 13,800 Drives: 2013 Nismo 370z Rep Power: 2684392	ugg,,,, That bill is going to be ugly.

07-11-2015, 01:08 AM	#12 (permalink)
axmea? A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,235 Drives: WELL ZED PW 6MT Rep Power: 53241	This is a first. Curious how this could really happen. The car would have sounded different and gotten someone's attention. pix pix pix. __________________ >MyZ's Album< NISMO Convert/ECUTEK/Takeda CAI/F.I. HFC NR CB Carbon/F.I. 34 Row Oil Cooler/4.08 Final Drive /Powertrix+Swifts/Hotchkis/SPL/Whiteline/TWM/Zoom Engineering/EVO-R/AeroJacket Vented CF Fenders + CF Spoiler/Avant Garde-WORK/NST/Morimoto Halo/STi Clear Lenses/Carbon Signal Automotive/RJM Performance/ZSpeed Clutch Flywheel CSC delete

07-11-2015, 01:37 AM	#13 (permalink)
INeedaDoctor Base Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 87 Drives: 09 Black Touring Rep Power: 12	I saw this on AZSH! I hope you somehow got the warranty to cover this.

07-11-2015, 06:32 AM	#14 (permalink)
SouthArk370Z Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 8,435 Drives: 2014 Challenger Rep Power: 324198	I've always been under the impression that the CF driveshaft construction was very similar to fiberglass - fibers in an epoxy-type matrix. If that is indeed true, I don't think you melted the driveshaft. My guess is that the mechanic was just imprecise in describing the damage. But I'm no expert of CF. Subbed for more info. I would love to see some pics. __________________ Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

07-11-2015, 07:44 AM	#15 (permalink)
juld0zer Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Sydney Posts: 428 Drives: 11 Nissan 370Z MB M6 Rep Power: 139	It's similar to the material used in the radiator frame support. Like others have said, i'm surprised OP didn't hear something different about the exhaust tone...

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