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My torque tube needs help. Why should I do it?

Posted on 08/25/2010 7:44:29 PM PDT by When do we get liberated?

I am ordering parts to repair the torque tube on my 1970 Opel GT. The question I have is, why is it there? What purpose does it serve? It would seem to me that a simple driveshaft would suffice, but no, I have a heavy (everything seems heavy in an 1800 pound car) piece that serves, as far as I can see, no purpose. I have read the Wikipedia definition of what it does, but this makes no sense to me. Can someone tell me in layman's terms why it is there?


TOPICS: Hobbies; Travel
KEYWORDS: automobiles; automotive; opel; opelgt
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To: The Watcher

Actuallly the bushings and donut are worn out. They are on the way so I was just intrigued to see what Freepers though of the reason it was there. I plan to replace the drivetrain with either an Ecotech 2.2 (an Opel design used since 97 in Europe) out of a rwd Pontiac Solstice or an injected 2.4 Liter engine out of an early 90’s Opel Tigra. Bored and stroked, would be a great ride. At that point, I will reconsider the transmission and rear drivetrain options. Input here has been great by the way!


61 posted on 08/25/2010 8:44:36 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: The Antiyuppie

Actually there are some pretty commited Opelphiles. I can get any part for the car new or good used anytime I want. Shout out to Opelsunlimited and Opel Gt source.


62 posted on 08/25/2010 8:49:21 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: Grizzled Bear; null and void
Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course?

(Protip: It's all ball bearings these days!)

63 posted on 08/25/2010 8:52:40 PM PDT by Rodamala
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To: shibumi
Carma Sutra

lol. A good joke never dies. It just gets reincarnated as someone else's ad lib. 8~)

64 posted on 08/25/2010 8:53:58 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Billthedrill

The donut gasket and bushings are worn out, so the u joint whachs the bottom of the car when I break inertia or shift hard


65 posted on 08/25/2010 8:54:48 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
"145 mph in east TX in 1973 between Bastrop and Rockne. (Don’t tell my dad.)"

We used to have to go to Lampasas to get Coors beer. That was in 1975 and my MG wouldn't go over 80 MPH.

We all lived, however.

66 posted on 08/25/2010 8:54:57 PM PDT by SnuffaBolshevik
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To: When do we get liberated?


I am ordering parts to repair the torque tube on my 1970 Opel GT.

Sorry I can’t give you specific info.
BUT...back in the day when I had a 1973 Opel GT, Buick was the dealer
that had sold the Opels and had spare parts.
Maybe you could check a Buick dealership and get a lead on the parts
or perhaps a retired Buick parts manager that could help you out.

Good luck with every thing.
I loved the Opel GT, but still remember one gawd-awful blistering hot
summer week when I had to mend/replace the wiring harness.
Definitely an exercise in sweat.


67 posted on 08/25/2010 8:57:14 PM PDT by VOA
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To: SnuffaBolshevik

Coors was illegal in your jurisdiction then, so it was cool. At what point did you all figure out, after it was legal, that Coors was just lousy beer?


68 posted on 08/25/2010 8:58:46 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: SnuffaBolshevik

Coors was illegal in your jurisdiction then, so it was cool. At what point did you all figure out, after it was legal, that Coors was just lousy beer?


69 posted on 08/25/2010 8:58:55 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: VOA

Let me guess, the headlight wiring went out somewhere around the 90’s. The insulation was inlaid with silver and was designed to withstand being spun 180 degrees with the headlights. In typical German fashion, it worked as a marvel of engineering, but it all fell apart in 20 years. I redid my headlights in 1997 and that is the only wiring I kept intact when I rewired the car.


70 posted on 08/25/2010 9:03:17 PM PDT by When do we get liberated? (A socialist is a communist who realizes he must suck at the tit of Capitalism-Steve Hamel.)
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To: When do we get liberated?

Entabulator.wmv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIS5n9Oyzsc


71 posted on 08/25/2010 9:07:07 PM PDT by The SISU kid (I feel really homesick all the time & so do all the other aliens.....)
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To: The SISU kid

I can’t believe it took 71 replies to get to the entabulator. That classic video answers everything.


72 posted on 08/25/2010 9:09:45 PM PDT by saint
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To: Dr. Eckleburg; shibumi

“Carma Sutra lol. A good joke never dies. It just gets reincarnated as someone else’s ad lib. 8~)”

On the contrary, it was NOT an ad lib ... it was the result of an overactive RIG ... I can’t explain it any better than I can the torque bar, but it has to do with some very metaphysical spontaneous generation of inference that I seem to have developed ... and it springs out randomly ...


73 posted on 08/25/2010 9:19:57 PM PDT by jessduntno (The Grand Old Potty needs to be flushed ... vote for Conservatives in November.)
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To: When do we get liberated?

“I have been into Opels for 15 years, the people I call to get me out of a tech jam have no idea why it is there lol. I will check that out though. I need to scrap anouther shell anyways. Might find one there.”

As my Uncle Mort might say, “It couldn’t hoit.”


74 posted on 08/25/2010 9:22:51 PM PDT by jessduntno (The Grand Old Potty needs to be flushed ... vote for Conservatives in November.)
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To: When do we get liberated?
...an injected 2.4 Liter engine out of an early 90’s Opel Tigra. Bored and stroked...

Holy crap - in an 1800 lb car? LOL! You planning to drive this thing up telephone poles and cliffsides? But yeah, if the u-joints are whacking the car you're losing a lot of power. Gotta do something.

Could I ask as a favor that if you do the above you take some pix and share? And maybe think about some four-points while you're at it? You're gonna want to strap into that one... ;-)

75 posted on 08/25/2010 9:29:45 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: When do we get liberated?
"Coors was illegal in your jurisdiction then, so it was cool. At what point did you all figure out, after it was legal, that Coors was just lousy beer?"

I don't think we ever did. It was a reason to get away from Ft. Hood.

You had to go at least 75 miles from there to attain a normal male/female ratio.

76 posted on 08/25/2010 9:49:50 PM PDT by SnuffaBolshevik
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To: jessduntno

The last tread we had was Mr. Piper’s Opus.

And that was a hysterical thread...gosh I wish someone else would opus :)


77 posted on 08/25/2010 9:54:46 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (Extremism in defense of Liberty is sometimes necessary...)
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To: Outlaw Woman

“The last tread we had was Mr. Piper’s Opus. And that was a hysterical thread...gosh I wish someone else would opus :)”

Yeah ... an Opel Thread ain’t an Opus Tread ... for sure ... but theirs been some funny stuff here ... Mr. Piper’s Opus will always be a hard one to top ... there might even be a movie in there somewhere ...


78 posted on 08/25/2010 10:04:27 PM PDT by jessduntno (The Grand Old Potty needs to be flushed ... vote for Conservatives in November.)
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To: jessduntno; Dr. Eckleburg

We were laughing because a month or so ago, on a completely unrelated thread, i made a crack about getting a bovine “in the mood” by showing it pictures from the “Cowma Sutra.”

This has the makings of a meme.


79 posted on 08/25/2010 10:07:35 PM PDT by shibumi (Pablo is Miley- wily, clever and detractive as all get out!)
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To: When do we get liberated?

If you want to get a Solstice engine, see if you can lay your hands on the turbo 2.0 liter in the GXP, at 250-ish HP, it’s a pretty hot little motor.


80 posted on 08/25/2010 10:08:46 PM PDT by Kommodor (Terrorist, Journalist or Democrat? I can't tell the difference.)
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