Hello all! I'm brand spankin' new here so, first and foremost, "hello!". I just bought my father's red '87 coupe from him and now I have a couple questions.

It's an '87 with the 700R4 transmission. I notice when I'm stopped and I put it into gear it goes into gear with a bit of a jolt. It's always done this ever since he got it a while back. It's never been a problem and it seems to work just fine. But, because it's never been a problem doesn't mean something may not be wrong.

Is this just a characteristic of this transmission mating up to a torquey engine or could something be up?

Thanks! I hope I can be an asset to this forum.
Mike

I notice when I'm stopped and I put it into gear it goes into gear with a bit of a jolt.

Check driveline; possibly worn uni joints in driveshaft and halfshafts.
Idle speed too high?

Check driveline; possibly worn uni joints in driveshaft and halfshafts.
Idle speed too high?

Sounds like U-joints all the way.

When your idle speed is much over the recommended 475 rpm, it will jolt. If you hear a little noise, the noise is coming from a combination of the front yoke's spline clearance, front u-joints, ring/pinion backlash, side yoke spline clearance, and then half shaft u-joints. Having your idle rpm a little higher than 475 won't hurt anything. If you hear a loud metallic "CLANK", it is a worn u-joint you're hearing.

It is usually the front u-joints that wear out first. Because the driveshaft is so straight, the needle bearings in the u-joints don't roll very far and therefore don't lubricate themselves much. They slowly wear flat spots in the needle bearings (and cups), and it is these flat spots that make the CLANK noise you hear when you drop your transmission into gear.

No, no clank, just a thump as it goes into gear and a little movement at the wheels. I thought the idle adjustment was something that the computer took care of in an 87.

I'll get the U joints checked next time she goes in for inspection. Thanks everyone for your help!

Mike

well, the other guys all summed it up, so all I have to say is welcome to the site.

How fast is your idle speed? If the idle speed is pretty high, you might be hearing the engine lift up off it's left side mount then THUMP back down.

Ya what they said and welcome, by the way it is a rule when you are a new guy you have to put a revealing photo in your avatar of your women. Just a heads up, as soon as possible :beerbang:

I thought the idle adjustment was something that the computer took care of in an 87.
Mike
It is, and it is for all C4s and most, if not all, EFI cars. The post stating that the idle speed should be 475 rpm is wrong. The poster got mixed up between the curb idle speed, which truly is controlled by the ECM, and the "minimum air adjustment", which gets set after the computer is disabled from changing the idle speed. Your idle speed is not "field" adjustable. The idle speed(s) are burned into your prom. It is possible to over ride or defeat the programmed settings, but the idle speed is not intended to be adjustable.

RACE ON!!!