Propshafts & Diffs...
The Discovery Project...Posted by
Nicky Smith Sun, September 13, 2015 17:26:24
Today is a good day. I went to a car boot sale with Wifey this morning and managed to pick up a spare wheel for our little Ye Olde Tea Shoppe caravan for the bargain price of seven quid! This made me smile because I only yesterday I priced up and brand new wheel and tyre for sixty five pounds and I thought that was quite reasonable so to save myself that much is superb and I could not believe my eyes when I saw it just lying there next to someone's old clothing and tat!
Then we headed straight out for a brisk three and a half mile walk enjoying that last of the summers warmth walking through woodland...
but then we headed home for what needed to be done chore wise....Wifey took the indoor stuff and I ignored what I was supposed to do setting to changing out the Diff and doing the 200tdi rear prop conversion on Brian instead.
I have never changed a diff before but I had been told by my landy friends the whole process and how easy it is to do and they really were quite right!
I soon had off the old rear propshaft and doughnut then the half shafts came out no problem...this really was going too well for working on a Land Rover but undeterred I carried on regardless.
I had to scrape off copious amounts of concrete dried mud from several different off road sites to get to the diff housing bolts but they all played ball after a little encouragement and the diff was soon out. They weigh a bloody ton when you are lying on your back under your motor but if you have a cunning plan like I did you can save yourself some strain and pain by getting a plastic box of sturdy construction of course about the same height as the diff and slide it out and onto it then the same in reverse when refitting the replacement.
With that back in place and sealed up I lined up the 200tdi prop and then refitted the half shafts sealing as I went along. After all the bolts were tightened up I filled the diff with oil and took Brian out for a spin waiting for something to go bang because I had done it wrong but no it was all good! In fact the pick up is much better than before and the bang/play of the old diff has disappeared completely...
The whole job only took a couple of hours and that was with me not having done it before or much of a clue moving old bolts that have not been moved for years, I have no doubt that the next time I do it it will be much much quicker.
SO that's another job down on Brain and the track rod ends are next I was going to do theses one evening last week but thought as I was about to set to it that seeing as I had a pair of brand new track rod ends I may as well pick up a heavy duty steering bar and change the lot in one go so if anyone has one kicking around for sale let me know!
A good day had indeed and now I am off to have a beef stew dinner