DougieM

All back together brakes bled and went a run for a few miles listening intently and all seems good. More importantly no oil leak from the diff!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. Thanks to all for the shared wisdom. Even got all the oil of the drive using No Nonsense heavy duty cleaner from Screwfix so my wife isn’t unhappy. She isn’t happy that I have a car that always needs something done. She doesn’t see the point! 🙄

I couldn’t figure out how to overfill it unless car was jacked up on one side when it was done but even then, not as much as I got out. I have oil so I’ll op some in just to make sure it runs back out and not assume it’s right. I’d estimate I got 1/2 a litre of oil into the tub between what came out the shafts and filler plug. Add that to what’s lying on my drive which started all this and it’s a lot of extra oil. one shaft to go on brakes to bleed, handbrake to adjust and should be good to go. Crankshaft seal behind fan to tackle next then fingers crossed she’s ‘oil tight’! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Advice please. When I removed the first drive shaft from the diff I got a lot of oil coming out the diff. Did the other side and unsurprisingly got virtually nothing. However, having taken the filler plug out, oil started pouring out again which suggests PO overfilled diff. I’m sure I read that if the diff is overfilled too much pressure builds up and forces oil past the seals as the breather can’t handle it is that right? Should I just leave the oil to settle then refit the filler plug. Both drive shafts are back in with new seals and bearings, the rubber seal on the leaky side was pretty hard and had a lot more play compared to new one. Might get her back on the road today if All is well. Thanks….

Well I got everything separated eventually on one shaft.I’m now pretty sure everything is 1976 original so might as well do the other side now. UC came apart pretty easily but the bearing on the short shaft was a pig, as predicted. Thin puller wouldn’t touch it nor would a vice and brute force. I opted not to try and prise it off and risk damaging the plate so I cut through the bearing outer ring and removed the bearing cage then VERY carefully cut diagonally through the inner ring. I cut in as deep as I dared without touching the shaft and cut to about 1/2 way across the ring. I then put a screwdriver into the slot and one light tap cracked the rest of the ring down to the collar and just prised easily off then. I’m hoping the new bearing is a tight but not interference fit. Now to tackle the other side! Thanks for all the tips as I’m pretty sure I’d have butchered the plate had I not posted here.

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Thanks for the quick reply Pete. Just a thought. Given I’ve got the drive shafts out, is it possible to replace the seals without dropping the diff now. But then I was going to do them all and replace the bushes so not actually worth it in my grand plan.

Hi all. I’ve got a big oil leak from my 1500 diff even though it hasn’t moved for a few months and it it’s directly below the offside seal. I thought I’d get the driveshafts out for a look at the UC’s whilst doing diffand the first one I’ve pulled seems to be free but not floppy and no play which I guess is good. However! The 4 clips which retain the coupling aren’t what I recognise as circlips with2 holes for pliers, the clips meet in the middle and kind of look like a cake with a wedge cut out of it if that makes sense. Does that imply that I have original 47 year old UC’s? If so, is it dirt that’s making them seem ok rather than being in good condition. any guidance much appreciated. Dougie

No worries Mathew, it's a long way for me to travel to collect the gearbox but I have a campervan and could make a trip of it so it's not out of the question if other avenues prove fruitless. Hope you feel better soon.

Any joy at your club meeting last night Clive? Mathew when do you think you might be able to strip down the gearbox? Reason for asking is that I have to let Rimmer know if I want to cancel my laygear order and if I say no then I am committed to buying it when I may not need it if you are able to supply one.

Hi Mathew, I don't need the whole gearbox as I have everything apart from the laygear. As long as the gear assembly is in good nick then I'd be interested in buying one. No great rush as I've been waiting several weeks so another couple won't make much difference but a minimum of another 6 weeks from Rimmer does. Hopefully you can find a loose one.

Hi Mathew, it's a 76 spit with single rail box. It has 15 teeth which engages a 21 teeth reverse idler.

Hi! Anybody know where I might be able to pick up laygear 154829. Been on back order for a few weeks with Rimmer and expected date has slipped 3 times and now out to 12th Nov at earliest. Moss also out of stock. A google search isn’t proving helpful either. Thanks.

Thanks very much guys, it does have OD, I’ll fit a new o ring, Im sure that’ll solve the problem, sounds like fun. ☹️. Replaced the clutch today, I’m not sure if it’s the original clutch plate but it was worn down to rivets which had scored the driven plate. Happy days!

Thanks for the replies. Got the bell housing etc out and the serial number suggests it’s an early gearbox. Whilst I consider my options for a gearbox. There seems to be a fair bit of oil seeping along the selector which isn’t part of the recon gearbox. In the drawings I see an ‘o’ ring part 116 below, can anyone tell me if this sits inside the top cover where the selector passes through. It’s not clear on the drawing but it would serve no purpose just sitting on the shaft.

Hi. I have been stripping things down to replace the clutch but when draining the gear oil I found two teeth plus loads of shrapnel on the magnetic plug. Is there anywhere anyone recommends for sourcing a recon gearbox? Also, is there an easy way of identifying whether it is an early or late single rail gearbox?