I Buggered Up

[mrdelmonti]

Decided to change the difflock actuator today ready for Lincomb, I don't think I should have bothered.

On removal of the old unit the gear on the end of the shaft decided it didn't want to leave the warmth of the diff and proceeded to fall into the casing.

I got a magnet in through the drain plug hole and found the gear but sods law, the hole is too small so it's looking like diff apart.

Might not make Lincomb now and to top it off it's sat on Trevors driveway 60miles from home.

The offending item:

 

[greengrass]

Doh!!!
What a nightmare, hope you get it sorted soon.

 

[Chris Green90]

Come on Ed I am sure you and Trev are up to the job in 3 days. Counting on you to make this Lincomb a 90 walkover.

 

[froggy Steve]

catastrophe!!!!!
Steve

 

[mrdelmonti]

I'm hoping we can do it, thing is I've got a funeral on Thursday so Trev will be on his own and we're leaving Friday morning.

It all hinges on tomorrow really, fingers crossed though.

On that note if there is anyone willing to help please speak up haha.

 

[Trevor]

It'll be reet Ed, we have tobacco, Yorkshire Tea, plenty of swear words and we like a challenge.

 

[Shayne]

Couldn't you magnetize a bit of wire over night and fish it out the way it went in ?

 

[mrdelmonti]

Might be worth a try but there's a lot of bits of diff to work it up, over and around.

 

[Shayne]

If you can get the wire from top to bottom and through the drain hole and make a loop or hook small enough to fit back through the hole you might just get lucky

 

[Chris Green90]

If you can get the wire from top to bottom and through the drain hole and make a loop or hook small enough to fit back through the hole you might just get lucky

TBH I reckon you would be quicker stripping the Diff. Did mine last week and took about an hour.

 

[Shayne]

Or you could place a small magnet on top of your drain plug and stick it back in . That should keep the loose parts safely out of the way for the time being and you could make Lincomb using spares . Not ideal but lets you tackle the job in your own time .

 

[mrdelmonti]

TBH I reckon you would be quicker stripping the Diff. Did mine last week and took about an hour.

Any tips that will make life easier?

Assume half shafts had to come out of rear diff?

 

[mrdelmonti]

Or you could place a small magnet on top of your drain plug and stick it back in . That should keep the loose parts safely out of the way for the time being and you could make Lincomb using spares . Not ideal but lets you tackle the job in your own time .

Something I wouldn't want to risk, if it pops off that's a wrecked diff!

 

[Shayne]

Perhaps this will help ?

http://www.tlocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8159&sid=c6ff2941a9a347b97b56cec2cae00993

 

[mrdelmonti]

Thanks, will be handy to know when back together.

 

[ModelMakerMan]

Mate dont worry rear axles are easy peasey. You dont even need to take the wheels off:

Drain the diff oil
Jack up rear axle so the tyres are only just off the ground and support
Clamp the flexi rear brake pipe
Disconnect the brake lines from the callipers (you may also need to disconnect the handbrake cable depending on how it connects on a 90)
Undo the 4 nuts on each side that fasten the hubs to the axle casing
Grab the wheel and pull the wheel,hub and shaft out about 3" (no need to remove all the way unless you really want to), make sure the shaft isnt resting on the seal. Do the same both sides.
Mark position and disconnect drive shaft (I only do the diff end then hook it over one of the trailing arms out of the way).
Undo the nuts/bolts holding the diff housing on leaving the top one till last. The diff shouldnt just fall out but it might be worth supporting with a jack or getting someone to hold it in til you are ready
Remove diff. Caution! It will be heavy! I tend to lie on my back underneath the diff but slightly to one side and bench press it out and back in but others have struggled depending on space available and strength etc. Some use a trolly jack to lower and support it but Ive always found that way a bit unstable.

Re-assembly is the reverse.
Make sure you seal the diff housing, I use RTV sealant but you could use a gasket (Ive always found the paper ones to be useless).
Getting the shafts back in with the wheels and hubs on is easier with two people as you need to line up the splines on the shaft with the diff and the studs on the hub with the axle housing at the same time so there are 2 bit which rotate separately (unless you can work out a way of holding the hand brake on).
Dont forget to remove the clamp from the flexi brake pipe and bleed the brakes.

I did mine on Sunday afternoon just the check the rear diff and it took me about 2 hours including a tea break and time to measure preload and play.

Im sure you and Trev can get this sorted. If you can bring Little Blue back to life a rear diff should be easy!

 

[Chris Green90]

Any tips that will make life easier?

Assume half shafts had to come out of rear diff?

Simple enough really Ed (although with no drum handbrake to get in the way mine was dead simple)

Jack up, wheels off etc (all done safely)

Calipers and carriers off
Disc/Drum Off
Handbrake Gubbins out (So Glad i could skip this step)
Handbrake actuator off
Mark the orientation
Undo the 4 nuts that hold the hub to the axle housing (Might be worth getting Trev to give them a blast of WD)
Slide the half shafts out
Same on other side

By the sounds of it you already have the locker actuator off so

Drop off the rear drive shaft marking the orientation and undo the diff housing bolts then slide it all out nice and gentle like.

Find ya cog then put it all back together in reverse order.

Just make sure that the diff and the locker are in the "LOCKED" position before you put the locker back on.

 

[mrdelmonti]

Thanks fellas, going to try the method leaving the wheels on first as I'd like to try and avoid pulling the handbrake apart having done it on lil' blue.

 

[sae70]

I'd definetly give the fishing method a good go first, maybe with a length of cotton or fishing line with a small weight on it from top to bottom. Got to be worth a go surely?!

 

[Shayne]

I'm not sure exactly what it is your trying to fish out but if it was a washer or circlip perhaps you could tie it to a bit of fishing line using tweezers through the drain hole ?