Bensrustbucket

New Member
HI,
I just bought a 1982 Series III that is in pretty rough shape, it leaks just about everything it seems to have a patchwork of steel plates over the fire wall and door frames but the motor has just been rebuilt so hopefully that is OK. I have found water in the transfer case and it has some serious slack in the drive train. Getting to the point.... when the Truck is in nutral I can rotate the rear driveshaft about 45 degrees in either direction but not when it is in gear, Is this the source of the drive train slack??? does any body know what may cause this???? Bad shims in the dif or transfer case problems was my guess but I am stationed in Italy and i cant get a shop to look at is as it is "British" scared or something i dont know. any help would be great. Ben
 
...but at least it's now in the right section! I still think the diff's shagged, though. Assuming both ends of the propshaft have the same play and it's not the splined section that's worn.
 
now that would be down right crazy, so I changed "Bad shims" to "bad shims in the dif" and moved the thread to the series section as suggested.
 
oxides.. i can hear movement in both the rear dif and the transfer case when i rotate the drive shaft. the guy was also running some real sticky oil in the dif not standard 80 90 you think he was trying to keep it quiet?
 
If it's out of gear then you will hear movement in the transfer box/gearbox - it can move because of the slop in the diff. Put it in gear (after you've removed the propshaft) with the handbrake off and rotate the brake drum - that's the play in the gearbox.
Pop the diff off and have a look - not a difficult job if the propshaft bolts come undone without a struggle. Take off the propshaft (you might need to take off both ends) drain the diff, pull the driveshafts part out (you can check to see if there's any play in the drive flange splines) unbolt and drop the diff - careful, it's heavy. You'll need 2 drive flange and 1 diff gasket (and possibly a new diff) for reassembly.
 
Seen that much slack in many an old diff thats still working fine,but not good in the long term,be gental with clutch for now.
 
thanks for all the good advise, I have been taking it real easy on her but it just keeps getting worse, sounds like the prop shaft is going to jump right off the truck....looks like i have the weekend all planed out for me.
 
Oh if you are remving prop shaft try and find prop shaft remval tool..

..Also have a complete set of bolts ready for prop AND DRUM brake as you WILL end up cutting, round and wreaking prop bolts and having too take off drum brake to replace!!!!

MX
 
Oh if you are remving prop shaft try and find prop shaft remval tool..

..Also have a complete set of bolts ready for prop AND DRUM brake as you WILL end up cutting, round and wreaking prop bolts and having too take off drum brake to replace!!!!

MX

If the propshaft is knackered anyway you might find it easier to knock the UJs out in situ to get better access to the flange bolts. I find a quarter inch socket set with a short extension bar works for me to get the bolts off.
 
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I think you may be right about the cutting.. the Italian who I bought it from did no maintainence on it what so ever. but I thing all the leaking oil has kept the rust at bay so I might luck out. Ill bring a rig home from work just in case im wrong
 

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