The special prop socket is a thin walled one. Is there any chance you could grab the shagged nuts with mole/vice grips and turn the bolt from the back with a 9/16 spanner? (The bolts do turn despite it looking like there is a ridge to stop it)

A few degrees of backlash on the diff is actually pretty good ... most have more! There are quite a lot of gears in there that have to take up slack before the wheels would move.

**Looks like I type to slow and James beat me to it :) **
 
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I managed to get in with an angle grinder...it's just a case of spinning the prop around to get the right angle on the bolts/nuts.
 
there aint no gogs in there you find them in windmills ,yes there is back lash between crown wheel and pinion,and within the differential gears,half shafts,drive flanges,what your looking for is not rotational free play but end float,up/down,side to side play ,which shows pinion brg loose or worn ,rotating prop till access to prop bolts is better is how its done ,or even easier with one end off as movement is more ,use 2 x spanner if you havent the right socket if they round the edges you can with sharp chisel split nut across the flat

Sorry, I meant the ring and pinion. :eek:

That's good. I'm pretty sure there's no lateral play, just a tiny bit of rotational free play.

Luckely Gratech have all my bits in stock, and have put a prop bolt tool aside for me. Just need to dig out my AF spanners and grease gun now.


One more thing though, is it ok to drive without the front prop on it?
 
How did laying on your back under the Landy for the weekend go?

TBH I only got to spend a just under an hour on it the whole weekend.

I managed to get all the parts I needed on the Friday on my way home. Even the special socket thing. And digging around in the back of the garage I found my AF spanners and an old bit of aluminium angle that is now destined to become my special transfer box nut thingy removal tool.

Most of the bolts came out easy, but I had to hammer the socket onto the two that were ground down, but they did turn which was good news.

So eventually got the prop off and removed the fecked UJ. Will try to post some pics later, as it really is a shining example of why grease is important and why these things shouldn't be neglected.

I count myself lucky that it didn't go really wrong. And still not sure how the MOT guy missed it. Or how I did for that matter.

So currently the prop is in the garage awaiting being put back together.
 
It sounds like you've got the hardest part done, sounds like the special tool has paid for itself already for you :)
You were lucky to discover the buggered UJ before it let go.
I wouldn't like to think what would happen if it let go on the motorway, have heard stories of them flicking back ends of vans up into the air.
Would probably not be anywhere near as dramatic on a Landy front prop but would certainly be noisy enogh to scare the brown adrenaline into flowing. Especially as the end that failed is pretty much under the drivers feet :S

I look forward to the photos, nothing like a good mechanical post mortem :)
 
As promised.

The roller bearings, not. :eek:

IMG_3053.JPG


The spider

IMG_3054.JPG


And I'm hoping this will be ok. It has ground into the flange thing a bit.

IMG_3051.JPG
 
Well, finally got a spare hour to continue work on my prop ujs

Have now realized why it hasn't seen grease for a long time, the fecking grease nipple is completely ground off. There's just a piece of the old threaded part stuck in the prop, completely flush, so there's nothing to grip to get it out. And no way to grip it with the grease gun to put grease in.

Any ideas where i can buy some of those reverse thread drill bits in the uk?

Google just seems to turn up american sites, and i was hoping to get this finished this weekend.

All of my stud extractor bits and bobs either wont fit or wont work because theres no extruding stud.


Btw, buster, your guide is excellent.
 
Well, finally got a spare hour to continue work on my prop ujs

Have now realized why it hasn't seen grease for a long time, the fecking grease nipple is completely ground off. There's just a piece of the old threaded part stuck in the prop, completely flush, so there's nothing to grip to get it out. And no way to grip it with the grease gun to put grease in.

Any ideas where i can buy some of those reverse thread drill bits in the uk?

Google just seems to turn up american sites, and i was hoping to get this finished this weekend.

All of my stud extractor bits and bobs either wont fit or wont work because theres no extruding stud.


Btw, buster, your guide is excellent.
Ye're welcome;)
Have ye thought of drilling it out and re tappin'? Only suggestin' this as ah'm kinda in the same situation wi' the bike just now! Plunger grease nipple has broken flush, so thought about drllin' to very near and runnin' a tap through it............... just waitin' fur witty comments.... :p:D:D
 
Well, finally got a spare hour to continue work on my prop ujs

Have now realized why it hasn't seen grease for a long time, the fecking grease nipple is completely ground off. There's just a piece of the old threaded part stuck in the prop, completely flush, so there's nothing to grip to get it out. And no way to grip it with the grease gun to put grease in.

Any ideas where i can buy some of those reverse thread drill bits in the uk?

Google just seems to turn up american sites, and i was hoping to get this finished this weekend.

All of my stud extractor bits and bobs either wont fit or wont work because theres no extruding stud.


Btw, buster, your guide is excellent.


Get a small eazy out tap into grease fitting presto it's out.

Looks like i'll have to add left hand drill bits to the shipping container
:):):D
 
Ye're welcome;)
Have ye thought of drilling it out and re tappin'? Only suggestin' this as ah'm kinda in the same situation wi' the bike just now! Plunger grease nipple has broken flush, so thought about drllin' to very near and runnin' a tap through it............... just waitin' fur witty comments.... :p:D:D
IF you can get straight on the broken nipple take a good phillips screw driver and tap into the broken nipple and turn it out while taping with a hammer. The nipple is softer than the nipple so should work.:)
 
IF you can get straight on the broken nipple take a good phillips screw driver and tap into the broken nipple and turn it out while taping with a hammer. The nipple is softer than the nipple so should work.:)
Might have tae give it a tweek to make it stiffer!;):p:D:D
Aye,ah know where ye're comin' from JW mate;):D
 
I already tried the easyout type extractors I have, but no joy. The smallest one was too small and just turned inside the remaining grease nipple bore. They are taperred, so it looks like it could reach the sides if I could get it in further, but it bottoms out not too far in.

The next size up is much bigger than the hole. So doesn't fit at all.

Think I might try John's idea with the screwdriver. I really dont want to have to drill and re-tap if I can get away with it. As the only spare grease nipples I have is one of these small ones (that came off the UJ I just took off) that would fit in the original hole, and a few 7/16th ones that I dont have the right Tap for.
 
if the grease nipple for slide is in the prop in picture dont bother you need new prop that yoke is buggerd and you run risk of prop parting at yoke and damaging part of your vehicle
 

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