Aristotle Posted April 22 Report Share Posted April 22 Having received my rebuilt diff back (Spitfire 1500) from the estimable Mike Papworth it's taken me (ahem) a while to gird my loins in prep to put it back in. My excuse as usual is my age being nearer to 80 than 70 I'm finding it extremely useful to behave and excuse tardiness to cite advancing years as the reason. Younger people outside the family in particular I've noticed have become more respectful of this elderly gent. Those inside the family just tell me to stop whinging and get on with it. So in respect of diff, "getting on with it" started yesterday and I emerged from the garage at approx six oclock last night (I only started at four) feeling pretty pleased with myself with the diff located back up into position and on it's back lugs. This Monday mornings early coffee however has been taken with a peruse of the BL manual for the 1500 Spitfire diff refitting process and it mentions "offer up the final drive unit to it's rear mounting location ensuring that the two rubber washers are positioned correctly on the outside of the mounting lugs". The relevant picture showing same two washers sitting between the frame and outside of the mounting lugs. Obviously the long bolt passing through frame, washer, lug, inner frame, lug, washer then frame and finally plain washer and nut - a bit of a b----r! A quick butchers at the Haynes manual makes no mention of said washers and for the life of me don't remember any coming out when I took the diff off the car prior to rebuild. So chaps what's the truth of it, as I can see getting the beggars in could be difficult (and I am after all quite old) - - did these washers exist, are they one of those "nice to do" things but not absolutely necessary or do I need to bite the bullet stop whinging, order a pair and get on with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 22 Report Share Posted April 22 cant look right now but grey matter suggests the 1500 had one extra rubber spacer under one of the fwd mounts knowone has any idea why you would pitch the front frame as the rear mounts are fixed . it was introduced on later spits but never seen on herald vitesse GT6 Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted April 22 Report Share Posted April 22 A washer or two certainly wouldn't hurt in this location to spread the load of the bolt being tightened; however it's interesting that the 1500 manual clearly shows one at the nut end only. My Herald manual refers to 'nyloc nuts and plain washers' on the differential 'rubber bushed rear mounting lugs' but no photo. Most of mine show two bolts which can be even more of a faff! Can't be that much more difficult to have a washer on the head end of the long bolt before insertion, and the other end can be fitted once the diff has been installed by the bolt being fully in place? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aristotle Posted April 23 Author Report Share Posted April 23 (edited) You know what they say (whoever they are) a picture is worth a thousand words ! As usual my verbose nature has distorted the drift. Here's a couple of pics which hopefully might make things a little clearer. It's the rear most mounting of the diff the one with the long bolt and Colin is right it is just a bolt with one plain steel washer under the securing nyloc nut - there's no washer under the bolt head. My query is in relation to two rubber washer which appears to go between the lugs and the frame/chassis - 2 of number 149648 in the first photo - photo comes from BL's parts book. Second photo is from the BL manual and shows same two rubber washers. These rubber washers are not shown or mentioned in the Haynes or Autobooks workshop manuals, is the wisdom they are a must have or not really necessary. Edited April 23 by Aristotle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted April 23 Report Share Posted April 23 Never saw those before (probably as none of my early cars seem to have had or used them!) but Paddocks list them for the Stag, and Rimmers for the Spitfire. Possibly to dampen vibrations? That would definitely be a faff fitting those along with everything else, unless you glued them in place first... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 23 Report Share Posted April 23 its is general practice you dont get a washer under the head as the head should be held and the nut has to be tightened hence to aid the turning of the nut a washer is added some washers are there if some sort of reinforcement of the face is designed its quite a practical move to fit two short bolts rather than trying to locate and insert to one long one all down to your preferences pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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