An inDIFFerent day!

Today was the day to install the rebuilt diff in the estate and hopefully put an end to some noise and oil drips from the rear.The diff was the original as far as I know, so with 137k on the clock it hadn't done bad.It has just recently sprung a leak from the nose too,which has meant extra monitoring of the oil level.

Up on the 2 post lift the task ahead didn't seem so bad.The rear wheels off,followed by the driveshaft flange bolts and inner sections removed.Next was the prop,the handbrake cable was undone at the join between front and rear cable,the cable has frayed at both tubes through the rear subframes,so something to order and replace.The prop front UJ had some play in it too.Pete whose lift I was using got on the blower to a local autofactors who duly delivered a new one.The reason for the UJ play was evident in the shape of a collapsed gearbox mount,well it was a repro item with at least 20k miles under it's belt.A good secondhand Metalastik one from my store will be put on tomorrow.Exhaust was next off,the middle single box section caused a lot of trouble as I wanted to replace it with a stainless twin box section(which didn't fit when I tried to fit it).So Pete's 'trade' tip which eventually got the sections apart was all in vain anyway.

 The 'deadman' was employed for support whilst undoing the subframe to nose piece bolts and rear mounts.He looks a little wooden in the photo though.More tips and some additional muscle from Pete saw the diff on the floor.

Fitting the new diff was just a reversal of removal(it sounds easy but...) please don't ignore Mr.Papworth's handwritten warning next to the filler plug!So I filled her up with some fresh GL4 just after this photo.

By this time the UJ had turned up and Pete swapped them over whilst I reinstalled the driveshafts and exhaust.Pete did mention that the UJ cups were loose in the prop yolk,but back in it went.Look how nice that new diff looks and with voided rear bushes from Superflex I'm hoping for a big improvement.Handbrake cable back on along with wheels and a test drive beckoned.

Instantly the improvements were obvious,no clonk as the drive is taken up,so that was the old diff and a general lack of rear end noise as I trundle up the road.Got to about 60 and suddenly huge vibes.Limp back to Pete's with exclamations of 'it feels like I have square wheels'.Back up on the lift and the clicking noise heard driving into the garage is found to be the new UJ,it has shed a circlip and is about to lose another.The prop is pronounced scrap.A spare one is found in Pete's garage and swapped out.The second test drive and return home is much better and the new diff has made a lot of DIFFerence.Just I now have to source a new prop.Thanks must go to Pete johnson at Yorkshire Triumphs,it would have been much harder without his help and lift.So now you see what I mean by an inDIFFerent day!